Thai chicken and sweet potato soup

Ingredients

• 1 tsp olive or rapeseed oil
• 2 garlic cloves , chopped
• 1 red chilli , deseeded and chopped
• 2cm chunk root ginger , chopped
• 1 stalk lemongrass , bashed
• 1 x 25g pack coriander , leaves and stalks chopped separately
• 2 tbsp red Thai curry paste
• 750ml chicken stock (made with 2 stock cubes)
• 1 small can (160ml) coconut cream
• 500g sweet potatoes , peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 skinless chicken breasts , sliced
• 1 lime , juice only
• 1 tsp sugar
• ½ tsp fish sauce
• crusty bread , to serve (optional) 

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the garlic, chilli, ginger, lemongrass, coriander stalks and curry paste and cook for 2 - 3 minutes until the aromas are released.
2. Add the chicken stock, coconut cream and sweet potatoes and cook for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. Remove the lemongrass and discard. Carefully transfer to a blender and blitz until smooth. If freezing, for best results freeze at this point, otherwise as an easier option freeze complete recipe.
3. Return to the saucepan, add the chicken and cook gently for 5 - 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Stir through the lime juice, sugar and fish sauce, scatter with the coriander leaves and serve.