Spanish Potato and Garlic Soup

I'm back in spain again with this soup.... 

and here's a little history about the potato as well.

Sailors returning from the Andes to Spain brought potatoes for their own food on the trip. Leftover tubers were taken ashore and planted along the Bay of Biscay coast of Northern Spain. The potato arrived in Spain some years before the end of the 16th century where the Spanish though that they were a kind of truffle and called them "tartuffo." It was thought at first that they were only suitable for animal feed, but soon the nutritious nature of the crop was recognised and it became incorporated in the Spanish diet as a staple for the peasant masses.

Potatoes became a standard supply item on the Spanish ships as it was noticed that the sailors who ate patatas, as potatoes became known, did not suffer from scurvy. Basque fishermen from Spain, using potatoes as ships' stores and ballast for their voyages across the Atlantic in the 16th century, took them to places like Ireland. The Spanish, whose empire also stretched across Europe, brought potatoes as provisions for their armies and peasants along the way adopted the crop, spreading the potato across the Continent.

Potatoes are high in complex carbohydrates and include both protein and fibre. Any potatoes, which have green patches, should be discarded as this colouring indicates the presence of toxic alkaloids known as solamines or solaranoids.

This creamy soup, served peasant-style in earthen ware dishes, is a classic Spanish dish that is really one to savour.

Ingredients:

15ml olive oil

1 large onion, thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 large potato

5ml paprika

400g can chopped tomatoes, drained

5ml chopped fresh thyme leaves

900ml vegetable or chicken stock

5ml cornflour

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Chopped fresh thyme leaves to garnish

Method:

With a sharp knife, cut the potato in half, then into slices.

Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion, crushed garlic, potato slices and paprika to the pan and cook gently for 5 minutes, or until the onions are softened, but not browned.

Add the chopped tomatoes, thyme and stock. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are tender.

Blend the cornflour with a little water in a cup to form a paste and stir this into the soup. Simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring, until the soup is thickened.

Break the potatoes up slightly with a fork and season the soup to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to individual serving bowls and garnish each bowl with chopped thyme leaves.

Serves 6