Sweet Potato and Ginger Soup

Aaah Winter!!!  Soups are so versatile and satisfying. This soup has a deep warm flavour from the fresh and ground ginger - and ginger is so good for you!  Whenever I make a big pot of soup I always try and squirrel away a few containers into the freezer for those crazy days which seem to happen quite regularly in my life!  Lovely people pop in to visit and it is so easy to whip up a steaming bowl of warming soup - "here's one I prepared earlier!" . Best of all, many of my homemade soups do double-duty to form the sauce for a quick stir-fry or curry. So satisfying and better for you than take-away and it's on the table in no time! 

For a change, instead of boiling, try roasting the sweet potato before adding to the soup - this deepens and intensifies the flavour.  If I have the oven on, I often toss a tray of sweet potato or pumpkin on to roast, store it in the fridge and use in a recipe later in the week. You can even freeze the cooked veg in containers ready for your next soup making adventure! 

 

sweet potato and ginger soup by Feed Your Inner Cook

Preparation    10 minutes

Cooking          30 minutes

Serves             6 -8

Ingredients

3 large sweet potatoes – peeled and cut into chunks  (TIPS AND HINTS – see below) This is approx 2.5 kg  un-peeled 

Splash of Olive Oil

2 onions – chopped

3 tablespoons Fresh ginger – finely sliced.  Plus 1 extra tablespoon to add at the end

1 teaspoon ground ginger

3 – 4 teaspoons cumin seeds  (plus extra to toast for optional garnish)

1 teaspoon ground Cumin

1 red chilli – chopped  OR  approx. 1 teaspoon chilli flakes  -  adjust to your preference

1 teaspoon ground Turmeric

3 stems Lemongrass .  Tough outer leaves removed.  Finely slice the white portions

1 – 2 Kaffir Lime leaves – leave the leaf whole, but partially snip the leaves to release flavours

1 litre Salt reduced Vegetable stock

400 ml tin coconut milk

400 ml water (re-using and rinse the coconut milk tin)

1 tablespoon brown sugar

Ground white pepper to add at end

Salt to taste (because you used salt-reduced stock)

½ cup coriander leaves – chopped.   Some for stirring through at end, and a little for garnish

Method

Use a very large deep saucepan (one pot makes it easier to blitz the soup later and saves on washing up!)

Bring a kettle of water to the boil.  Transfer the water into the saucepan and add the sweet potato chunks. Boil for 5 minutes and drain well.  Set sweet potato aside and return pan to stove-top.

Gently heat the oil in pan and add onion, ginger, cumin, chilli, turmeric and lemongrass. Cook for a few minutes to release aromas.

Add the whole lime leaf (it will be pulled out prior to blitzing)

Stir in the vegetable stock and the chunks of sweet potato.  Simmer 15 minutes

Remove the lime leaf

Take pan off the stove.  Using a electric stick blender, gently blitz the soup until smooth.

Return the saucepan of soup to the stove and reheat to simmer.

Add the coconut milk, the water and brown sugar.  Stir through without boiling.

Taste and add a little extra very finely grated fresh ginger and some of the chopped coriander.

Taste and add some ground white pepper and perhaps some salt.

To serve

Sprinkle with some dry toasted cumin seeds  and some fresh coriander leaves.

TIPS AND HINTS

Option – Roast the sweet potato chunks and refrigerate overnight if desired or use immediately.  Omit the boiling method and add the roasted sweet potato and continue recipe as above.

Freezing

This soup freezes and defrosts really well! I like to freeze it in small containers which later defrost quickly - makes a great standby for unexpected hungry visitors

TIPS AND HINTS

THAI INSPIRED SAUCE OPTION

This soup is super! It can do double duty as a quick sauce for a Thai flavour curry or stir-fry.  Simply brown your meat, add some chunky vegetables, cook, stir through some of this soup like a sauce, adjust the seasonings if required and serve with rice or noodles.  Easy!
                                                     Enjoy!   Colleen