sweet potato & beetroot soup

it has been unseasonably cold this last week and i have been craving a big bowl of soup, soup that is thick and substantial. there was a lone sweet potato in my kitchen. since it wouldn’t be enough to feed the two of us i needed to add something to it and that’s where the beetroot came in. i also had half a tub of crème fraiche which became a handy garnish with the addition of a bunch of dill, a thinly sliced red chilli and some grated lemon zest. the only sad part was the toast – it would have been really nice to have some crusty sour dough instead.

to make the soup you will need

a medium red onion, chopped

two tablespoons of olive oil

one sweet potato, peeled and cut up into bite sized pieces

roughly 250 grams of beetroot [i used cooked but if i had had time i would roasted mine]

two tablespoons of red lentils

a pint of chicken or veggie stock

a red chilli

a teaspoon of paprika

a teaspoon and a half of cumin powder

quarter teaspoon ground cinnamon

a teaspoon and a half of brown sugar

a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar

salt to taste

start by chopping the onion. heat the olive oil and sweat the onion until it is soft. then add the paprika and cumin powder and cinnamon powder and let fry gently for a couple of seconds. add the chopped potato and fry for a couple of seconds. add the lentils and fry for another minute before adding the stock to the pan. cover and boil until the sweet potato is tender.

while the sweet potato is boiling process the cooked beetroot and red chilli leaving a bit of texture. remove and keep aside. once the sweet potato is cooked cook process it. return all the ingredients to the pan, add the balsamic vinegar, brown sugar and salt and simmer gently for ten to fifteen minutes.

you can add more stock if you prefer a thinner soup. o and i much prefer a thick soup.

i served it in deep bowls with a generous tablespoon of dill and chilli crème fraiche and well done toast.