Curried Sweet Potato Soup Bowls with Frizzled Greens, Apples & Peanuts (Vegan)
This silky and thick vegan sweet potato and apple soup gets topped with rice, garlicky frizzled kale, chopped roasted nuts and tart green apple. The soup is delicious on its own, but made even better by the toppings. The recipe calls for cooked rice or quinoa, which you’ll want to start at same time as the soup, so that it’s ready for you (it’s also a great way to use up leftovers). Look for a light vegetable broth (or you can use chicken broth if you're not vegetarian), as dark broths can overpower the other flavors (you can also use all water!).
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
For the soup:
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 medium sweet onion (or 1 large leek), diced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 3 medium potatoes), peeled and diced
- ¼ green apple, cored and diced
- 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 ¾ cups water, plus more as needed
For the toppings:
- 2 tablespoons neutral vegetable oil
- 1 large garlic clove, thinly sliced
- 6 large kale leaves, stemmed and thinly sliced
- Cooked rice or quinoa, for serving
- ½ green apple, cored and very finely chopped
- Chopped toasted peanuts, pecans or pepitas, for serving
Instructions
- For the soup, melt the coconut oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until softened but not browned, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the garlic, ginger, curry powder and cinnamon. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the sweet potatoes and apple, and stir to coat. Pour in the broth and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until the potatoes are nice and soft, about 10 minutes.
- Puree the soup in a blender (or you can use a hand blender), adding more water if needed to thin. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
- For the frizzled kale, heat the oil in a large skillet until shimmering. Add the garlic and cook 10 seconds. Drop in the kale (stand back, it might sputter!), and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring every now and again, until the kale is browned and crisp in spots, about 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a plate or bowl.
- To serve, ladle the soup into wide, shallow bowls. Top with a mound of rice or quinoa (I use an ice cream scoop). Pile the frizzled kale on top, and sprinkle with the finely chopped apples and nuts.
Notes
Do Ahead: The soup (without the toppings) can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Tips:
- You can puree this soup in a blender or with a hand blender. I adore my Vitamix, which creates an incredibly silky texture.
- You can use butter in place of the coconut oil.
- The sweet potatoes can be swapped out for winter squash.
- I like to use a mix of broth and water, as too much broth can overpower the other flavors. Look for a light vegetable broth, or use chicken broth if you're not vegetarian. You can also make the soup with just water!
- The toppings are optional but provide fabulous flavor and texture!