There’s nothing so comforting as the delightful combination of salt, spice & warmth, and our potato, paprika and choko soup fits the bill perfectly.
Chokos can be a little difficult to know how to use. Even if you grew up with a choko vine in the backyard, those vintage recipes can be a little ho-hum. Here, we take a fresh, modern approach, creating a super-tasty soup that’s quick to make from a couple of backyard veggies.
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Sublime in both taste and texture, this low-fat, low-calorie winter warmer is light on the pocket and the waistline; it’s a real win-win. At once salty, smoky and filling, potato, paprika & choko soup is ideal as a lunch, an entree or as a main meal. It doesn’t really need bulking out, but a crusty Italian or garlic bread would be the perfect complement.
Here’s How to Make It
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Chop the onion, chillies and garlic. Even if you’re not much into chillies, do make sure to include at least one fresh mild chilli here. Chillies do a lot to boost the flavour of vegetable-based meals. Heat the oil in a medium-sized soup pot over medium heat. (Don’t be afraid to use an infused oil- I used herb oil here and it was amazing!) Peel & chop the chokos and potatoes. I made the pieces quite small and evenly-sized, because this makes the soup cook quickly. It’s a good idea to wear disposable gloves while handling raw chokos, because they have a sort of sap which is likely to dry out your hands.
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Sautee the onion, garlic, ginger and chillies until softened. Add the potato and choko, and stir to coat. Cook until slightly softened, about 5-10 minutes.
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Add the smoked paprika and stir through. Make sure it adds plenty of colour to the mixture. Add the stock and blend well. You can use home-made, store-bought or powdered stock; all will work. I’ve chosen to use vegeta stock powder with water, as it’s quick & easy plus it eliminates the need to add salt. If using home-made stock, you may want to add some salt now.
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Stir the mixture then cover with a lid and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until the veggies are very soft. This should take 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Blend, or mash then blend, until a smooth consistency is reached. Serve topped with finely sliced shallots.
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Potato, Paprika & Choko Soup (Vegan)
Equipment
- 1 soup pot
- 1 blender or stick blender
- 1 potato masher (optional)
Ingredients
- 2 chokos
- 2 large potatoes
- 4 tbsp oil flavoured/infused oil can be used
- 1 onion
- 1 tsp ginger fresh or powdered
- 2 tsp garlic fresh, minced or powdered
- 2 whole chillies use mild or spicy- as you like
- 3 tbsp smoked paprika
- 5 cups vegetable stock
- salt & pepper to taste
- 2 shallots, sliced thinly
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan then chop the onion & chillies. (And garlic & ginger, if using fresh).
- Add the onion, garlic, ginger and chillies to the pan and stir to coat.
- Cook over medium heat until softened- about 5 minutes.
- Peel then chop the chokos & potatoes into small pieces.
- Add the choko & potato to the pan. Cook a further 5 minutes, stirring as required.
- Add the paprika and stir to coat.
- Add the vegetable stock & season if desired. Cover with a lid and bring to the boil. Simmer until the choko is completely soft- around 15-20 minutes.
- Remove from the heat & allow to cool for 5 minutes.
- Blend the soup with a potato masher and/or stick blender until smooth.
- Serve, topped with sliced shallots.