Creamy Curried Sweet Potato Soup

 

 

The month of March has surely gone out like a lion and it is dogmatically making each day of April thus far blustery, rainy and sometimes even snowy. I guess we can't really complain as we have had a fairly mild winter for the most part when compared to other winters in the past.

On this particular day it was really a mixed bag of weather. It started off fine and sunny but soon turned to cold and windy, along  with rain and snow mixed together. 

 

I had gone over to my sister's house to bring her something and had planned on visiting for a short, but when the inclement weather started I left for home again.  It was a good call because by the time I got to the bridge into town visibility was very poor.

This was soup weather.  We won't have many more of those days left to us before the nice weather hits and then we won't be wanting soup really, and so I decided to make myself some soup for my supper.  There is nothing more comforting than a soup supper.

 

I took a look at what I had in the larder and I had everything I needed to make this delicious soup that I had seen earlier this week on Chef de Home.  I love curry soups.  They are delicious and very warming.

This one used one of my favorite vegetables, sweet potatoes. Combined with apples it promised to be a really tasty soup!  

I have been a huge fan of curry since I lived in South Western Alberta in the late 1970's. My ex husband and I were posted to Suffield, which was the British Army training base in Canada.

 

We had quite a few friends who were British.  The British love their curries. One of my British friends Cathy was having a party one weekend and she was going to be making a chicken curry for it.  She asked me if I would like to help.

What could I say? When it came to food I was always all in!  We did this curry together.  She added a whole bottle of curry powder to her dish.  I couldn't believe it. That sounded rather spicy to me!  Not only was it the first curry I had ever eaten, but it was also the best!  Who knew! 

It was love at first bite!

This recipe is a small batch recipe, cooked in the Insta Pot. You can also cook it on a conventional pot on top of the stove. It will just take a bit longer.

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE CREAMY CURRIED SWEET POTATO SOUP

Very simple ingredients really. Ginger, curry and coconut are a triune of delicious curry flavors.  Naturally sweet, this is destined to become a favorite. This is a small batch recipe. Simple double to feed more people.

For the soup:

• 3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 medium onion, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 2 1/2 TBS peeled and chopped fresh ginger
• 12 ounces (340g) coconut milk (unsweetened)
• 2 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and roughly chopped
• 1 1/2 TBS light olive oil
• 3 cups (710ml) vegetable stock
• 1 TBS Curry powder
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 TBS fresh lemon juice
• salt and black pepper to taste

To garnish:

• a drizzle of coconut milk
• toasted sweetened coconut

 

My sweet potatoes were each about the size of a fist.  Nice and round and not overly large. They had a beautiful deep orange colored flesh.  My apples were of a similar size.

I love fresh ginger. My sister buys organic ginger. It is much thinner than the regular ginger.  I just use the regular ginger myself.

I used a medium curry powder.  If you want the curry flavor to be milder, you can use a milder powder, or if you want it to be hotter use a stronger one.  I find medium is best suited to my tastes.

 

Make sure you use unsweetened coconut milk and give the can a good shake before you add it to the soup.  I always use full fat coconut milk as I love the richness of its flavor.

You may not need to use the full amount of lemon juice. Add half of it and taste and then if you think the soup needs more you can add the rest.  It adds a lovely freshness to the soup and helps to maintain the color.

 

HOW TO MAKE CREAMY CURRIED SWEET POTATO SOUP

As I said you can either make this in the Insta Pot or the conventional way on top of the stove. It is delicious either way! 

Heat the oil in the instant pot on the sauté setting. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger. Cook and stir for several minutes until the onions have softened and are just starting to brown at the edges.

Stir in the curry powder and thyme. Sauté for a minute until very fragrant.

Add the chopped sweet potatoes, apple and vegetable stock, along with 1/2 tsp salt. Place the lid of the instant pot on top. Secure and set vent. Cook at high pressure for 10 minutes.

Quick release, open the lid.

Add the coconut milk and then puree the soup using an immersion blender until smooth. (You can also do this in a regular blender in batches.) Press the soup through a sieve if you want it really smooth. Discard any solids.

