I don't know about you but where we are, we've had some fantastic snow over the past couple of weeks! Finally a winter to be proud of! And according to my Butcher, a proper winter means a proper summer, so here's hoping for a great sunny, warm summer, with plenty of al fresco food, good wine, super Pimms and great company. But without wishing the joys of winter and spring away, here's a little soup recipe to get your insides all fired up!
There's definitely something comforting about a big warm bowl of homemade soup; it's like a great big hug, grabbing you and making you feel all warm and secure against the cold, wind and rain... and the occasional spot of snow. The recipe has had many takes on it, and this is mine... Let me know how you do yours!
What You'll Need
Sweet Potatoes - About 400g, or 2 medium sized or 1 large one
1 Fresh Red Chilli
1 Large Clove of Garlic
1 Onion
1 Carrot
1 Stick of Celery
2 tablespoons of Mascarpone Cheese or Cream
1 tablespoon of Balsamic Vinegar
2 tablespoon Oil - I've just discovered the wonder of Rapeseed Oil in the farm shop, and bonus.. it's locally produced!
About 1 pint of fresh vegetable stock
Freshly ground Back Pepper and Sea Salt
What You'll Need to Do
In a large sized saucepan or stockpot, heat the oil
Peel and roughly chop the sweet potato into good sized chunks to make sure it cooks through properly
Peel and roughly chop the onion and carrot
Roughly chop the celery and chilli
Sweat off the onions, celery and carrot in the saucepan
Add in the sweet potato chunks and chilli
Finely slice or grate the garlic and add to the saucepan
Cover the saucepan and soften the veggies and potato for about 10 minutes, then add the stock and balsamic vinegar and simmer for another 10 minutes or so, until the potatoes are soft
When the veggies and potato are softened, blitz them with a hand blender or in a Magimix until you get a nice smooth puree, or leave a bit chunky if you prefer. I like my soup smooth so I can slurp it off the spoon... Hehehe!
Add the single cream and mascarpone cheese until it is all mixed in and the soup is lovely and creamy
Season with the obligatory salt and pepper, a teaspoon of single cream, and serve up with a good doorstep of fresh bread and butter!
Serves about 4 depending on how big a bowl you have!
I usually take my soup to work and eat the whole lot in a couple of days, but I suppose if you make sure you put it in a freezer-proof container and that it is properly cooled down before you do so, the soup should freeze well and keep for about 1 month