Deliciously thick and refreshing soup made with sweet potato, carrot, coconut and a little chilli to temper all that natural sweetness. A Dairy-free recipe.
This refreshing soup has a subtle chilli kick that is tempered by the sweetness of coconut. When making chilli soups, it is better to used dried chilli rather than fresh chilli, as the flavours infuse better into the stock. Fresh chilli gives a brighter flavour that is less intense and long-lasting, but that can overpower the primary flavours of a soup. You can also make this soup with butternut squash, although I find that sweet potatoes gives a more robust flavour, as squash can have a tendency toward the watery and bland unless roasted.
4
Sweet Potato, Chilli & Coconut Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil (I used coconut oil)
- 2 red onions (260g), peeled and finely chopped
- 3 whole dried red chillis
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 medium sweet potatoes (900g) peeled and chopped into 3 cm cubes
- 3 carrots (345g), peeled and chopped into 2 cm cubes
- 1/2 cup (50g) desiccated coconut
- 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
- 1 litre (1 3/4 pints) of homemade chicken stock (use vegetable stock for a vegan option)
optional garnish:
- 1 red chilli, sliced into very thin rounds
- fresh coriander leaves
- toasted coconut chips
Instructions
- Heat the cooking oil in a large saucepan over a medium-low heat. Add the onion, red chillis and salt and sweat, uncovered, for 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent but not browned.
- Add the rest of the ingredients (sweet potato, carrot, desiccated coconut, pepper and stock). Cover, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer until the vegetables are fork tender – about 25 minutes.
- Transfer to a blender in batches, and blitz to the smooth puree. Taste, and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the sliced red chilli, coriander leaves and toasted coconut chips.
