Coconut, Sweet Potato & Ginger Soup with Pearl Barley aka ‘Souperb’ (because it is)!

I’m so pleased with ‘souper’ that I’m submitting it to ‘No Croutons Required’ hosted by Lisa’s Kitchen and Tinned Tomatoes which are fab sites to check out for vegetarian recipes!

Here’s a casual weeknight night supper, or should I say ‘souper’!  (sorrynotsorry).  Today has been cold.  It’s the first day this Autumn that I’ve got our winter coats out, and I’ll shortly be transitioning from wellies to country boots (againsorrynotsorry)… Because lets face it, winter isn’t winter without feather down and sheepskin (unless you’re not me of course in which case propersorry) Winter wardrobes aside I’m hoping to redeem myself with ‘Souper’ because it’s ‘Souperb’.  The idea of soup for me is heartwarming metaphorically speaking, and this soup literally is heart warming (according to Live Strong) as well as just plain warming in a standard, non-blog speaking sort of soup eating way.  So enjoy it if you’ve been out in the cold, or have a cold… And although this is hearty enough alone, if you’re still hankering for croutons serve it with Sourdough if that ‘Soup’s you’?!!

Ingredients:

2tbsp Coconut oil, warmed in a large pan

1 red onion, chopped length-ways

2/3 leafy inside stems of celery (the heart)

2 medium carrots, chopped in to bite sized pieces

1 thumb ginger, grated

1.5kg sweet potatoes, chopped in to bite sized pieces (skin left on)

2 tsp marigold vegetable stock (1 for the pearl barley, 1 for the veg)

100g red lentils 1 can *organic coconut milk

100g pearl barley

Salt & Pepper

Large handful of fresh coriander

Method:

1. Bring a pan of water to the boil and add the pearl barley. This may take up to 45 mins so definitely get it going before doing anything else. Remove the scum from the water with a spoon if it builds up.

2. Heat the coconut oil in a large pan and add the onion, carrots & celery. Soften for around 10 minutes.

3. Add the grated ginger, chopped sweet potato, 1 tsp vegetable stock, salt and 10 (ish) cracks of black pepper.

4. Add the coconut milk to the veg. 5. add the lentils and top up with water to cover the veg.

6. Bring to the boil and simmer for the remaining time the pearl barley has to cook, adding additional water if the mixture becomes too thick.

7. Once the sweet potatoes and carrots are cooked through, remove the veg from the heat and blend with a hand blender until smooth.

8. Drain the cooked pearl barley and stir it through the already blended soup.

9. Chop the coriander and stir through the soup.

Serve with additional pepper and a drizzle of rapeseed oil.

I hope you enjoy it as much as we have… and if you have any ‘souptible’ soup jokes, please, please share!

Lauren x

* I use coconut milk a lot in cooking and go for organic as lots of the standard alternatives seem to be heavy on the preservatives, stabilisers and thickeners. It’s just my preference, but it’s definitely worth checking the label to see what you think…

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