Jill Dupleix's Curried Sweet Potato Soup

This simple recipe for sweet potato and white bean soup would be quite nice on its own, but is made irresistible with curry powder. Serve with a dollop of sour cream or thick yoghurt if you like.

Serves 4
Vegetarian

Ingredients
• 1kg orange-fleshed sweet potato
• 1.2 litres boiling water or stock
• sea salt and pepper
• 400g tinned white beans
• 1 tsp good curry powder, or more

Instructions
1. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into small cubes.
   
   
2. Add the boiling water or stock, sea salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 minutes or until sweet potato is soft.
   
   
3. Drain the beans and rinse.
   
   
4. Add the beans and curry powder to the sweet potato, stirring well, then whiz in a food processor in batches, being careful not to overfilll the bowl.
   
   
5. Return to the pan, gently heat. If too thick add extra boiling water.
   
   
6. Taste for salt, pepper and curry powder, and serve.
   
   

Copyright Jill Dupleix, Cookery Editor, The Times