Sweet Potato Soup

So, when I went away on holiday it was summer. No jackets, sandals -- the whole bit. Then I go away for two weeks, and suddenly it's fall! Long sleeves and sweaters and seeing your breath in the morning. Yuck!

Anyway, the change in season does mean I start thinking about cooking stews and soups and roasted veggies. I started this weekend with this. It has a really complex flavour, and the recipe makes tons, which means lots of frozen soup to take in my lunches over the next few weeks.

Like any good soup, it start off with softening some onions in butter. Hard to beat that smell!

The only really taxing part of the whole recipe is chopping the six cups of sweet potato. But they're actually pretty easy to peel, because they're relatively hard. I used about four smallish potatoes to get the required amount, but if you get the enormous ones (that are almost as big as your forearm) you may well only need two.

Check out my new knife. I bought it a while ago at Ikea and it's my new favourite. It's well balanced, has a good weight and is super sharp. I think it was $16, or something quite reasonable. It's joined on my knife rack by my second favourite knife, also from Ikea, which I've had since university.

Fresh lime juice makes a real difference in this soup. I always add more than the recipe calls for, because when Farm Boy has them at five for 99 cents, you have to use them up!

And here's the finished product. The coconut milk makes this really creamy, without tasting too rich. And you get a nice kick and heat from the ginger and hot sauce, and the lime balances it all out. Very tasty, and a pretty colour as well!

Sweet Potato Soup (from Anna Olson's Fresh)

2 tbsp (30 mL) butter
1 1/3 cups (325 mL) diced onion
6 cups (1.5 L) peeled and diced sweet potato
2 tbsp (30 mL) grated fresh ginger
1 can (14-ounce/398 mL) coconut milk
3 to 4 cups (750 ml –1L) chicken stock
2 tbsp (30 mL) fresh lime juice
salt and pepper
dash cayenne pepper or hot sauce (optional)
1/4 cup (60 mL) fresh coriander leaves
1/2 cup (125 mL) plain yogurt

Directions:

Melt butter in a large saucepot over medium heat and cook onion 3-4 minutes to soften, but not browned.

Add sweet potato, ginger, coconut milk and 3 cups of stock. Simmer 25 minutes, until sweet potatoes are tender. Purée until smooth with a hand blender, add remaining stock if soup is too thick. Stir in lime juice and strain (straining is optional). Return to heat and season to taste.

Ladle into bowls and top with coriander leaves and a swirl of yogurt. Soup can be enjoyed warm or at room temperature.

Stay tuned for pictures from my trip. Just have to get all the photos sorted!