Suzanne Stougie (“eater of food, thinker of thoughts, writer of recipes”) has lived in Berlin-Neukölln since 2011, together with boyfriend Michiel and their twins Kalle and Lova. Looking out of her apartment, you can spot the Fernsehturm and Tempelhofer Freiheit, the former airport, where she owns a vegetable garden. Before living here, she lived for a short period in Rotterdam and much longer in London. There, she worked on many of Jamie Oliver’s books and magazines. And now it’s Berlin, a city she wouldn’t trade for the world, which we completely understand. More on her work for the Dutch Snor Publishers and Margriet magazine, among others, on her own blog. Now: time for her soup.
Lunch, Serves 4
Action Time: 30 minutes
1 large sweet potato (or 2 small ones), peeled
1 cob of corn or 1 can corn kernels (10.5 oz/ 300 g)
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1-2 tbsp Indian curry paste (any variety)
1 liter vegetable stock
4 tbsp soft goats cheese
1 fresh loaf of ciabatta or baguette (skip if eating gluten free)
Extra: hand blender
1. Chop the sweet potato. Remove all kernels from the corn: rest the ear firmly in a bowl or on a board and cut from stem to tip with a sharp kitchen knife. Rinse and drain.
2. Heat the oil and curry paste in a large pan. Stir-fry the sweet potato for a minute or two. Add the stock, put the lid on the pot and leave to cook for about 15-20 minutes until the potato is done. Add 3/4 of the corn kernels and leave on the stove for a few more minutes.
3. Purée the soup with a hand blender (or use a normal blender) until smooth. The soup remains thick, if desired add more stock or water. Put the pot back to the stove, add the remaining corn and reheat.
4. Serve the soup in nice bowls with a little bit of goats cheese on top of it, and, if not eating gluten free, a bit of bread.
