Sweet Potato and Miso Soup with Garlic and Ginger Spinach

Soup season is definitely upon us and as much as I'm all for a classic leek and potato or broccoli and Stilton, I'm always up for something a little different to tickle the taste buds in this colder weather.

You can find miso in most supermarkets these days and I always like to have some in the kitchen to bring a punch of savoury umami and subtle sweetness to my dishes. It's the perfect accompaniment to sweet potato in fact. Plus, I love a bit of texture in a soup so that it's not all one dimensional and this time I went for sauteed spinach with extra miso and a good whack of garlic and ginger too. Spot on!

Sweet Potato and Miso Soup with Garlic and Ginger Spinach

Serves 4

4 tsp oil 

6 spring onions, finely chopped 

10g fresh ginger, finely chopped 

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped 

3 tbsp white miso 

750g sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into small pieces 

1L vegetable (or chicken) stock 

3 large handfuls spinach

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat 2 tsp of oil in a large lidded pan and gently cook half of the spring onions, ginger and garlic for 5-10 minutes or until soft. 

Add 1 tbsp of miso, all the sweet potatoes and the vegetable stock, and bring to a simmer. Put on a lid and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are really soft. Season well with salt and pepper then whizz with a stick blender until completely smooth. Keep warm. 

Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan and fry the remaining spring onions, ginger and garlic over a high heat for 2-3 minutes or until softened. Reduce the heat, add the spinach, and cook for 2-3 minutes until the spinach has wilted. 

Stir in the remaining miso and season with salt and pepper. Spoon the soup into bowls and top with the garlic and ginger spinach, to serve.