Sluttishly Vegan: Sweet Potato and Sweetcorn Soup

I know that the combination of sweet potato and sweetcorn sounds a bit, well, sweet, but they actually go together splendidly. After a chilly walk along the sea-front in Whistable a few days ago, we stopped to warm up in a little cafe where this soup was on the menu. I tried it, reasoning that they're both autumnal vegetables on just the right side of starchy to make a brilliant soup and I was glad I did.  The  soft, rich vegetables combined with gently fragrant spices and this is exactly the kind of lunch I want when the tips of my fingers and nose need warming up. My friend and I both resolved to recreate this soup at home, this is my version.

You'll need:

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 medium red onion, roughly chopped
• 1 fat clove of garlic, sliced
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• a big pinch of dried chilli flakes 
• 1 or 2 corn cobs, kernels removed (or about 150g of frozen or tinned sweetcorn)
• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• salt and pepper, to taste

Make it!

• Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the onion. Sauté until soft, then add the garlic and continue to fry until it's soft, too.
• Add the garam masala, cumin, turmeric and chilli flakes and fry, stirring all the time, for about 2 minutes until the smell of the spice intensifies.
• Stir in the sweetcorn and sweet potatoes and stir to coat in the spices. Add a litre of water, or vegetable stock and gently bring to the boil.
• Simmer for 20-25 minutes, until the sweet potato is tender. Allow to cool slightly then blend the soup until smooth. Return to the saucepan and bring back to a simmer. Taste and add salt and pepper to suit your taste before serving.
• For a really silky soup, push it through a sieve after blending.