Preheat the oven to 450F. Prick the potatoes all over, and place bare in the oven for 1 hour. Remove from the oven to let cool.

Meanwhile, make the croutons and fry the sage: Add half the butter to a skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter melts and foams, add the sage in a single layer and fry for 1 minute on each side until the sage is bright green and slightly dark at the edges. Remove the sage leaves to paper towels to drain.

To the butter, add the bread cubes, a sprinkle of salt, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Fry the croutons for 15-20 minutes until crispy and golden.

When the sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel them and cut them into large chunks. Heat a small soup pot to medium-high with the rest of the butter, the onion, garlic, celery, and smoked paprika. Saute the veggies for 5 minutes and pour in the stock. Cover the soup and let the veggies boil for 5-10 minutes until soft, then add the sweet potato chunks. Puree the soup with a blender or food processor until smooth, then taste: add as much salt as you'd like. If the soup seems thick, thin it out with some extra stock.

Serve the soup topped with croutons, crispy sage, and a drizzle of heavy cream. Enjoy!