super sweet sausage soupiness (with a kick)

This weekend wasn't a big cooking weekend, we were busy and had other things going.  I still got in this soup, and it's one I've wanted to make for a really long time.  Chorizo was a dollar off at the grocery store, so I knew it was in the offing... :)



"As part of a balanced lunch.." :)

I know I've been taking a LOT from this book lately, but it's a good

book, I'm into it.  When I first read though it I thought "I'm going to try every recipe in here" not like a Julie and Julia thing but more like I found what I saw appealing and I knew it would fit into my style and would (and it has) enhance my cooking.  I haven't tried them all yet, but I would say I've done at least a quarter, if not a third.

SWEET POTATO AND CHORIZO SOUP:



I googled it and found the original here:

http://porkknifeandspoon.com/2010/01/09/jamie-olivers-sweet-potato-and-chorizo-soup/

This soup came together super quickly and has a nice flavour.  The heat isn't overwhelming and the sausage adds a great texture and a good contrast to the sweet potato.  Sweet potato soups are often just that - sweet and maybe too thick.  This one was not, it finished very well and didn't overwhelm the palette (I think that's because of the other veggies and the sausage contrast).  You could easily kick up the heat in this bad boy by adding more jalapenos, chili flakes, maybe even ginger?? etc.

Mine is half of the above noted link - with a few mods, serves 4-6 as a side:

INGREDIENTS:



sim-simmering away



900ML carton of veg broth

1 clove of garlic minced

1 medium onion chopped

1 large carrot chopped

1 small jalapeno chile, chopped*

100g cured chorizo sausage, sliced (remove papery casing)

1 lb of diced peeled sweet potatos (about 2 medium)

Handful of celery leaves chopped**

1 level teaspoon of curry powder

fresh ground salt and pepper



METHOD:

- Take your broth, put into a pot and bring to boiling, meanwhile...

- Peel and Chop Garlic, Onion, Carrot, Celery, Sausage, Jalapeno, Sweet potatoes

- Heat pan on medium, add oil

- Add all of the veg and sausage, stir around.  Add curry powder, stir around (if it's charring, turn the heat down a bit)

- Cook at medium for about 10 minutes w/ the lid askew, carrots should be softening

- Add broth, bring to boil and simmer for 10 minutes until the sweet potato is soft

- Use an immersion blender (or puree in batches in a traditional blender) to whiz all of the soup up.

- Add some salt and pepper if you wish

Chopped red chile is the garnish for this soup and it would be amazing that way, I didn't have any, so no garnishes here :)

What I would recommend: Don't put the pan on high, medium is good with a few extra minutes, or else you are liable to char the spices and aromatics a bit much.

*this isn't in the original recipe but since I didn't have fresh parsley or fresh chile I added this for colour and heat

**I didn't have fresh parsley but I saw on a food network show (Chef at Home with Michael Smith) that in a pinch the leaves from celery stalks can lend a similar flavour to parsley and can be used when parsley is called for, I figured - what the hey?  They aren't as bright green as parsley though.