A steamy bowl of vibrant sweet potato soup is an ideal antidote to dreary winter days. Its light texture and nearly neon orange hue are little jolts of brightness against the backdrop of so many gray winter days.
This velvety, sweet and sour sweet potato soup is a study in contrasts. Sweet potatoes and coconut milk, both honeyed and earthy, play against a couple kinds of chiles and lots of zippy fresh ginger and lime juice. Nearly falling apart onions and savory vegetable broth play a supporting role, while minced herbs finish it all with a flourish. I added thinly sliced watermelon radishes for color and crunch, and loved their contrasting bite.
With creamy sweetness, this soup is an excellent vehicle for layered heat. I used a mix of Aleppo and Sirārakhong Hāthei ground chiles (from the wonderful Diaspora Co), but regular old ground cayenne or red pepper flakes, or thinly sliced fresh green or red chiles would be lovely.
The soup lends itself to other variations, too. Garam masala or a pinch of turmeric would be nice. Same for fresh ground cumin or coriander. Consider handfuls of sliced green onions or chopped cilantro. I could also imagine that, in warmer times, chopped cherry tomatoes tossed with salt and lime juice would add a nice acidic kick.
Sweet Potato and Coconut Milk Soup
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Right Now to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.