Chinese Sweet Potato Soup

Being sick is just no fun. Four weeks and counting… Will this coughing and breathlessness never end?

I think it’s because I’ve been unwell that I’ve been using a lot of ginger in my cooking. Fishball noodle soup with lots of ginger, fish porridge with lots of ginger, and now sweet potato soup with lots of ginger. Not that ginger necessarily makes me feel much better, but it’s just one of those things I think sick people are supposed to eat more of. =)

In any case, sweet potato soup is one of the dishes I grew up with, so in addition to its mysterious health benefits, it’s also just good ‘ol comfort food. Such a simple but pleasing dessert soup. All you need, besides some sugar, is this:

Did you know that the sweet potato is rich in complex carbs, dietary fiber, beta carotene, vitamin B6 and vitamin C? (i.e. good for digestion, good for eyes, good for overall health and good for red blood call production.) It ain’t just your average potato! Great for when you have a little sugar craving…  In fact, I do believe my leftover bowl of soup is calling my name… *tummy rumble*

Chinese Sweet Potato Soup 番薯糖水

Click here for printable recipe.

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 1.5 litres water
• 2 sweet potatoes
• 4 pandan leaves
• 1 big thumb-sized piece of ginger (or more, if you really like ginger)
• 1 piece of rock sugar (about 3×2 inches if it’s not too thick, otherwise roughly fist-sized)

Directions:

1. Bring water to boil in a medium-sized pot. Peel and cut your sweet potatoes into bite-sized pieces. Wash and knot pandan leaves together. Peel and smash the ginger pieces with the flat side of a chef’s knife or cleaver.

2. Put sweet potatoes, pandan leaves and ginger into the pot. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to a gentle simmer for 15-20 minutes until potatoes are soft and ginger and pandan flavours in the soup are adequate.

3. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the rock sugar and stir.

4. Remove pandan leaves and ginger. Serve the soup while it’s hot.

You say (sweet) po-tay-to, and I say (sweet) po-tah-to….