The Soup That Won Me Over

I love soups during the colder months. I took up making soups about 3 years ago when I discovered my formula: broth + colorful vegetables + a legume, grain or pasta + wilted green = the Ben & Jerry's of soups. I've never really been a fan of puree, I love having something to dig for, something to chew on...until recently.

I don't remember how I stumbled upon Lynne's blog (Cook & Be Merry) but her soup immediately caught my attention. I was already digging the coconut milk in the soup portion of the recipe when I scrolled down to read the pesto ingredients: peanuts, ginger, mint, basil, cilantro, lime, fish sauce... I've made pesto with cashews to replace Parmesan, but peanuts and fish sauce?? It was genius!

I set out to make the soup on a lazy Sunday and to my surprise I didn't botch it up like I do most recipes. I stuck to it all the way through but due to my fear of purees, I had to roast some sweet potato chunks to throw in at the end. The result? Better than I imagined. After I whirled the pesto ingredients into a thick chunky paste, I dipped my finger in the bowl for a taste. Perfection! I pureed the soup just as instructed, topped it with a dollop of pesto and threw in some toasty cubes for even more texture. The sweet creamy soup had a wonderful mouth feel and the grittiness of the peanut bits was an absolute treat in every spoonful. The pesto also provides just the right touch of citrus and salt to balance the sweetness of the soup. Lynne's photograph really does it justice. The way the pesto is gently nestling into the thick blanket of soup makes me want to pick up that spoon and go to work!

So even though I cheated by adding those chunks, I know deep down that I could've done with out them. The peanutty pesto provides sufficient texture that I found myself digging for that rather than the cubes. Because of this, I can officially say that Lynne's soup has made me a convert. I will now give pureed soups a chance, so long as they have an exquisite accompaniment such as Lynne's pesto! Please do try this soup at home, I promise you won't be disappointed.

Sweet Potato and Coconut Soup with Thai Pesto

Serves 6

Soup
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/4 pound sweet potatoes (3 ea), peeled and cut into ¾-inch pieces, 5 ½ -6 cups
1 red onion, chopped, about 3 cups
1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth, low sodium
1 can (13.5 fl.oz) coconut milk, about 2 cups

Thai Pesto
2/3 cup unsalted dry roasted peanuts
2 garlic cloves, sliced
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger with the juice
2 long green Thai chiles, seeded and chopped (I used fresh cayenne chiles)
1 small bunch fresh cilantro leaves (about 1 packed cup), stems discarded
1 large handful of fresh mint leaves
1 large handful of fresh basil leaves (rough chop)
1-2 tablespoons soy sauce or Thai fish sauce (to taste)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (2 limes)
1 tablespoon brown sugar or palm sugar

1. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy saucepan or Dutch oven. Add the sweet potatoes and onion. Partially cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring often, until soft and just starting to turn golden.

2. Increase the heat to high, add the curry paste and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes so the paste cooks and becomes fragrant. Add the broth and coconut milk and bring to a boil, stirring to incorporate the curry paste into the liquid.

3. Transfer the mixture to a food processor with the feed tube open (so steam can escape) and whizz until almost smooth. There will still be some small chunks. I did it in two batches. Return the soup to a clean saucepan.

4. To make the pesto, put all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender and whizz, occasionally scraping down the sides of bowl, until you have a chunky paste and the ingredients are all evenly chopped.

5. Gently reheat the soup, ladle into warmed serving bowls and top with a generous spoonful of Thai pesto, which is to be swirled into the soup. Serve with additional Pesto on the side.