Curried Sweet Potato Soup

By Trish Coffman

Warm up and carb up with this silky and flavorful soup.

Want to add a little more bulk or texture? Stir in some cooked beluga lentils, chickpeas, quinoa, brown rice, farro or couscous at the end of cooking. Other good additions? Chunks of cooked tofu, shredded cooked chicken, or handfuls of spinach, stirred in the soup until wilted.

You will need:

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive or canola oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 ½ pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 tbsp curry powder (hot, medium or mild)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 to 5 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock or water
• 1 C regular or light coconut milk

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until translucent, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about a minute or two. Add the chunks of sweet potato and carrot, the curry powder, a tsp of kosher salt and several grinds of black pepper. Cover with the broth or water and bring to a simmer. Cook until the sweet potatoes and carrots are very tender, then puree the mixture in two or three batches in a blender (take care – hot liquids expand when you blend them). Puree until very smooth, then pour soup back into the pot. Stir in the coconut milk. If soup is too thick, add more water or broth until it reaches the desired consistency. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if needed.