It may be a little early to talk about Christmassy things in the shop, although I have noticed that we already have brandy soaked Christmas cakes in decorative tins and a good selection of special biscuits and sweets in beautiful packaging that would make lovely gifts. We will also be taking orders for our ever popular Christmas turkeys and geese soon.
Instead I thought I would share a recipe for a really delicious warming soup which is perfect for this time of year. All the ingredients are available at the shop of course!
Curried sweet potato soup
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 2 onions chopped
• 4 garlic cloves finely chopped
• 4cms ginger grated
• chilli flakes to taste
• 1 tbs garam masala
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 3 sweet potatoes (about 700g) peeled and diced
• 1 litre veg stock
• 400ml tin coconut milk
• juice of 1-2 limes
• salt and pepper, plain yoghurt optional
Heat the oil over a low heat. Add the onions and cook for about 10 minutes until soft. Add the garlic, ginger, chilli, garam masala and curry powder and stir for a minute. Tip in the sweet potatoes and stir until they are well coated in the spices. Add salt and pepper and pour in the stock. Increase the heat to a simmer and cook until the sweet potatoes are very tender, about 15 minutes.
Remove the soup from the heat, cool slightly then whizz until very smooth. Return to the pan, stir in the coconut milk and warm through gently. Take off the heat and add the lime juice. Adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serve the soup topped with a good dollop of yoghurt if you like and a sprinkling of black pepper.
Enjoy! Mary Whiting
