Smooth and Silky Sweet Potato Soup
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Smooth, silky sweet potato soup with coconut milk and warm curry spices, topped with a fresh pomegranate salsa.
This velvety sweet potato soup is completely dairy-free. The secret is creamy coconut milk and a little time spent in a blender, which makes this soup as comforting as a warm cashmere wrap.
Sweet potatoes have a lot going for them, especially when pureed into soup!
Nutritionally they’re hailed as one of the world’s healthiest foods — they’re literally like little powerhouses for vitamins and other good stuff.
And as far as looks go, they’re blessed with the intense color of a Key West sunset.
Oh, and I almost forgot. They’re so delicious!
The best season for sweet potatoes is late fall and winter, conveniently timed for an appearance on the Thanksgiving table, and all the cozy dinners in the cold months that follow.
The vibrant color of this soup is amplified by the gorgeous golden hue of turmeric, the spice most often found in curry powder.
Benefits of turmeric
Turmeric has its own long list of health benefits, and I just learned something else about it:
Not only does turmeric lend its color and lightly bitter taste to curry spice blends, soups and sauces, it also helps to thicken them because it’s a rhizome plant with naturally starchy compounds.
The jewel-colored pomegranate relish is something I absolutely love and have been making for years (check out this Ricotta Flatbread ). It comes from one of my all-time favorite cookbooks.
The juicy pop of the pomegranate seeds, tart and sweet, are a welcome contrast to the rich-tasting soup. Plus it looks so pretty on the table for a special meal!
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Smooth and Silky Sweet Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) coconut oil or canola oil
- 1 red onion, chopped
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon brown mustard seed (optional)
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) ground turmeric
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- ⅓ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 ¾ pounds (800 g) sweet potato (about 2), peeled and diced
- Kosher salt
- 1 13.5-ounce (400 ml) can coconut milk
Pomegranate Salsa:
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
- ½ cup (82 g) pomegranate seeds, about 1/2 of one pomegranate
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Instructions
- Heat the oil over medium heat in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion, ginger and garlic and cook until the onion is softened and translucent.
- Add the mustard seeds to the pot and stir. As soon as they begin to pop, add the turmeric, coriander, cumin, black pepper and cayenne, stirring to coat the spices in the oil.
- Add the sweet potatoes, 3 teaspoons salt and 5 ½ cups water to the pot. Bring to a simmer, then adjust the temperature and cook partially covered for 30 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender.
- Pour the coconut milk into the soup and remove from the heat. Let cool slightly.
- Puree the soup in a blender until smooth, in batches if necessary.
Pomegranate Salsa
- To make the salsa, put the shallots, salt and lemon juice in a bowl and let it sit for 5 minutes. Stir in the olive oil and pomegranate molasses to blend, then add the pomegranate seeds and parsley.
- Serve the soup with a few spoonfuls of salsa on top.
Nutrition
Hey, I’m Karen
Creator of Familystyle Food
I’m a food obsessed super-taster and professionally trained cook ALL about creating elevated dinners with everyday ingredients. Find simplified recipes made from scratch and enjoy incredibly tasty food! Read more about me here.