Sweet Potato & Swede Soup

Well Winter is officially over and we here in Melbourne are in for a hot hot Summer.  Before we get to the warmer months though, Spring is upon us, supposedly bringing sunnier days and cherry blossoms.  However, in  our neck of the woods it seems that the days are Spring(y) but the nights are still quite Winter(y).  So the need for cooking hearty soups and stews is still about fulfilling the desires to warm the cockles of our wintery hearts that long for the barmy nights by the beach. 

Rummaging through the vegetable drawer of the fridge can sometimes be quite a task of finding your way through mould ridden pumpkin, beans that have lost their bounce and salad leaves that have seen better days.  Sometimes however you find yourself with gems of vegetables that have withstood their cold imprisonment and still have enough life in them to warrant substantial ingredients for a decent meal.  The suspects in question this time around are a couple of sweet potatoes and swedes that were forgotten in the line-up for last Wednesday’s Hearty Beef Stew and have found themselves unwanted.  That is until this creamy and delicately sweet soup number.  Get this in a bowl before the weather gets too hot.

Ingredients

1 x Red Onion, peeled and roughly chopped

2 x Garlic cloves, peeled and bruised

1tbsp x Olive Oil

2tsp x Sweet Paprika, extra for sprinkling

1tsp x Coriander

½ tsp Fennel Powder

2 x Sweet Potatoes, medium size peeled and cut into chunks

2 x Swedes, medium size peeled and cut into chunks

1Ltr x Chicken Stock

¼ cup x Sour Cream, extra to drizzle

Pepitas to garnish

Method

Start by placing a heavy pot on medium heat with the oil

Stir in the onion and garlic and cook  gently for a minute to soften, do not allow to burn

Add the spices and toast gently for another minute

Now add the vegetables and chicken stock

Cover and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes, or until vegetables soften

Remove from the heat add in the sour cream

Using a stick blender whisk up the soup to a thick consistency

Serve hot with a sprinkle of paprika and pepitas

Enjoy!!!!