SMOKIN' SWEETCORN SOUP

It's time for another soup recipe now and this one uses the smoky flavors chipotle along with sweetcorn to create a kind of tex-mex vibe to this gorgeous soup which also blends sweet potato, pepper and veggie bacon to make a truly vegetarian treat. Fresh coriander (stalks and all), cumin seeds and garlic work alongside a hint of cayenne pepper thrown in for a bit of heat to produce a cuddle in a bowl that if you play your cards right, you can have on the table in just under 30 minutes. Quick, simple and tasty, what's not love!

Chipotle paste can be found a lot more readily in large supermarkets nowadays making it a much more accessible ingredient that if you haven't tried yet then you really should especially if you like BBQ food. If you can't find it then don't worry, this will still be a delicious soup but I'd maybe try and replace that flavor with a tsp or two of smoked paprika or even some liquid smoke if you can get your hands on that.

Don't be afraid to mix up the veg either. Make sure you use an onion as a base for the soup but it can be a white onion if you don't want to use a red one. The sweet potato also provides a lot of body to the soup and gives it it's vibrant orange color so try and use them if you can. You can use normal white potatoes if you wish but you may find you need to simmer the soup for longer as they will take more time to soften than sweet potatoes do. Other than that it's up to you if you want to add some different veg in if you have some of your own favorites.

I've used quorn bacon as I do like to make my recipes meat free for that special vegetarian in my life! You can of course use another type of veggie bacon if you wish or if you're not adverse to a bit of meat then of course you can use pork bacon. This is actually quite nice fried separately with a smidge more chipotle paste and sprinkled on top of the soup as a garnish to finish with some fresh coriander leaves.

This is another super quick recipe that you can have on the table in around 30 minutes and will make enough for around four-six portions. How fabulous is that!

Smoky Sweetcorn Soup

1 Chopped Red Onion

1 Chopped Red Pepper

1 Grated Garlic Clove

1 Peeled And Cubed Sweet Potato

3 Tsp Chipotle Paste

3 Slices Of Diced Quorn Bacon

1 Tsp Cumin Seeds

Large Pinch Of Cayenne Pepper

500g Frozen Sweetcorn

400g Tin Of Chopped Tomatoes

1 Bunch Fresh Coriander

1 Litre Vegetable Stock

Salt And Pepper To Season

1. Place a large oiled pan on a medium heat and chuck in the onion and peppers and fry until the onions begin to soften. Add in the garlic and sweet potato and fry for a further two minutes.
2. Add in the chipotle paste, bacon, cumin seeds and cayenne pepper and give everything a good stir for 1 minute. Add in the sweetcorn and tomatoes and give everything another good stir.
3. Remove the stalks from the coriander, chop them and add then to the pan along with the vegetable stock. Seasonliberally with salt and pepper and bring the mixture to a boil before reducing to a simmer for 10 minutes. 
4. Remove the soup from the heat and divide the soup into two equal parts. Blitz one half of the soup until smooth and then mix the two halves back together.

Your soup is now ready to serve. Label the soup out into bowls and garnish with the chopped leaves of the coriander that you should have left over. Always make sure you serve the soup with big chunks of warm crusty bread for mopping up every last drop. The smoky taste of the chipotle paste will be the underlying flavor of this warm and hearty soup whilst a slight undertone of spice will creep through thanks to the addition of the cayenne pepper whilst a burst of freshness from the coriander keeps things earthy and comforting. All the fresh vegetables and sweet potato make this a great low calorie dish that is most definitely Smokin!