Spicy {Or Not} Chicken and Sweet Potato Soup

Valentine's Day. A holiday I have not celebrated romantically since 2008 and do not miss, though I acknowledge that the grocery store roses are a nice touch and the discount chocolate on February 15th is genuinely one of life's small miracles. Marcus made a Valentine's card at school — for me, not for a girl, which at eleven is either sweet or concerning depending on your perspective. I choose sweet. Jasmine made valentines for her entire class, which required glitter and an hour of my kitchen table and will be found in the carpet for months.

I told the kids about Mama. Not everything — not the word "metastasized," not the prognosis numbers I looked up at 2 AM and immediately wished I hadn't. I said, "Grandma's cancer came back in a different place and the doctors are going to try harder." Marcus, my analytical child, asked, "How much harder?" I said, "A lot harder." He was quiet. Then he said, "Can I see her this weekend?" Jasmine didn't ask questions. She climbed into my lap — nine years old and too big for my lap but I will never tell her that — and she held on. She held on.

We went to Cascade Heights Saturday. Mama was in bed. She'd started the new chemo Thursday and it knocked her flat — worse than before, she said, which scared me because the before was bad enough. But she smiled when the kids walked in. She always smiles when the kids walk in. Marcus sat on the edge of her bed and told her about his debate team and she listened with her eyes half-closed and I could see her choosing to be present, choosing to spend energy she didn't have on being grandma instead of being patient.

Jasmine sang for her. Just sat on the bed and sang "Amazing Grace," the version we do at church, slow and full and aching. Mama closed her eyes and tears ran down her face and she didn't wipe them. Curtis stood in the doorway and watched. I stood behind Curtis and watched. Four generations of holding on in one bedroom in a brick ranch house in Cascade Heights, and the only sound was my daughter's voice singing about grace and how it found us and I thought: if grace is real, it sounds like this. It sounds like Jasmine.

I took leave from work. I told my principal I need to care for my mother. She said, "Take what you need." I will. I'll cook for Mama. I'll drive her to appointments. I'll do what daughters do. The Set the Table girls are on pause — I called Destiny and explained, and she said, "Take care of your mama, Miss Tamika. We'll be here." That girl. That fifteen-year-old girl who has her own mountains to climb told me to take care of my mother with the voice of a woman who understands exactly what mothers cost. I will take care of my mother. I will take care of everything.

When Mama closed her eyes while Jasmine sang, I made a list in my head of everything I could still do. I can’t fix what’s growing inside her. I can’t make the chemo gentler or the prognosis different. But I can keep a pot on the stove. This soup — mild, warm, the sweet potatoes soft enough that you barely have to chew — is the one I made Thursday night and brought to Cascade Heights Friday morning in a jar she could hold with both hands. She had three spoonfuls and said, “This is good, baby.” Three spoonfuls felt like a victory. I’ll take every victory I can get.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 35 minutes | Total Time: 50 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 large sweet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional — leave out for a gentle version)
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced fire-roasted tomatoes
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Juice of 1 lime
Fresh cilantro, for serving (optional)
Diced avocado, for serving (optional)

Instructions

Season and sear the chicken. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Sear for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden. Remove and set aside on a plate.
Build the base. In the same pot, add onion and cook over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes until softened. Add garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, coriander, and cayenne (if using). Stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add sweet potatoes and broth. Add the sweet potato cubes, chicken broth, and diced tomatoes with their juices. Nestle the seared chicken breasts back into the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until sweet potatoes are fork-tender and chicken is cooked through.
Shred the chicken. Remove chicken breasts to a cutting board. Use two forks to shred the meat into bite-sized pieces. Return shredded chicken to the pot.
Finish the soup. Stir in frozen corn and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until heated through. Squeeze in lime juice and taste for seasoning. Adjust salt and pepper as needed.
Serve warm. Ladle into bowls and top with fresh cilantro and diced avocado if desired. This soup keeps beautifully in the fridge for up to 4 days and reheats gently on the stovetop.

Nutrition (per serving)

Spicy {Or Not} Chicken and Sweet Potato Soup — The Kind of Pot You Keep Warm When Someone You Love Is Fighting