Sweet Potato, Chilli and Coconut Soup
Some types of guilt are easier to shake off than others. I blame myself, I really do. Not only did I allow her to go out alone, unchaperoned, I even encouraged it. It was a Friday. We had just come back after a couple of days away. The house was short on provisions and I had blogs to finish for your delight. So, that fateful afternoon, L left the house unaccompanied.
She came back, of course, but by then it was too late. I found myself in possession of a brace of sweet potatoes. There is a purpose to most things on earth, but there are exceptions. Give me any example of its use that wouldn't be significantly improved by the use of a good-old-fashioned-thank-you-Walter-Raleigh spud. Crisps? No. Fries? Bleugh. Mash? You are having a laugh. But this is a frugal house so some use had to be made of the critters. I based this soup on something I've made with butternut squash. Though it pains me to say it, it wasn't half bad. And if you swap the chicken stock for a vegetable one, it'll even be vegan.
Ingredients
1 good size onion, diced; 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed; 1 red chilli, seeds removed, finely chopped; 1 clove garlic, crushed; about 800ml stock (I used chicken); tin of coconut milk or cream; olive oil; salt and pepper.
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Soften the onion in a pan with a little olive oil, along with the chilli and the garlic, and a little s & p. Add the sweet potato and stir together for a minute or two. Add the stock and simmer till the sweet potato is very tender. Remove from the heat and blitz with a hand blender. Pour in the coconut cream or milk and blitz again to ensure it is thoroughly incorporated. Check the seasoning.
Great. Now what do I do with the second of the blighters?
The answer to the final question is that I made more soup, this time with an equal amount of celeriac. Not sure the sweet potato added anything apart from bulk.
I am with you on your love for sweet potatoes. Not for me at all.
The soup sounds “nice”
The celeriac version would be more to my taste.
The soup was surprisingly good, but better with butternut squash. I’m not a fan of pumpkin either, but that would work too.