Friday 23 March 2012

Friday Feast - Spiced Sweet Potato Soup with Garlicky Croutons

Spring seems to be on the way, but we aren't quite out of the woods yet so I thought it best to share this soup recipe now - before we're all running round in bikinis and crafting in between having cool showers......in between shooting for pork as well :)
Spicy Sweet Potato Soup with Garlicky Croutons

Serves 8 - but I think it's more like 4 or 5!

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 leeks, trimmed and chopped (about 500g/1lb prepared weight)
1 onion, peeled and chopped
500g (1lb) prepared weight of sweet potato, diced
1 tsp each ground cumin and ground turmeric
900ml (1½ pints) hot vegetable stock, plus an extra 600ml (1 pint) stock, for serving
410g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
Salt and ground black pepper
2 tbsp seed mix, dry-fried, optional
A little chilli or paprika flavoured oil, optional

For the croutons:
4 tbsp olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, peeled
4 thick slices white bread, crusts removed

Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large pan and fry the leeks and onion gently for 5 mins. Add the rest of the oil and then fry the sweet potato, stirring, for about 3 mins.
Stir in the spices, then pour in the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently for 15-20 mins until the potato is soft. Add the chickpeas and cook for another 5 mins.
Blend the soup in a food processor until smooth. Pour back into the pan, add extra stock to get the consistency you like, and heat through. Check the seasoning. Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with seeds and a few croutons, and drizzle with chilli or paprika-flavoured oil, if you like.
To make the croutons: Set the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6. Put the oil in a small roasting tin with the whole, lightly squashed garlic cloves. Put in the oven for 10 mins until hot. Break the bread into small cubes and stir into the hot oil to coat them. Cook them for 10-15 mins until golden, turning them halfway through cooking.

Things I didn't do :) I didn't make the croutons or dry-fry the bird seed, but thought you might like the option anyhow so it's included in the recipe. It's a really filling and thick soup and the 'two-legged mouse' went back for seconds AND thirds!

To stretch the soup even further, add a potato and carrot. Add more spices if you want to give it an extra kick. Freeze the thick soup, adding more stock or water, on reheating. Ha, ha - fat chance of that here :)

Enjoy!

Di
x

13 comments:

  1. That looks so tasty Di. I love sweet potato, might be making a batch of this for next week's lunches. X

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  2. That looks scrummy Di. I cooked sweet potato to puree for the twins and they loved it :-)
    Hugs,
    A x

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  3. Oh Di that soup looks so good, wish there was smellavision lol

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  4. Oh Yeah . . . Smellavision would be GREAT!

    This looks delicious. I love thick soup. Ok, I'm salivating . . ..

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  5. Looks lovely but way toooooo spicy for me (chemo to blame again!). Could I put in a request for something non-spicy so that I can join in with you all? Have fun! Karen x

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  6. Thanks again Di for one of your amazing recipes this looks gorgeous :)xx

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  7. Looks lovely but I don't like sweet potato!! Hubby does though, so I might show him this.

    Hugs
    Brenda

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  8. Must try this I love soups and spices Hugs Elaine

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  9. Hello Di, this looks like a really tasty and filling soup - love the flavour of cumin so it's nice to see it included in the ingredients. Just checked out your mum's recipe for Pan Haggerty and can't believe how very similar it is to my Panaggy, a recipe I picked up on my travels - proving, as you say, that we do seem to love the same food :) Elizabeth x

    PS: Look forward to seeing your tag when it's done.

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  10. Wait for it.




    Don't hold your breath,


    Yuk.

    as my youngest Grandson would say.

    Hope this is not the end of a beautiful friendship.

    Kath x

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  11. Goodnight Kathleen, goodnight....goodnight Kathleen - sung to an old tune my Dad used to sing. Silly girl - what a boring old World if we all liked the same old thing! How about red hot curry next week Kath? :)) Di xx

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  12. So glad you've posted this....got a bargain big bag of sweet potatoes for only 29p!!! Now I know what to do with them. TY xxxxx

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