Sunday's Soup

I was recently talking to a friend and she told me about a recipe called "Sweet Potatoes On Fire." Interesting name! As she read off the ingredients, I thought, and said, "that would make a great soup." This soup turned out to be so good that even my little friend can't keep his nose out of the bowl!!

My version will be first, and if you are interested in the original, baked, none soup version, I posted that recipe below.

Sweet Potatoes On Fire 

the ingredients;

5 pounds of sweet potatoes, cubed

2 large onions chopped

1 large clove of garlic

2 tablespoons of butter

2 tablespoons of olive oil

2 tablespoons of Thai Red Curry Paste(or to taste)

3 14oz. cans of Light Coconut milk and 3 cans of water

1/2 cup of brown sugar

4 zucchini squash cut in 1" rounds then quartered

1 package of fried tofu, or chopped cooked chicken, your choice

1 bunch of green onions chopped

1/2 cup of chopped cilantro

salt to taste

Begin by melting butter in oil in large pot. Add onions and cook until translucent. Add the Thai Red Curry Paste along with garlic and stir well. The onions will become a beautiful shade of red.

Add sweet potatoes, coconut milk and the 3 cans of water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a medium heat and cook until sweet potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Using an blending wand, blend soup until creamy. Add brown sugar and stir until blended. If you would like a creamy soup, you can stop here, but I wanted my soup to be a little more hardy so I continued on. 

Add the chopped zucchini, cilantro, tofu and green onions. Cook on a low fire until the zucchini is tender.

Ladle up and enjoy a bowl with my little friend! This is absolutely delicious, a little spicey, but wonderful.

Now for the baked version. I have not tried this recipe, but based on very good advice and how the soup turned out, this is a recipe to keep!

EQUIPMENT

Square baking dish

Small saucepan

Large mixing bowl

INGREDIENTS

This recipe can easily be cut in half

5 pounds sweet potatoes

1 cup coconut milk

1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste

½ cup dark brown sugar

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon salt

STEPS

1. Preheat your oven to 375ºF. Prick sweet potatoes with a fork and place them on a baking sheet until very soft – at least an hour. Once cool enough to handle, peel and mash in a large mixing bowl.

2. In a small saucepan, heat coconut milk with red curry paste over low heat.

3. To mashed potatoes, add heated coconut milk/curry paste, plus half the sugar, half the butter and the teaspoon of salt. Mix well.

4. Either keep this warm and continue recipe or prepare up to here, easily two days in advance. Just cover tightly and refrigerate them.

5. Preheat oven to 425ºF. To finish potatoes, you’ll need a good half-hour. Place potatoes in baking dish, cover with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes.

6. Uncover potatoes. Dot surface with tiny pats of remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and ¼ cup dark brown sugar. Broil uncovered until top is brown and crusty, probably 3-5 minutes. Check broiler frequently to avoid burning.

Adapted from New York Times Dining section; yields 12-14 healthy portions

Thanks to my friend for the inspiration ;)

Rhonda