Sweet Potato and orange soup with garam masala

Anyone who ran the Bristol 10k yesterday might enjoy this delicious and comforting...and cheap...soup tonight for supper. It is dead easy and quick to make and absolutely stuffed with goodness. Sweet potatoes are really high in anti-oxidants; they are an excellent source of vitamin A (beta-carotene), they are high in vitamin C and manganese and also contain copper, fibre, vitamin B6. potassium and iron. Yes, they are basically very healthy; they are good for the immune system and contain anti-inflammatory properties to help tired muscles. Worth including in the diet then, especially if you are pushing your body with training. 

Although sweet potatoes are sweet in flavour, they only have a medium G.I. so they won't give you a quick blood sugar rush and then leave you desperate for more food an hour later. This soup should satisfy your hunger and keep you going for a while. The garam masala seeds still remain partly intact after the soup has been liquidised, and so you can enjoy tiny bursts of flavour with each delicious mouthful.

Here's the recipe:

Sweet Potato and orange soup with garam masala

Knob of butter

1 tablespoon rapeseed oil

1 onion, sliced

450g sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 tbsp whole garam masala*

Zest of one orange

1 litre chicken or vegetable stock

Salt

Preparation

1. Gently saute the onion with the butter and oil until soft.
2. Add the garam masala seeds and stir around for a minute until the delicious aroma of the spices starts to release.
3. Add the sweet potatoes and the orange zest. Stir around for a few moments and then add the stock.
4. Bring to the boil and then cover and simmer for 25 minutes or so until the potatoes are really tender.
5. Whizz it all up until smooth, season with salt and serve with some lovely crusty wholemeal bread. You could decorate the soup with some orange zest and some coriander leaves.

*The garam masala I use in this recipe is from a pack of whole seeds (from TRS) but you can make your own by combining a teaspoon each of cardamom seeds, whole coriander seeds, cumin seeds, black peppercorns, a few cloves, a cinnamon stick and a little nutmeg.