Holiday sweet potato soup

---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.04
  
       Title: Holiday Sweet Potato Soup
  Categories: Soups, Holiday, Personal
       Yield: 6 Servings
  
            -JUDI M. PHELPS
       3 tb Butter
     1/4 c  Shallots; chopped
     1/2 md Onion; diced
       2    Stalks celery; sliced
       6 c  Homemade chicken stock
         pn Nutmeg
   1 1/2 lb Sweet potatoes; peeled and
            -diced into 1-inch pieces
       1 c  Half and half
       3 tb Dry sherry
            White pepper to taste
     1/2 c  Walnuts; chopped finely
  
   Melt butter in a large saucepan.  Add the shallots,
   onion, and celery; cook over low heat about 6 minutes
   (keep stirring).  Add chicken stock, nutmeg, and sweet
   potatoes.  Bring mixture to a boil, lower the heat,
   and simmer for about 30 minutes.  When the potatoes
   seem tender, put the mixture into a food processor or
   blender and mix until smooth. Put mixture into a
   saucepan and add the half and half and sherry. Stir to
   mix and smooth out. Season with pepper and continue to
   heat but don't bring to a full boil. Place walnuts in
   a small dish and have each diner sprinkle the chopped
   walnuts in the filled soup bowl. Serves about 6 people.
   
   From the kitchen of Judi M. Phelps. jphelps@slip.net
   or jphelps@best.com
  
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