Sweet Potato and Sesame Soup with Coconut Pesto

I think these flavours work wonderfully together.

• Ready In: 1 hr 30 mins
• Yields: 1 large pot of soup

Ingredients

• 10 1⁄2 ounces red onions
• 1  teaspoon garlic
• 1  teaspoon ginger, grated
• 2  tablespoons light olive oil
• 1  ounce butter
• 3  tablespoons dry sherry
• 1  tablespoon palm sugar
• 10  fluid ounces water
• 1  lb sweet potato
• 1  lb carrot
• 2  teaspoons fish sauce
• 1  tablespoon tomato paste
• 2  teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons  chili flakes
• 27  fluid ounces  tinned coconut milk
• 2  ounces  chopped  coriander
• 3  teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted
• 1⁄2 lemon, juice only
•  coconut, grated and toasted,for garnish
• 3 1⁄2 ounces sweet potatoes, lightly poached and diced

• Coconut Pesto

• 1⁄2 teaspoon  chili flakes
• 1  teaspoon soy sauce
• 2  ounces  coriander
• 1  pinch  chili flakes
• 1  tablespoon coconut
• 1  tablespoon  sesame oil
• 1  tablespoon pine nuts
•  lemon juice, maldon salt and pepper to season
•  sunflower oil

Directions

1. Sweat the onions, garlic and ginger in oil and butter.
2. Add sherry and sugar, and sweat further for 5 minutes until it goes thick and sticky.
3. Add water.
4. Add sweet potatoes, carrots, fish sauce, tomato paste, sesame seeds, chilli flakes and coconut milk and simmer for 1 hour until all vegetables are soft.
5. Top up with water as it evaporates.
6. Puree with a hand blender and add coriander, cumin and lemon juice.
7. If you prefer smooth soup blend in an electric blender.
8. To make the pesto, puree all the ingredients together, if it is too thick add some sunflower oil to loosen it.
9. Garnish the soup with coconut pesto and diced sweet potato.