Super-Simple Sweet Potato Soup

I'm what you might call a bit of a "late bloomer" when it comes to soup. Growing up, I ate three kinds, and three kinds only: chili (fits in the soup category, right?); my mom's homemade tortellini soup; and Dinty Moore Stew (my dad liked it, so, naturally, I did, too).

French Onion? An abomination. Cream-of-Anything? Not a chance. Tomato soup with grilled cheese? Don't even think about it. 

Which is why it's patently weird that I'm so in love with soup now... 

Black Beans + Rice w/ Sweet Potato Cubes

Fortunately or not, I did not grow up eating sweet potatoes. Sure, I may have unknowingly consumed one at some point in time, but I honestly have no recollection of doing so. Thus, I have no preconceived notions about them, or how they're "supposed" to be prepared.

On one hand, that's a bit of a bad thing, if only because it prevents me from commiserating with people who obsess about their love/hate relationships with those sweet potato-marshmallow conglomerations that are often served on Thanksgiving.

On the other hand, it's a really good thing, because it means that I tend to work with sweet potatoes in exactly the same manner as I do with plain ol' white potatoes. And since I LOVE potatoes in general, it's nice to have zero boundaries when it comes to cooking with all varieties of spuds.