This Curried Coconut Sweet Potato Soup is luxuriously rich and creamy. The flavors from the yellow Thai curry paste add so much depth as well as a hint of spice. Plus, the thickness of the soup makes it perfect for dunking a big piece of bread in it.
This recipe is our take on a delicious soup we enjoy from time to time at a place called Modern Market. It didn’t take long for us to nail down the flavors and we actually enjoy our homemade version more. It has just the right consistency and it’s always satisfying to know that you can make a dish at home without having to buy it all the time.
The bulk of the flavor comes from the Thai yellow curry paste which is made with a ton of aromatics like lemongrass, galangal, red chiles, etc. To build on that flavor, we added a blend of onions and shallots plus fresh ginger and garlic which add a lot of fragrance to the soup.
If you like spicy then you’ll love this curried coconut sweet potato soup as it has a good bit of heat in it from the yellow curry paste. For garnish we added a swirl of coconut milk and fried Thai basil leaves, but feel free to add your own custom toppings. It even goes hand in hand with a melty white cheddar grilled cheese!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Find the full list of ingredients, measurements, and instructions in the recipe card below!
- Thai Yellow Curry Paste: We use Mae Ploy’s yellow curry paste which has a ton of spices and flavor. It does however, have shrimp paste in it, so if you’re vegan or vegetarian there are other yellow curry pastes out there that don’t have shrimp in it. Mike’s Organic Curry Love is one option you can try. Just note that the flavor might be slightly different.
- Low-Sodium Chicken Broth: We haven’t tested the soup with vegetable broth, but you can use it as an alternative if you prefer. Just note that it may lack some of the deeper umami flavors that the chicken broth has.
- Coconut Milk: Use canned full-fat coconut milk for a lusciously creamy soup.
Step-by-Step Instructions
This section provides a general overview as well as any pictures to guide you through the recipe. The full detailed recipe instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
1. Cook the onion and shallots. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large dutch oven then add the onions and shallots. Sauté until softened and lightly golden.
2. Add the sweet potatoes and other aromatics. Toss in the sweet potatoes and yellow curry paste then stir occasionally for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and stir around for about 1 minute until fragrant.
3. Add the chicken broth. Pour in the low-sodium chicken broth and sprinkle in the salt and pepper.
4. Simmer. Bring the liquid to a simmer then continue simmering for 20 minutes until the sweet potatoes are fully softened.
5. Puree the soup. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup until thick and smooth. You can also let it cool slightly then use a regular blender to blend it in batches.
6. Finish with coconut milk. Pour in the coconut milk and stir until well combined and creamy.
If you made this Curried Coconut Sweet Potato Soup recipe, please let us know by leaving a star rating and review down below. We’d love to hear from you!
📖 Recipe
Curried Coconut Sweet Potato Soup
Equipment
- Dutch Oven
- Immersion Blender or regular high-speed blender
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp (14 g) unsalted butter
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 2 large shallots sliced
- 2 lbs (907 g) sweet potatoes peeled and cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) cubes
- ⅓ cup (84 g) Thai yellow curry paste packed, we use Mae Ploy
- 1 tbsp fresh minced ginger
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 4 cups (1 litre) low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tsp fine sea salt plus more to taste
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 13.6-oz (403 ml) can full-fat coconut milk shaken
Optional Toppings
- Coconut milk
- Fried Thai basil leaves
Instructions
- Heat the oil and melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and shallots and sauté until softened and lightly golden.
- Add the sweet potatoes along with the Thai curry paste and stir, being sure to break up the paste. Cook and stir occasionally for 5 minutes.
- Toss in the ginger and garlic and stir it around for about a minute until fragrant.
- Stir in the chicken broth, salt, and pepper then let it come to a simmer. Continue simmering for 20 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are fully tender when poked with a fork.
- Turn off the heat and let the bubbles subside. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup in short bursts until smooth. You can also let it cool down some and blend it in batches with a high-speed blender.
- Pour in the coconut milk and stir to combine. Add more salt if needed then serve with a swirl of coconut milk and fried Thai basil leaves (optional).
Notes
- If you want to make the fried Thai basil leaves, pour enough olive oil to cover the bottom of a pan and place it over medium-high heat. Test the oil by flicking some water in it. If it sizzles, you can add your basil leaves spreading them out in the pan (be careful, the oil will pop). Let it crisp up for about 20-30 seconds then use a slotted spoon to fish them out and place them on a plate lined with paper towels.
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