Warming Sweet Potato And Orange Soup with Sweet Potato Croutons

Many years ago, my sister gave me this utterly awesome soup recipe book by the New Covent Garden Food Company. When we lived in the UK, I loved their warming soup lunch meals – the perfect thing in a country cursed with perpetual cold weather! I have never tried this one before, but since I had a lot of sweet potato in the pantry and oranges are in season, I thought I’d test it. And oh my goodness! It’s delicious!! I adjusted the recipe a little because I am not particularly fond of bacon. I know, some people believe that there is something wrong with me! But this veggie version is beautiful and warming – just the thing we need with the icy weather. And it’s low carb, so it’s ideal for you Banters as well!

How to make Sweet Potato and Orange Soup with Sweet Potato Croutons

You Will Need:

20g butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
500g peeled sweet potatoes (375g roughly chopped, and 125g cubed for the croutons)
200g potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
2 tbs freshly squeezed orange juice
100ml vegetable stock
1/2 tsp ground coriander
150ml milk
salt and freshly ground black pepper
vegetable oil for frying
fresh coriander and double cream yoghurt for serving

Method for the soup:

Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan and cook the onions until soft.

Add the roughly chopped sweet potatoes and potatoes, stock, orange juice and ground coriander. Bring to the boil, and then simmer covered until the vegetables are soft (about 30 minutes).

Method for the sweet potato croutons:

While the soup is gently bubbling away, heat some oil in a saucepan and once it’s hot, add the cubed sweet potato. Once the cubes have turned a golden brown colour, remove them with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen towel. Keep an eye on the sweet potato – you don’t want it to get too dark!

Back to the soup! When the vegetables are cooked, allow the soup to cool a little. Then add the milk and puree with a blend stick.