Curried Sweet Potato and Coconut Milk Soup

As the days grow cooler and shorter, it is time for warming soups once again. I made this really quick soup the other day because we had some sweet potatoes that needed eating. Coconut milk is something I usually have in the house, and ginger and garlic paste (easy to make, equal amounts mashed up) is also a staple for any curry lover; it would keep a week or two in theory but usually doesn’t last that long. This, served with pita bread or whole meal toast, is a meal for about three or an ample starter for 4 to 5 people.  

What you need

• 2 tblsp of neutral cooking oil (sunflower, rapeseed, maize; not pictured)
• 1 medium shallot or onion finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic and an equal amount of fresh ginger mashed or finely chopped
• 1 tbsp curry masala (Madras would be my preference)
• 1 tbsp turmeric
• 4 medium sized sweet potato, cubed
• 2 small or 1 medium potato, cubed
• 500 ml coconut milk
• ca 500 ml veggie broth
  
• salt, pepper for further seasoning
• cayenne pepper to taste

What you do

1. Fry the shallot and the garlic/ginger mix without letting it colour.
2. Add the turmeric and the curry masala and stir until it turns brown.
   
3. Add the sweet potato cubes and coat in the mixture, then add the cubed potato.
4. Pour in a little veggie broth to dissolve the spice mixture that may have got stuck to the bottom of the pan.
5. Add the coconut milk and the rest of the veggie broth to cover the sweet potato.
6. Allow to cook until it is soft; this should not take much more than 10 to 15 minutes.
7. Liquidise the mixture and add more veggie broth if the soup is too thick.
   
8. Season to taste, then sprinkle a bit of cayenne pepper on top to add a dash of colour and a little bit of a sting in the tail.

Celery and Mascarpone Soup with Noilly Prat Mushrooms on Toast

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This was cobbled together for a latish Sunday lunch, when Caroline and I were alone at home. It is an ideal winter dish, rich (perhaps too rich from a weight-watchers point of view) and warming -- and quick to make. 

What you need

• 1 celery cut into small cubes (save some of the central leaves for garnish)
• 1 medium sized potato, in small cubes
• vegetable broth
• 150-200 ml Mascarpone or fresh cream
• 1 punnet of button mushrooms, cleaned and cut into thin slices
• 1 medium to large onion, finely chopped
• 2 or more cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 roughly thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped
• salt, pepper, nutmeg, paprika and fresh herbs (thyme, rosmary, sage, flat-leaved parsley)
• 80 – 100 ml Noilly Prat (or dryish Wermuth, not quite the same though)
• one slice of toast (Caroline’s whole meal nut bread loaves are best!) per person

What you do

1. Sauté half the onions in a nob of butter, then add the celery and some garlic, stirring to prevent browning.
2. When the celery leaves start looking  wilted, add the potatoes and the broth and simmer until all the ingredients are soft.
3. In the meantime sauté the remaining onions, garlic and the ginger, then add the mushrooms and fry them until they are brown, stirring pretty constantly.
4. Add the Noilly Prat and reduce, then season to taste with salt, pepper and the rest of the spices.
5. Add the Mascarpone (or cream) to the celery soup and put in the blender. At this stage you can add a couple of table spoons of the fried mushrooms to the soup as well. (It’s a matter of personal taste how you like the soup. If you want the soup really smooth, strain it after blending; I normally don’t bother, though), season to taste.
6. Add the herbs to the mushrooms, some celery leaves if you have kept any, and warm again briefly. The mushroom mix should be reasonably dry.   
7. In each plate, place a slice of toast, heap the mushroom mix on top, garnish with herbs, then ladle the soup around the mushrooms and toast and serve immediately (otherwise the toast will be soggy).