A hearty sweet potato soup with rendang curry and coconut, topped with crispy kale and homemade garlic croutons

If, like me, vegetables aren’t always top of your edible priority list when life gets a bit chaotic then this soup-er healthy (sorry…) powerhouse of nutrients is your go-to. Sweet potato is high in antioxidants, anti-inflammatory properties and stuff that’s good for your gut; boosted by turmeric, plenty of garlic and ginger for an immunity boost. The kale and wholemeal croutons give a bit of crunch for texture, while the addition of nutritional yeast provides a boost of protein and B vitamins – a solid addition to any vegetarian (or vegan) recipes. The rendang curry paste invites a bit of fire to spice things up a bit and the coconut milk makes for the perfect balance of flavours.

*Feel free to chuck in any odds and ends you might have in the fridge and don’t want to go to waste like broccoli stalks*

(Serves 2 – generously)

For the soup:

3 large / 4 medium sweet potatoes – peeled and diced
1 large carrot / 2 medium carrots – peeled and chopped
250ml – 400ml vegetable stock (depending how fluid you like your soup – I used 250ml)
1 whole tin of coconut milk
2 big tbsp rendang curry paste (3 if you want an even stronger curry flavour)
Olive oil
2 large garlic cloves – one sliced, one minced
Thumb of fresh grated ginger
2 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
Heaped tsp turmeric
Level tsp garlic granules (optional)
Salt & pepper

For the toppings:

Tbsp desiccated coconut
1 piece of just-stale (not mouldy) wholemeal/seedy bread – diced into inch pieces
Olive / garlic oil (feel free to use garlic granules or another half clove of minced fresh garlic instead)
2 handfuls of kale / cavolo nero

Preheat your oven to 180° (fan).
On a medium heat, fry the sliced garlic clove in a tablespoon of olive oil until just golden.
Add in the rendang curry paste, minced garlic clove and ginger then fry for a couple of minutes until bubbling.
Chuck in your vegetables, coconut milk and stock, then leave to simmer until veg is super tender (basically falling apart) – about 20 minutes or so.
About half way, lay your kale and bread cubes onto a baking sheet. Coat evenly with about a tablespoon of garlic oil (or garlic granules and olive oil), salt and pepper and cook for about 10 minutes until crisp – tossing once in between.
Once your veg is tender, transfer everything in the pan to a blender and whizz until you reach your desired consistency – I like mine quite smooth but not total liquid.
Pour back into the pan and on a med-low heat, stir in your nutritional yeast, turmeric, garlic granules and salt & pepper to taste. You could also add in chilli powder, fenugreek or extra curry powder if you like here.
Once all that is combined and piping hot, serve in a bowl and top with the crispy kale, crunchy garlic croutons and spattering of desiccated coconut.

For more recipes, head over to My Kitchen where you can find recipes for things like my FIRE French Toast Crumpets and my Takeaway-style Shredded Satay Chicken with egg fried rice.