You can buy two types of sweet potatoes at supermarkets but, unless you know your vegetables, you would not know it because one variety is incorrectly labelled.

The type that is obviously a sweet potato is the one labelled as such. It has a light yellow to tan-coloured skin and pale yellow flesh. The other variety of sweet potato sold in supermarkets is erroneously called a yam. It has a copper-coloured skin and vibrant orange flesh and is not even related to a real yam.

Real yams are a thick, tropical-vine tuber and a staple ingredient in warm places such as Asia, Africa and the West Indies.

Two sweet potato soup

Two soups with, respectively, golden and orange autumn colours, deliciously poured into one bowl. One is made with yellow-fleshed sweet potatoes, accented with curry powder. The other is made with orange-fleshed sweet potatoes (yams), flavoured with fresh ginger and orange. The soups could be made a day or two in advance and reheated.

Makes: 4-6 servings

For the yellow-fleshed sweet potato soup:

11/2 tablespoons (22 mL) olive oil

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1 medium to large yellow-fleshed sweet potato, peeled and cubed

1 tablespoon (15 mL) flour

1 teaspoon (5 mL) curry powder

2 1/4 cups (550 mL) chicken or vegetable stock (see Note)

* salt to taste

Heat the oil in medium-sized pot set over medium heat. Add the onion and sweet potato and cook 3-4 minutes. Mix in the flour and curry powder and cook 2 minutes more. While stirring, slowly pour in the stock. Bring to a simmer and simmer until the sweet potatoes are very tender, about 10-12 minutes. Puree the soup in a food processor or blender, or in the pot with a hand-held immersion blender. Return to a simmer; season with salt.

For the orange-fleshed sweet potato soup:

11/2 tablespoons (22 mL) olive oil

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1 medium to large orange-fleshed sweet potato, peeled and cubed

1 teaspoon (5 mL) chopped fresh ginger

1 tablespoon (15 mL) flour

1 3/4 cups (425 mL) chicken or vegetable stock (see Note)

1/2 cup (125 mL) orange juice

* salt and white pepper to taste

thin with extra stock if needed

6 tablespoons (100 mL) yogurt

2 green onions, thinly sliced

Heat the oil in medium-sized pot set over medium heat. Add the onion, sweet potato and ginger and cook 3-4 minutes. Mix in the flour and cook 2 minutes more. While stirring, slowly pour in the stock, and then the orange juice.

Bring to a simmer and simmer until the yams are very tender, about 10-12 minutes. Puree the soup in a food processor or blender, or in the pot with a hand-held immersion blender. Return to a simmer; season with salt and pepper.

To serve, pour each soup into a heatproof, spouted jug and, simultaneously, from opposite sides of bowl, slowly pour the soups into heated bowls. Top each soup with 1 tablespoon of yogurt and a sprinkling of green onions, and then serve.

Note: If either soup becomes too thick while simmering, simply thin with a bit more stock.

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes