Tomato & Sweet Potato Soup

Heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, chili, bay leaf, and sweet potatoes. Sprinkle with salt. Stir and sauté for 2 minutes. Lower the heat to medium, and slow cook, stirring occasionally, for 10-15 minutes, or until both the onion and sweet potato look slightly caramelized and golden.

Raise the heat to medium-high. Add the maple syrup if using. Stir to mix and sauté for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and cook, about 5-7 minutes, or until the tomatoes have turned orangey-red. Add the stock Stir well and bring to a slow boil. Turn the heat to medium-low and let the soup simmer for another 20 minutes, or until the potatoes can be smashed against the side of the pan. 

Remove the bay leaf.  Puree soup in the pan using an immersion blender, or transfer to a stand blender in small batches, to process a little at a time. If the soup seems too thick for your taste, add a little extra stock to get the right consistency. Check for salt. Return soup to pan and reheat gently. 

To serve: add a dollop of Greek yoghurt to taste, and sprinkle with a few of the coriander (cilantro) leaves. 

- You can use orange, white, or purple sweet potatoes to make this soup. All are delicious. The main difference will be in the colour. Orange gives the rich red soup in the photo, while soup made with purple sweet potatoes is almost Burgundy coloured.

- Always keep cans of unseasoned diced or whole tomatoes in your pantry. They are one of the home cook's most useful ingredients. I use them in soups, stews and sauces, especially in the winter months when fresh tomatoes can be expensive and a bit tasteless.

-If you're not a fan of fresh coriander (cilantro), chop a few leaves of parsley and mint together for the garnish