I didn’t know much about Kerstin Rodgers (aka MsMarmiteLover) before picking up her book V is for Vegan, but now I feel she is someone I want to hang out with and talk about food, travel, photography, and her exciting adventures. I mean, who else can say that a song by the band Madness was written about her? 
V is for Vegan is Rodgers third book. Besides chapters featuring recipes for Snacks, Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and Dessert, what I really enjoy about this book is that it explains every question one could possibly have about what vegans eat, and it has a fascinating brief history of veganism. She also includes instructions for making staples such as Vegan “Parmesan”, Pink Pickled Onions, and Vegan Mayonnaise.
Rodgers’ writing is witty and humorous. V is for Vegan is the kind of cookbook you will want to keep on your bedside table to read at night when you’re not using it in the kitchen. She has great stories about all the recipes included in the book.
One of the recipes that caught my eye in the Lunch section is this Sweet Potato & Coconut South Seas Soup.
Sweet Potato & Coconut South Seas Soup
I made a scaled-up version of this soup at music festival Bestival when I did a desert island/pirate/18th-century shipboard-inspired pop-up. We had a sea-shanty band, rigging in the tent, napkins made from map fabric (“mapkins”), maps as menus, vintage globes, and costumes created especially for the crew. Bawdy singing and rum were the order of the day.
I have to admit, cooking in a field is a challenge. For a start, at festivals, none of the staff want to work much. They want to be out there, having fun with everyone else. Oh, I give long, stern lectures beforehand about how they are getting paid and they must be professional. This lecture never works. Luckily, this is a simple soup to make, so I managed to serve it to 800 people without TOO much sweat.
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 3 to 5 Tbsp [50 to 75 ml] vegetable or palm oil
- 1 red onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 red chile, seeded and very finely chopped
- 2-in [5 cm] piece of ginger, peeled and very finely chopped
- 1 tsp toasted coriander seeds, freshly ground
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- Pinch of saffron strands
- 2 sticks of lemongrass, very thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1½-in [4-cm] cubes
- 3 1/3 cups [400 ml] coconut milk
- Juice of 1 lime, plus extra to serve
- 2 cups [100 g] spinach
- Sea salt
- Cilantro leaves, to serve
Preparation
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, add the onion and cook until softened, then add the garlic, chile, ginger, ground coriander, turmeric, saffron, lemongrass, and 1 Tbsp sea salt. Stir well, then add the red bell pepper and sweet potato and fry until lightly golden around the edges.
Add the coconut milk and lime juice and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, adding the spinach just before the end; it will wilt in the heat of the soup. Season to taste with salt.
Ladle into bowls, add more lime juice and the cilantro and serve with sambal.
Recipe printed with permission by Quadrille Publishing.