Return to the Instant pot and heat through on the sauté setting. Whisk in the lemon juice and black pepper. Taste and adjust accordingly. You may need to add some more salt.

Ladle hot soup into heated bowls. Garnish each serving with a drizzle of coconut milk and a scattering of toasted coconut.

 

This can be done on the stove top but it will take longer to cook. Sauté onion, ginger, and garlic in oil over medium heat, until softened. Add the curry powder and thyme and cook for a few more minutes until fragrant. Add the chopped sweet potato and apple, along with the stock. Season with 1/2 tsp salt. 

Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and simmer for about 25 to 30 minutes, half covered until the vegetables/fruit are tender. Add the coconut milk. Blend until smooth with a stick blender. Push through a sieve for a smoother finish, discarding any solids. Whisk in the lemon and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve as above.

To toast the coconut, add a small amount to a dry skillet and heat over medium high heat, stirring often, until the coconut turns a lovely golden brown. 

 

This was really delicious.  I loved the hint of sweetness from the apples and the richness of the coconut milk. Sweet potatoes are one of my favorite vegetables, so I knew this was going to be a winner. They go really well with the flavor of curry! 

It was not over the top spicey.  I would call this just right. Serve with crackers, a roll, or even some warmed Garlic Naan Bread. 

 

Some other soups here in The English Kitchen which you may enjoy are:

QUICK AND EASY CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP - This deliciously simple soup is a great soup to make when you have neither the time nor the inclination to make soup from the bones of a chicken carcass. Use a good quality chicken stock and Bob's your uncle! 

SPICED CARROT SOUP - This delicious soup makes good use of onions, garlic, and carrots . . . some grated fresh ginger root . . .  warm spices. These are cooked in chicken stock until the carrots are meltingly tender  . . .  be warned it smells heavenly when it is cooking. A quick blitz with a stick blender or in a regular blender and you have one very tasty soup! Nice and velvety. The best carrot soup ever.

Yield: 5

Author: Marie Rayner

Curried Sweet Potato Soup

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 35 Min

This fabulous soup cooks very quickly and easily in the instant pot. See notes to cook in the conventional way. This is quite simply delicious.

Ingredients

• 3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 medium onion, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 2 1/2 TBS peeled and chopped fresh ginger
• 12 ounces (340g) coconut milk (unsweetened)
• 2 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and roughly chopped
• 1 1/2 TBS light olive oil
• 3 cups (710ml) vegetable stock
• 1 TBS Curry powder
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 TBS fresh lemon juice
• salt and black pepper to taste

To garnish:

• a drizzle of coconut milk
• toasted sweetened coconut

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in the instant pot on the sauté setting. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger. Cook and stir for several minutes until the onions have softened and are just starting to brown at the edges.
2. Stir in the curry powder and thyme. Sauté for a minute until very fragrant.
3. Add the chopped sweet potatoes, apple and vegetable stock, along with 1/2 tsp salt. Place the lid of the instant pot on top. Secure and set vent. Cook at high pressure for 10 minutes.
4. Quick release, open the lid.
5. Add the coconut milk and then puree the soup using an immersion blender until smooth. (You can also do this in a regular blender in batches.)
6. Press the soup through a sieve if you want it really smooth. Discard any solids.
7. Return to the Instant pot and heat through on the sauté setting. Whisk in the lemon juice and black pepper. Taste and adjust accordingly. You may need to add some more salt.
8. Ladle hot soup into heated bowls. Garnish each serving with a drizzle of coconut milk and a scattering of toasted coconut.

Notes

This can be done on the stove top but it will take longer to cook. Sauté onion, ginger, and garlic in oil over medium heat, until softened. Add the curry powder and thyme and cook for a few more minutes until fragrant. Add the chopped sweet potato and apple, along with the stock. Season with 1/2 tsp salt. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and simmer for about 25 to 30 minutes, half covered until the vegetables/fruit are tender. Add the coconut milk. Blend until smooth with a stick blender. Push through a sieve for a smoother finish, discarding any solids. Whisk in the lemon and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve as above.

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