Sweet Potato and Coconut Soup

Recipe by Chef Neven Maguire.

• Difficulty: Easy
• Category: Soup

Ingredients

• 900 g sweet potatoes (cut into cubes)
• 2 tbsp Donegal Rapeseed Oil
• 1 onion (finely chopped)
• 1 celery stick (finely chopped)
• 1 red chilli (seeded and sliced)
• 1 tbsp Irish honey
• 1.25 l veg or chicken stock
• 4 tsp tomato puree
• 400 g can of coconut milk
• 225 g cooked and shredded ham
• sea salt and black pepper
• coriander leaves (to garnish)
• crusty bread (to serve)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F/gas mark 6).
2. Place the sweet potatoes in a baking tin, drizzle over half the honey and roast for 25–30 minutes, until tender. Set aside.
3. Heat the remaining oil in a large pan over a medium heat.
4. Add the onion, celery and chilli and sweat for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Add the reserved roasted sweet potato with the stock and tomato purée, then bring to the boil.
6. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the liquid has slightly reduced and all of the vegetables are completely tender.
7. Reserve 3–4 tablespoons of the coconut milk as a garnish and pour the remainder into the pan with most of the shredded ham hock, again holding a little back to garnish.
8. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
9. Season to taste and ladle the soup into warmed bowls.
10. Add a drizzle of the reserved coconut milk and scatter over the rest of the shredded ham hock and the coriander leaves to garnish.
11. Serve hot with crusty bread on the side.