Curried Sweet Potato Soup With Coconut Milk

By
Syrie Wongkaew
Syrie Wongkaew
Sydney-based food writer, editor, photographer, and food stylist with a focus on Australian and Thai cuisine.
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Updated on 07/22/21
Curried Sweet Potato Soup With Coconut Milk

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga
Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 85 mins
Total: 115 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
439 Calories
30g Fat
35g Carbs
11g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 439
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 30g 38%
Saturated Fat 14g 68%
Cholesterol 9mg 3%
Sodium 1016mg 44%
Total Carbohydrate 35g 13%
Dietary Fiber 4g 15%
Total Sugars 12g
Protein 11g
Vitamin C 20mg 102%
Calcium 85mg 7%
Iron 4mg 22%
Potassium 973mg 21%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Curried sweet potato soup with coconut milk is a welcome dish during the cooler months. The creamy, aromatic soup has a subtle sweetness from the roasted sweet potatoes since roasting enhances their caramel flavor.

The spices used in this recipe are curry powder and garam masala, a blend of warm spices commonly used in Indian cuisine. The coconut milk adds a nice creamy texture to the soup.

Ingredients

  • 3 medium sweet potatoes

  • 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

  • 1 teaspoon sea salt

  • 1 medium onion, chopped

  • 2 stalks celery, chopped

  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

  • 1 tablespoon garam masala

  • 1 teaspoon curry powder

  • 5 cups chicken stock

  • 1 cup coconut milk

  • 1/2 cup water

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C).

    Curried Sweet Potato Soup With Coconut Milk ingredients

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  2. Slice the sweet potatoes into 2-inch rounds. Place potatoes on a baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season with salt. Bake for 1 hour, or until tender. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

    baked sweet potato pieces on a baking sheet

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  3. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and fry, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and fry for 30 seconds.

    onions and celery in a saucepan

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  4. Add garam masala and curry powder. Fry, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for 30 seconds. Remove the saucepan from the heat.

    Add garam masala and curry powder to the onion mixture in the saucepan

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  5. Scoop flesh out of the sweet potatoes and discard the skins. Place potatoes into the saucepan and stir well to coat in the spices.

    add sweet potatoes to the onion mixture in the saucepan

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  6. Add stock and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down to medium-low and cover. Simmer soup for 15 minutes. Remove soup from heat and cool.

    add stock to the sweet potato soup mixture in the saucepan

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  7. Ladle soup into a blender or food processor and blend in batches until smooth and creamy. Place soup back into the saucepan over medium heat.

    blend the sweet potato soup in a blender

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  8. Add coconut milk and water and stir well to combine. Simmer soup over medium heat for 5 minutes.

    Curried Sweet Potato Soup With Coconut Milk in a saucepan

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Recipe Tips

This recipe features ingredients—garam masala and coconut milk—that are common in Indian and Southeast Asian cuisine. Garam masala, which means "hot spices," is a blend of ground spices like cumin, coriander, cardamom, and cloves. It can also include saffron, ginger, garlic, turmeric, fennel seeds, and fenugreek, as well as other spices. You can find it in the spice aisle or make your own.

Coconut milk is used in several Thai recipes to add creaminess and is often paired with spicy ingredients to bring a cooling touch to the dish. Make sure to use coconut milk and not coconut cream, as the coconut cream is much thicker than the milk. Cream of coconut is a sweetened product, so that should not be substituted.