Sweet Potato Soup Recipe

I'm finally giving away the secret!  I make this soup 3-4 times per year (usually for our team carbo-loading dinner parties) and the leftovers (if any) never make it past the next day.  Enjoy a small bowl as an appetizer or ladle a large bowl and accompany it with a salad for a filling meal.

Note #1: "Sweet potatoes" and "yams" are not the same.  If you order sweet potato fries at a restaurant, you are eating yams.  True sweet potatoes are the yellow variety (they look similar to russet potatoes, but are longer and much more flavorful).

Note #2: The nutrition facts do not include any of the garnish - sour cream will obviously up the Calories.  I also recommend toasting a few slices of sourdough baggette to dip in the soup.

Note #3: Click on the image below - then right click and "save as" to download the recipe.

Enjoy!

Justin Robinson, MA,RD,CSSD,FAFS,CSCS

Registered Sports Dietitian

Getting to Know . . . Christine Gould

Christine Gould is a member of the RU Team EXCEL elite squad, a regular at RU Sports Performance Center Classes, and a Catalyst Endurance Coaching Athlete.

RU: Thanks for taking a few minutes . . . so what first brought you to RU?

CG: I had been doing some functional strength training with a personal trainer, and he decided to back to school. I wanted to maintain that sport-specific type of training and I heard about the classes through emails and Facebook. Wanted to check it out!

RU: How has training at RU changed things for you?

CG: I feel strong overall – stronger in my workouts and stronger in my racing. It has also dramatically reduced my incidence of injury and has introduced me to a wonderful, supportive group of people that I am happy to call my friends and teammates.  I previously struggled with hip injuries (first suffered when training for Boston Marathon a few years ago), but no injuries over the past year – hence, RU is super!

RU: What got you into triathlon?

CG: I like a good challenge. I grew up as a swimmer and started running marathons after college. When I moved to San Diego, I learned it was the “triathlon capital” and I wanted to give it a shot.  My first tri was an Olympic Distance in 2004.

RU: So you didn’t start off with a sprint distance like most normal folks?

CG: Nope – and I actually did the Olympic distance because I didn’t know about Ironman at that time. I always figure, go big or go home.  I probably didn’t do a sprint distance until my 10th tri.

RU: What has been your best race to date?

CG: Honestly, my most recent finish at California 70.3 (April, 2011). I feel like this race was a huge breakthrough for me – especially in terms of my cycling and running fitness. I finished 4th in my age group (W30-34), 1st amateur female out of the water, and 6th amateur female overall with a 14 min PR. I feel like I have reached a new level with my racing.

RU: Excellent work!  What pre-race meal or “good luck” do you fuel up on before an important race?

CG: I have learned this year that a turkey burger and sweet potato fries do the trick for me. I always have some ice cream too.

RU: Do you have a favorite post-race meal?

CG: I’m usually fairly salt-deprived post-race so, French fries are a good fix for me (McDonalds are probably still my favorite).  And after California 70.3 this year, it was nothing fancy – a regular sundae from Dairy Queen.

RU: So achieving this success does not come easy – what’s your favorite, or most painful (since for many triathletes those are one and the same) workout?

CG: Swimming: 100 x 100s . . . just to see if I still can!  I also love riding hills and running a good fartlek.

RU: 100 100’s?!!!  That’s probably what I swim in a season.  When was the last time you did that?

CG: Last time I completed that swim workout was November 2010 – my PR (back in college) is a 1:18 average per 100 meters.  That was a record at my school. =)

RU: What do you enjoy doing when you are not training or competing?

CG: Hanging with my friends . . . yoga, reading, and traveling.

RU: Ever travel anywhere interesting?

CG: I went to Greece after I completed my PhD – it was my first time going to Europe.

RU: PhD?  Impressive.  What is your alma mater?

CG: I have a B.S. in Biology (2002) from Truman State University in Kirksville, MO and my Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from UCSD (2009).

RU: Smart and athletic – there are so few of us.  Okay, we’ll finish up with a few random questions just for fun.  Tell us a little known fact about Christine Gould.

CG: I don’t like cheese.

RU: Can you do any super human tricks?

CG: I have freakishly loose shoulder joints from my years of swimming. You probably don’t want to see what I can do.

RU: Probably not.  What’s in your CD player (or on your iPod) right now?

CG: Thievery Corporation – great music to train to, race to, and work to.

RU: Agreed.  Ever seen them live?

CG: Mmmmm . . . only five times!  Definitely a top-five show I have ever been to, maybe even the best.

RU: What can you do today that you could not do a month ago?

CG: Put the wheel back on my tri-bike . . . seriously – I didn’t know how to do this, it’s tricky!

RU: Lastly – What’s your fondest memory of RU?

CG: I am down there three nights a week and I love walking in there and feeling like I am family; it’s a great environment. Also, seeing everyone out there cheering for me at Ironman 70.3 California was amazing! I was teased that I was the most popular girl on the course. I couldn’t be more grateful for the support!

RU: Well, we are grateful for your time today as well as having you on our elite team and part of the Rehab United family!

Christine at 2010 Vineman 70.3