Carrot, coriander and Sweet Potato Soup

Carrot, coriander and Sweet Potato Soup

Photography by CtrlAltDelete Design Solutions, Copyright © 2018. All rights reserved.

Happy 2018! Welcome to January, probably the flattest month of the year however, I’m hoping to brighten up the last stretch of the winter month’s with some warming and colourful recipes jam packed full of nutrients with no compromise on flavour!

Fleecy jammies, cosy slippers, hot water bottles and feet up by a roaring log fire, hands cupped around a big warming mug of your favourite hot beverage; at least that’s what springs to mind for me when I think of Winter (if I had a roaring log fire that is, one can dream!).  

So a couple of weeks ago, my trusty friend and me had a shopping trip to the beautiful city of Cambridge and what a marvellous time we had too! Spending pennies I really shouldn’t be spending (hey ho we only love once!) and a pit-stop lunch at my favourite vegan eatery Stem + Glory who really do live up to their name! They recently opened up their second branch due to popularity you know! Always a friendly and cheery greeting as you arrive and then the buffet style lunch they provide oh my! Exquisite plant based dishes to die for; from Curries and Chillies, to fresh zesty Salads, Soups, Wraps, Smoothies; the list goes on AND THEIR CAKES AND COFFEE OH MY! They really do serve up a colourful culinary storm of the best food in town for me. I chose their soup of the day, which was a combination of Squash, Sweet Potato, Red Bell Pepper and Sage with a beautiful arrangement of toasted Pumpkin Seeds (yup their presentation is fabulous too!) served up with my favourite, Sour Dough Bread. It was so velvety in texture and sweet with smoky notes from the Red Bell Pepper, every mouthful an utter joy! My experience of this dish got me inspired, it got me thinking of a soup that I haven’t made in quite a while a quite a classic in-fact, Carrot & Coriander but with another sweet and delicious vegetable thrown in for even more sweetness, the humble Sweet Potato.

I do love a good soup, so simple and you can practically chuck in any vegetables, herbs and spices you wish (that work well together of course) but for me, I feel this one needs to be kept simple, just the three vegetables, herb and seasoning to taste, that’s literally all this dish needs so here it is; my take on Carrot and Coriander Soup.

What Will I Need?

Chopping Knife

Heat-Proof Measuring Jug

1 x Very Large Pan/Cooking Pot

1 x Wooden Spoon

1 x Ladle

1 x Sift

 Ingredients

1 Dairy and Egg free Organic OR Regular Vegetable Stock Cube

1. Litre Boiling Water

1 tsp. Rapeseed OR Olive Oil

1 tbsp. Water

1 x Onion (white, Red OR Pink)

½ tsp. Sea Salt

freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste

1 x Large Sweet Potato chopped into roughly 1cm cubes

4 x medium Size Carrots

1 tsp. Ground coriander

1 x Small Pack fresh Coriander OR Large handful of homegrown.

Food Processor OR Blender

Method 

1. Crumble the Vegetable Stock Cube into a jug of Boiling Water and set aside.
2. In a large Cooking Pan, heat up the Oil and Water on a medium heat then add the Onions and cook until translucent (about 5-8 minutes), season with the Sea Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper.
3. Add the Carrot and Sweet Potato (you may need to deglaze the pan with just a splash of water to prevent any burning), then cover and cook for five minutes.
4. Add the Ground Coriander, cover and cook for five minutes more until fragrant.
5. Pour in the already prepared Vegetable Stock, bring to the boil and then turn down to a simmer, cover and let cook until all the Vegetables are tender.
6. Remove from the heat and let cool for about 30 minutes to allow the flavours to marinade a little.
7. Place the chunky Soup mixture into a Food Processor OR Blender along with the Fresh Coriander and blitz until smooth, about 2 minutes on high speed. If you have a small Processor you will have to blend in small batches.
8. Lastly, ladle what you need into a smaller cooking pan, heat through on a simmer until piping hot and serve immediately with your bread of choice.

Serving Suggestions

Add an Eastern Asian twist by serving up your soup with a little scoop of cool Raita, Mango Chutney, Naan Bread and perhaps some warm Vegetable Samosas. Also delicious with freshly toasted Sour Dough.