What’s so sweet about sweet potatoes?

I’m sure those of you who are interested in food, which if you’re reading this you probably are, have noticed the sudden craze about ‘superfoods’. Even Jamie Oliver has lost a sizeable amount of bulk to correspond with his new book ‘Everyday Super Food’.

With this new trend at its peak, even we poor students have been investing in the likes of quinoa, acai, goji berries and coconut oil. I have taken personal delight in investigating the golden nugget of the superfoods: the sweet potato. When researching the sweet potato, a superfood with a lower carbohydrate content than white potatoes, I found that it is full of Vitamin A, Vitamin C and plenty of antioxidants. Even one portion of sweet potato can give you up to 90 per cent of your recommended Vitamin A.

So, I decided it was time to cook with this curious ingredient. The recipe that I tried out was delicious, super easy, very kind on the wallet, and freezer-friendly.
Spiced sweet potato and lentil soup

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Serves 8

Ingredients:

2 tsp medium curry powder

1 tsp ground cumin

3 tbsp olive oil

1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped

2 small onions finely chopped

Bunch of coriander, leaves and stems chopped (reserving some leaves for decoration)

1 inch piece of root ginger, grated

1.2 ltr of chicken/vegetable stock

800g sweet potatoes, peeled and grated

100g lentils (red, brown or green)

300ml milk
Optional:
1 lime

Crème fraiche and coriander leaves, to decorate

Method:

In a saucepan, toast the spices over a medium heat for about a minute, then toss in the onion. Fry gently until soft, then add the chopped apple. Continue cooking over a medium heat for 3-5 minutes, then add the grated ginger and coriander, cook until aromatic.

Add the peeled and grated sweet potato (grating is a slight pain but shortens the cooking time), then add the lentils and stock. Bring to a boil and simmer covered for 20 mins, stirring occasionally.

When the lentils are tender, take the pan off the heat and whiz the soup with a handheld electric blender. Pulse until smooth. The consistency should be very thick.

Put the pan back on the heat and add the milk, if the consistency is still too thick for your liking add some more stock or milk, but be sure to taste and add more spice if it starts becoming too bland.

Once the soup is warmed through again, add the juice of the lime.  Season to taste.

Serve with a swirl of crème fraiche and scatter with coriander leaves.