winning winter

After spending the past two winters abroad in (sometimes) sunny Europe, I'm kind of looking forward to spending this year re-exploring home in the winter time. I'm really craving crisp cold mornings, wearing ugly socks and oversized trackies and living solely off soup. 

As the sunlight starts to get softer and the days shorter, it's always good to get another cracking soup recipe up your sleeve-like repertoire (did that work?). Sweetcorn soup reminds me so much of winter - it has always been an easy staple for my mum along with the classics of pumpkin soup and minestrone. Many cold nights spent waiting for an awkward amount of time for my dad to pick me up after hockey training, like poor Bart, were rectified by coming home to the comforting smell of this soup.

This heavily gingery and garlicy elixir is best eaten steaming hot so your nose dribbles and your insides warm. I can guarantee your body will love you for its goodness in the dark depths of winter that awaits us.

Sweetcorn Soup
Adapted from Bill's Everyday Asian 

1 large knob of fresh ginger, grated
3 cloves of garlic, grated
6 spring onions/shallots
3 large fresh corn cobs, kernels removed
1 litre vegetable stock
3 eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons of soy sauce
1 tablespoon kecap manis (or just an extra tablespoon of soy sauce)
Fresh coriander

Slice up the spring onions and put in a deep saucepan along with a few good glugs of oil. Cook the onions off on a medium heat for a few minutes then add the ginger and garlic. Cook for a further few minutes before adding the corn kernels and vegetable stock.

Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer for about 20 minutes. Remove about 2 cups of the soup and set aside. Using a hand mixer, whiz up the soup in the pot until a fairly creamy consistency is achieved, with a few corn chunks here and there. Add in the 2 cups of soup that was taken out early and mix into the creamed soup.

Whisk the eggs together and pour slowly into the soup, while stirring continuously. Stir in the kecap manis, soy sauce and a big handful of fresh roughly chopped coriander. Serve.