A friend of mine recently had her first baby. Several friends had grouped together to bring meals to her after she got home from the hospital. She and her husband are vegetarians which can make it intimidating for carnivores to bring in a meal. Since I tend to eat a lot of vegetarian meals all I had to do was use one of the many I had already planned on my menu. It just so happens that not only did I have several vegetarian options to choose from, I even had a vegan dish on the menu. I knew this soup would hit the spot. It was a crisp fall day and I knew she'd be exhausted having only been home from the hospital for a day. I brought her this flavorful soup with a loaf of homemade artisan bread. Homey, comforting, but still exciting: it's food to warm the soul.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 (2 inch) piece fresh ginger root, grated
1 tablespoon red curry paste
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 (15 ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk
4 cups vegetable broth
1 large lemon, juiced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
1. Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium high heat. Add in the onion and saute for about 5 minutes.
2. Add in the ginger, curry paste, and salt and toast for 1 minute.
3. Add in the sweet potatoes, coconut milk, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer until the sweet potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
4. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup in the pot, or transfer in batches to a food processor or blender and return the pureed soup to the pot.
5. Stir in the lemon juice.
6. Serve hot topped with freshly chopped cilantro.
