Since we're posting recipes... this is a wonderful fall/Thanksgiving soup. I've been meaning to retype it because the directions I have are badly written, difficult and confusing... so enjoy!
Curried Apple and Sweet Potato Soup
1/4 c. dark raisins
1 12oz bottle of a light pilsner (most recently, some Blue that
@terry left in my fridge!)
3-4 c. well flavored veggie stock
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, finely diced (~1/4" cubes). (Since A was shopping at Price Rite, we actually had real yams - they cooked up a little quicker than sweet potatoes.)
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 c. apple juice concentrate or more to taste (we used 1/2 c. + cider most recently)
1 t. tamari (or soy sauce) or more to taste
1/4 c. butter
1 onion, diced
2 tart apples, unpeeled, cored, diced
1 t. cumin *
1/2 t. ground mustard *
1 t. turmeric *
1 t. ground coriander *
1/2 t. cayenne *
2 T. unbleached flour
Salt & white pepper to taste (I never have white pepper so I use black.)
1 red-skinned apple, cored and cut into large julienne for garnish (I've never bothered with this)
Creme Fraiche (highly recommend!! but you can use sour cream or plain yogurt)
Thin lemon wedges
1. Put beer & raisins in a bowl to soak. (They need to soak at least 30 minutes but the rest of the stuff takes a while until you need them so it should come out about right.)
2. Chop the sweet potatoes.
3. Put the stock, cinnamon stick, apple juice concentrate and tamari on to boil in a stock pot. Add the sweet potatoes. Simmer partially covered until potatoes are tender (about 30 min)
While the stock is simmering...
4. Chop the apples & onions.
5. Compile the curry spices.
6. Melt the butter in a frying pan.
7. Saute onions in the butter until softened (3-4 min).
8. Add the apples and saute for a few more minutes until a bit soft (3-4 min).
9. Add the curry spices.
10. Turn down the heat to medium-low, cook apple mixture, stirring often. (8 min or so - the apples should be getting pretty soft by now).
11. Separate the beer & raisins, keeping both.
12. Sprinkle the flour over the apple mixture and cook over low heat, 1 min.
13. Gradually add the beer, stirring to smooth any lumps, and cook until hot, smooth, and free of a floury taste - 5-7 min.
14. Put all or most of the apple mixture, plus the raisins, in a food processor or blender. Buzz till smooth. (All or most - depends on how you want the texture.)
15. Fish the cinnamon stick out of the stock.
16. Stir the apple mixture (all of it) into the stock.
17. Season with salt & pepper. Add more tamari, apple juice concentrate, and/or cayenne to taste.
18. Simmer over low heat for several minutes to meld the flavors.
Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with julienned apple, top with generous dollop of creme fraiche. Pass the lemon wedges at the table; a squeeze sets off the soup nicely but also good without.
The original recipe calls for only 1 t. of "best-quality curry powder" which would seem really weak, I think. My version is intense. I find that I want some hearty bread with this soup.
