Sweet Potato-Ginger Soup

I know a lot of people who doesn't like the taste of ginger. I like to think of it as a taste/flavor you acquire. Definitely not something you will instantly like. I used to hate it as a kid, but as I grew up and explored the wonders of cooking, I kinda developed a taste bud for it.

This recipe was inspired by potato ginger soup I tried at Casa Matti, an Italian resto we visited a month ago. It's the first time I tried ginger in a soup and I really enjoyed the flavor. So here's my take.

 
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp olive oil
600g sweet potato, peeled and cut in chunks
1 medium sized white onion, sliced
1 large clove of garlic, sliced
1 Tbsp. grated ginger
1 cup vegetable broth
2 cups water
1 1/2 cup soy milk
salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat olive oil in a pot.
2. Saute garlic and onion for a minute.
3. Add ginger and saute for a minute.
4. Add sweet potato cubes and saute, stirring often so that the vegetables don't burn. Saute for about 5 minutes.
5. Lower the heat. Add vegetable broth and water. Simmer until sweet potatoes are soft. If potatoes aren't soft yet and it's getting dry, just add more water.
6. When potatoes are soft, use a blender or food processor to puree. Depending on the size of your food processor, divide the mixture in portions. Transfer the chunks of sweet potatoes and the broth in the blender/food processor and puree.
7. When done, return it back to the pot and continue to simmer.
8. Add the soy milk and stir. The consistency should be nice and thick and not runny. If it gets too thick, adjust by adding water gradually until you get the consistency you prefer.
9. Add salt and pepper according to your taste.

You can serve it with crouton toppings. In this particular recipe, I garnished it with roasted shiitake mushrooms.