Goan Spiced Sweet Potato Soup

The weather in Britain is getting warmer and, barring the odd cold day, the bitterness of winter is coming to an end. Indeed, my hopes of witnessing snow this winter have all but died, scuppered by unseasonably warm weather. Luckily, the weather is not yet too balmy for the consumption of a delicious, warming soup. So, I shall hide my disappointment for another year – it doesn’t often snow here – and shall instead consume an ominously large bowl of this strikingly coloured soup.

When I was reminded about the existence of my recipe for Goan Chicken Curry I couldn’t help but bring its flavour to one of my soups. Indeed, the kick afforded by the cayenne pepper contrasted beautifully with the creaminess brought by the soup – yet both characteristics combined beautifully with the sweetness of the sweet potatoes. The inclusion of coconut milk also really adds to the texture of this soup, helping it to be rather more dense than one moistened only by water. Please, feel free to feast on the delights of what will almost certainly be my last wintry soup for six months. I look forward to the moment at which WordPress erupts with the scent of summery soup, which is a different beast altogether.

Goan Spiced Sweet Potato Soup

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 3 large sweet potatoes, sliced and peeled

• 2 onions, finely sliced

• 4 large cloves of garlic

• 2 tsp ground coriander

• 2 tsp ground cumin

• 1 tsp paprika

• 1 tsp ground turmeric

• 1 tsp cayenne pepper

• 1 400ml tin coconut milk

• Juice of 1 lemon

• Salt, pepper and olive oil

• Fresh coriander to garnish

Method:

1. Bake the peeled and sliced sweet potatoes, along with the whole garlic cloves in the oven for 30 minutes, sprinkle the chucks with oil, salt and pepper. Meanwhile, fry the onions, ground coriander, cumin, paprika, turmeric and cayenne pepper in a little olive oil. Once the sweet potato is cooked through blend it, together with the onions and garlic, until smooth.

2. Return the puree to the saucepan, add the coconut milk, lemon juice and a cup of water. Bring to the boil, season to taste and serve with a little coriander to garnish.

Cost: Though sweet potatoes are rather more expensive than the common potato, their price is justified by their taste and colour. Despite this, the price of this soup remains impressively low at around £2.90 – it would easily make enough soup to serve as a starter to 6 or 7 people. One may lower the cost even further by replacing the coconut milk with Greek yoghurt, though the flavour profile probably won’t stay quite intact.