Sweet Potato & Lentil Soup with Sizzling Chorizo

I know – another soup recipe, but 'tis the season! That plus the thick layer of glistening ice outside this morning, the -6 temperature and the fact that I still have my cold made it seem like an obvious choice for lunch! So apologies aside, here it is my delicious Sweet Potato & Lentil Soup with Sizzling Chorizo.

Sweet Potato & Lentil Soup with Sizzling Chorizo

A beautifully vibrant orange soup with a hint of paprika, this is such a warming soup, ideal for a cold Winter's day. The addition of the chorizo at the end finishes it off perfectly for a hearty meal. Serve with plenty of crusty bread and butter then sit back and relax and enjoy.

2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 onion, sliced
1 leek, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
½ tsp smoked paprika
600g approx. sweet potato, peeled & cut into cubes
115g red lentils, well rinsed & drained
1 litre/ 1000ml chicken or vegetable stock
Salt & pepper
125g chorizo, sliced

In a large pan melt the butter with 1 tbsp of the oil until sizzling. Add the onion and leek and cook for roughly 7 minutes until softened but not coloured then add the garlic and paprika. Cook for another minute then add the sweet potato, lentils and stock. Season with some salt and pepper then cover with a lid and leave to simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

Leave to cool slightly then puree the soup until it is completely smooth. Return to the pan and gently reheat. While the soup is reheating drizzle the remaining olive oil into a frying pan then once hot add the chorizo and cook until sizzling and golden brown on the edges. When ready to serve ladle the soup into soup bowls and top with some slices of chorizo and a drizzle of some of the paprika infused oil.

*For a vegetarian option use vegetable stock instead and miss out the chorizo.