Description
This Thai Coconut Soup with Sweet Potato is a creamy, flavorful, and comforting dish that combines the natural sweetness of sweet potatoes and pears with the warmth of red curry and aromatic lemongrass. Perfect as a nutritious appetizer or light meal, this soup is smooth, rich, and has the perfect balance of spicy and sweet flavors typical of Thai cuisine.
Ingredients
Scale
Base Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons minced ginger
- 1 tablespoon minced lemongrass
Vegetables and Fruit
- 3 cups diced sweet potatoes, peeled, ½-inch dice
- 1 cup diced pears, Bartlett, ¼-inch dice
Flavoring and Liquids
- 2 tablespoons red curry paste
- 1 ½ cups coconut milk
- 1 cup vegetable stock, divided, plus more as needed
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- Kosher salt, as needed for seasoning
- Black pepper, as needed for seasoning
Instructions
- Heat and sauté aromatics: Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add vegetable oil. Once hot, add garlic, ginger, and lemongrass. Sauté until fragrant but not browned, about 30 seconds.
- Add sweet potatoes and pears: Add the diced sweet potatoes and pears to the pot. Increase the heat to medium-high and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to coat the ingredients with the aromatics.
- Add curry and liquids: Stir in the red curry paste, coconut milk, and ½ cup of the vegetable stock. Stir continuously to combine and dissolve the curry paste into the liquid. Once the mixture starts to boil, reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a simmer.
- Simmer the soup: Cover the pot and cook the soup until the sweet potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Blend the soup: Carefully transfer the soup along with ½ cup of vegetable stock and the fish sauce into a blender. Blend on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Adjust thickness: If the soup is too thick, add more vegetable stock in 30-second intervals and blend until the desired consistency is achieved.
- Season to taste: Taste the soup and season with kosher salt and black pepper as desired.
- Serve: Serve the soup hot. Optionally, top with fresh herbs or additional garnishes such as chopped cilantro, sliced chili, or a squeeze of lime.
Notes
- You can garnish the soup with fresh cilantro, sliced red chili, or a squeeze of lime for added freshness and heat.
- For a vegan version, substitute fish sauce with soy sauce or tamari.
- If you prefer a chunkier texture, blend only half of the soup and stir in the rest of the cooked vegetables.
- Adjust the spiciness by adding more or less red curry paste according to your preference.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 450mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 11g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
