I knew this soup was going to be good, but I was unprepared for how incredibly delicious it actually was. For being so simple to make it had a surprising depth of flavor.
It's thick and creamy, slightly sweet with just enough heat from the curry to add a lovely complexity. It's topped with a drizzle of cilantro oil (just cilantro and olive oil blended together with a pinch of kosher salt) for a little bit of additional freshness. The key is using fresh ingredients and a high quality curry paste - not a powder, a paste. I like Mae Ploy's pastes and I used the yellow curry paste in this soup. They're often available in Asian supermarkets. I order mine in bulk off Amazon.
I've been seeing how I can model my meals around main ingredients from Carolina Grown (see this post for more details). Mostly because I enjoy eating locally grown, fresh ingredients and I absolutely love the idea of being able to support local farmers as much as I possibly can - but also because planning a menu and sticking with it is a great way to save money.
I already allocate more money to food that most people I know, but I'm still interested in spending as little as possible for the highest quality ingredients I can get my hands on.
Because it's still winter the produce options at CG are limited, but they've got some lovely root vegetables available - including these Carolina Ruby sweet potatoes.
TA and I are both big fans of soup, and have no issue with eating it as a main meal. Especially when it's paired with some fresh, crusty bread right from the oven. I finally started using my copy of Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day and I couldn't be more pleased with the results.
These ones, my first loaves, were a little too dense. I discovered that it's because I use King Arthur All-Purpose Flour and their all-purpose contains the same protein content as most bread flours. My next batch will be with a different flour, but even though these ones were dense the flavor was so amazing that I'll be using these techniques for the rest of my life.
Fresh bread, thick, creamy soup - maybe a side salad. How could you go wrong with a meal like that?
Curried Sweet Potato Soup
Yields approximately 4 1½ cup servings
1 lb.s sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
2 cups chicken/vegetable stock
1 can (12-14oz) coconut milk
1/2 tablespoon high quality curry paste (I like Mae Ploy Yellow curry paste)
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
cilantro oil for garnish
Preheat oven to 425ºF
Toss the cubed sweet potatoes with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread out on a parchment lined baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes, or until tender. Set aside. In a non-stick 6 qt. or larger soup pot with lid, cook the onion and celery over medium-high heat until softened - about 5 minutes. Add the roasted sweet potatoes and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Cover and let simmer for ten minutes. Remove from heat. Add coconut milk and puree the soup with an immersion blender. In a small bowl combine the curry paste and about 1/3 cup soup until homogenous, then mix into the soup. Bring back up to a simmer for 2-3 minutes. Serve with cilantro oil drizzle.
Nutritional Estimate
This is a nutritional estimate, regard it as such.
1 serving = 1½ cups soup
292 calories
30 g carbohydrate
18 g fat
5 g protein
