Colourful Curried Confetti Soup

The leaves have begun to scatter. After yesterday’s rain, they littered this morning pavement like coloured confetti. I can’t help but think that before long, even these leaves will pass, and we’ll be left with nothing but bare branches, grey pavement and even greyer skies for the winter months ahead.

It would be a melancholy time, if not for recipes such as this one for a colourful curried confetti soup, with its flurry of red onion and cabbage, orange pumpkin, yellow sweet potatoes and green zucchini. And for fall company like Lindsay, who  blew into my apartment a few nights ago as if on seasonal cue with a warm grin, girly gossip and a massive green salad from Whole Foods. I love that she’s the sort of friend I can share this sort of messy, unfussy soup with-both of us in comfy sweats, catching up on life and relationships between spoonfuls. Perfect company to colour grey fall evenings.

{RECIPE} CURRIED CONFETTI SOUP

{MAKES} 4 generous servings

{INGREDIENTS}

2 TB olive oil

2 cloves garlic, slivered

1 TB curry powder

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 small red onion, diced (approx. 1 C)

1 large sweet potato, grated (approx. 2 C)

1 large zucchini, grated (approx. 2 C)

2 C pureed pumpkin

2 C chicken stock

2 C coconut milk

1 C frozen peas

1/2 C purple cabbage, finely diced (for garnish)

salt and pepper to taste

{DIRECTIONS}

one. In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat and add the garlic and red onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes.

two. Stir in curry powder and cumin.

three. Add grated sweet potato and zucchini to the pot. Saute uncovered for 6-8 minutes, or until vegetables begin to soften.

four. Stir in pureed pumpkin,  then chicken stock. Cover and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes on medium-low heat until vegetables are well softened, stirring occasionally.

five. Add coconut milk and green peas. Simmer on low until peas are bright green and just cooked through.

six. Remove from heat and stir in purple cabbage.

Serve with thick slabs of crusty bread and a crunchy green salad.

Simply: Sweet Potato Caldo Verde

This is a recipe for the simplest of simple soups.

Onions? None. Garlic? Nada. Notably missing from action: shallots, ginger, curry, coconut milk, chicken stock, carrots, celery fronds, fresh herbs, dried herbs, splashes of lemon, squirts of lime, and all spices beyond a sprinkle of salt and a dash of pepper.

But raise not a skeptic eyebrow until you’ve tried this simple recipe, my friends. With only seven ingredients, this humble approximation  of rustic Portuguese caldo verde warms the spirit on a fall evening, surprises with unexpected textures, and satisfies in a way that only a simple soup can.

{RECIPE} SWEET POTATO CALDO VERDE

{MAKES} 4 to 6 servings

{INGREDIENTS}

2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch thick rounds

1 1/2 tsp course sea salt

8 C water

1/4 C olive oil

generous scattering of freshly ground black pepper

1 lb or approximately 4 links chorizo or Portuguese linguica sausage (I used fresh chicken chorizo from Meinhardt Fine Foods)

1/2 lb or approximately 4-5 C kale, washed, destemmed and very finely shredded

{DIRECTIONS}

one. In a large pot, combine the sweet potatoes, salt and water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes or until they are are soft and mashable.

two. With a slotted spoon, transfer the sweet potatoes to a separate bowl. Keep the cooking water in the pot for the soup… waste not, want not! With a potato masher, fork, or wooden spoon, mash the sweet potatoes then return them to the pot of water.

three. Stir in the olive oil and add a very generous grinding of pepper.

four. Bring the soup back to a simmer over medium heat.

five. Prick the sausages in a few places with a fork and add them to the pot. Simmer for 15 minutes.

six. With tongs, remove the sausages and slice them into 1/4 inch thick rounds. Set them aside for the time being.

seven. Add the shredded kale to the simmering soup. Boil, uncovered, for just 3 to 4 minutes.

eight. Remove from heat and add the sliced sausage.

nine. Serve in warmed bowls with a crusty, rustic bread to warm a cool evening.

{INSPIRED BY}

Arthur Schwartz’s Caldo Verde recipe in Soup Suppers (HarperPerennial, 1994).