"Autumn, the year's last, loveliest smile"

Autumn is here at its best and as always this time of the year I feel the need of bringing its colors and scents into our home. Being so busy at the university doesn't allow me at all to play around in the kitchen during the weekdays but when the weekend comes I'm ready to attack and take over the whisk and the rolling pin. 

This weekend I did both some cooking and baking. I have been craving for some sweet potato-coconut milk soup with croûtons, and I also decided to make blueberry pie for a change after the 3 apple pie weekends we have had in a row (not just my fault!). The recipe of the blueberry pie is already familiar to you (I made it in the same way as last year when my friend came back from her exchange) but here comes the recipe for the soup: 

 Sweet potato-coconut milk soup  

• sweet potato (about 500-600g), peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 tbsp ginger
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• about 6 dl water
• 1 stock cube
• some lime juice
• 1,5 dl coconut milk
• 1/4 red chili, finely chopped   
• Some croutons or pumpkin/sunflower seeds to the top 

After you have peeled and chopped up the sweet potato, onion and garlic, heat up the pot, add some olive oil and gently fry the onion and the garlic in it for a couple of minutes. 

Add now the chopped sweet potato, water and the stock cube and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

Now stir in the coconut milk, lime juice, ginger and the chili.

Take it off from the stove and puree the food with a stick blender. 

Put the pot back to the stove for a couple of minutes more to cook. When ready, garnish it with the croutons or with the pumpkin/sunflower seeds.

Although the picture maybe doesn't look so appetizing, the result was a delicious and warming autumn Sunday lunch/dinner and I already see myself preparing it again in the near future. The only bad thing about it was that I used too much chili and it was a bit too hot for my taste. Have to remember paying attention to it next time!