KUMARA SOUP WITH FRIED BREAD
A hearty sweet potato / kumara soup is the perfect winter warmer. It’s nourishing, tasty and great for lunch the next day too.
You can easily adapt this recipe to suit your tastes – make it vegan, vegetarian or load it up with bacon!
I wanted something a little more interesting than regular store-bought bread to go with the soup, but didn’t want to spend ages waiting for homemade bread to rise.
Fried bread is a delicious option. It’s quick and easy, and perfect for dipping in soup. The bread is shallow fried rather than full on deep fried, and doesn’t soak up too much of the oil.
I’ve tested the gluten-free version too and am happy to report that it still works. The bread is a little crumblier and doesn’t look quite as good, but the taste is definitely still there.
For more warming soups, check out the full collection. What should I add next?
KUMARA SOUP
A hearty kumara soup is the perfect winter warmer. This recipe is easily made vegan, vegetarian or loaded up with bacon! Fried bread is a quick and easy soup dipper - give it a go!
Ingredients
SOUP
- 750 g orange kumara (1lb 10oz)
- 1/2 cauliflower
- 1 brown onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp curry powder
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock (1L)
- 2/3 cup coconut milk or regular milk (160ml)
- 200 g streaky bacon (7oz) (optional)
FRIED BREAD
- 2 cups plain flour (300g)
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup water (250ml)
- 1/3 cup rice bran oil (80ml)
Instructions
MAKE SOUP
Peel kumara and cut into 2-3cm / 1in chunks. Cut cauliflower into florets. Dice onion and crush garlic. Heat oil in a large saucepan on medium. Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is soft (2-3 minutes).
Stir in curry powder, cumin and turmeric and cook for 1 minute. Add kumara, cauliflower and stock and simmer for 20-25 minutes, until kumara is soft.
MAKE BREAD
Meanwhile, combine flour, baking powder, garlic powder and salt in a large bowl. Whisk in olive oil with a fork, then gradually whisk in water to form a sticky dough (only add the full cup if needed). Tip onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently a few times until dough comes together (it will still be quite sticky - don’t over-knead).
Divide dough into 6 pieces and flatten with the palm of your hand to about 1cm / 0.4in thick. Dust with a little extra flour if needed. Heat rice bran oil in a medium frying pan on medium heat. Fry dough, two at a time, for 2-3 minutes each side until golden brown on both sides and cooked through. Transfer to a cooling rack and sprinkle with a little salt.
FINISH PREPARING SOUP
Purée soup using a stick blender, regular blender or food processor. Stir milk into soup and allow to warm through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If using bacon, remove excess oil from pan used to cook bread and fry bacon on medium-high until crisp.
SERVE
Ladle soup into warmed serving bowls. Top with crispy bacon and serve with fried bread.
Recipe Notes
WINE MATCH: Wine and soup aren’t the best combo! I’d go for a Chardonnay.
GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: Use gluten-free stock and bacon. Replace flour with plain gluten-free flour and make sure you choose gluten-free baking powder (the fried bread isn’t quite the same but still a great option!).
INGREDIENT SWAPS / NOTES: This meal is easily made vegan by using vegetable stock (check ingredients list), coconut milk and omitting the bacon. If you don’t want to make the fried bread, serve with a different type of bread instead. Warmed dinner rolls or a seeded loaf are both great options.
STORING AND REHEATING: Store individual portions of soup in containers in the fridge and reheat in the microwave. Soup can also be reheated on the stove. Fried bread is great reheated in the toaster.
