Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup

• 25 g (1 oz) butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 450 g (1 lb) sweet potatoes, diced, plus extra to garnish
• 2 red peppers, de-seeded and chopped
• 700 ml (1¼ pints) vegetable stock (see page 8)
• 400 g can coconut milk
• vegetable oil, for frying

Melt the butter in a large lidded saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and sweat, covered, shaking the pan from time to time, until softened but not browned.

Stir in the ground coriander and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the sweet potatoes and red peppers and cook for 5 minutes.

Pour the vegetable stock over, bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the extra sweet potato into thin slices (use a mandolin if you have one).

Heat about 1 cm (½ inch) of vegetable oil in a frying pan and fry the slices in batches until golden and crisp.

Remove with a slotted spoon and place on kitchen towel to dry.

Remove the soup from the heat and leave to cool briefly.

Blend until smooth. Add the coconut milk and then reheat gently. Serve at once, garnished with the sweet potato crisps.

Tip

If you can't find coconut milk, use 100 g (3½ oz) of creamed coconut, chopped, and increase the amount of stock by about 150 ml (5 fl oz).