I can't believe it has been almost a year since I started my blog! Things have been so busy lately, and there has not been much time left for creativity. I was inspired by a good friend and decided to get my nose out of the books and get myself in the kitchen.
Appolonia says "hot weather is so last season."
Have I mentioned how much I love the Fall?? Well, if you didn't know, I am pretty much obsessed with it. Dan and I scheduled our wedding in October because the weather is typically so gorgeous in October. When the day came, it was 51 degrees and raining. Typical. I love all things Fall: boots, pumpkins, Halloween, even the smell in the air makes me incredibly happy. There is nothing better than a big bowl of comforting soup after a long Fall day. That is the inspiration for this recipe.
This soup starts out pretty standard: the classic trio of celery, carrots, and onions cooked down slowly. The addition of the roasted sweet potato and the coconut milk make it thick, rich and incredibly creamy. It tastes like you are eating something very naughty, which is always a bonus for me!
Don't skip out on the flavorful spices. The coriander adds a brightness and is slightly lemony. The cumin balances the soup with a really nice smokiness. Because the soup is so creamy, I like to serve this with something crispy on top. I went for chopped almonds. You could also use pecans, croutons or some crispy shallots.
Roasted sweet potato and coconut milk soup
2 carrots, peeled and small dice
2 stalks of celery, small dice
1 medium yellow onion, small dice
4 medium sweet potatoes (about 2 1/2 lbs), chopped into 1 inch cubes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (13.5 oz) can full fat coconut milk
3/4 to 1 quart chicken stock (depending on how thick you like your soup)
Extra virgin olive oil (around 6 tablespoons total)
Salt, freshly ground black pepper
Garnish options: chopped roasted almonds, pecans or croutons
Special equipment: blender or food processor
Makes about 2 quarts in total
Start by roasting your sweet potatoes. You don't have to peel them, just make sure they are clean. Chop them into 1 inch cubes and place on a baking sheet. Drizzle with enough olive oil to coat and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for about 35-40 minutes, flipping them once to ensure even caramelization. They should be easily pierced with a knife. Once roasted, remove from the oven and set them aside.
Preheat a dutch oven over medium-low heat with 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. Place the chopped onion, celery, carrots and garlic in the pan and season with salt and pepper. I used 1 1/2 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon black pepper to get it going. Add the coriander, cumin, and thyme to the vegetables. Sauté until the onions become translucent and the vegetables have begun to soften, around 8-10 minutes.
Once the vegetables have sweated down, add the roasted sweet potato, coconut milk and 1/2 quart chicken stock. Let the soup cook on simmer for around 20 minutes.
Working in 2 batches, puree the soup in a blender until it is smooth. The soup will be very thick. Through the hole in the lid of the blender, add more chicken stock until the soup is the consistency that you prefer. I like mine thick, but if you prefer it thinner, just add more stock. I ended up using the whole quart between the 2 batches. Taste for seasoning. I added a little bit more salt to my batch.
Top with chopped almonds or pecans for crunch.
I hope you all are loving this season as much as I am!
