That said, my mom loves Thai food. She's not as into the tradition and culture as I am (my house, when I get one, is going to likely wind up half Thai and half African tribal decorated), but give her the choice between Thai, Chinese-American, seafood, pizza or burgers for dinner and you have a good chance of hitting the local tom yam and pad thai joint. In fact, when she came home from her business trip to the country, mention of the food was made as often as that of the beauty of the temples, hotels and people.
It should come as no surprise that when I found a soup that smacked of Thai cuisine in my copy of Home-Grown Harvest, I had to try it out. The rather exotic Sweet Potato & Coconut Soup with Thai Pesto by Ross Dobson was essentially everything you could ever want in a soup, and the perfect example of what most Asian cuisine is about - balance. The marriage of flavour, texture and heat was ideal - the pureed base is made with sweet potatoes, red onion and coconut milk, and is mild and sweet enough for even children to enjoy. The famous heat of Thai cuisine comes through in the pesto though. It comes packed with Thai green chillies, peanuts, cilantro and a hint of lime, and if eaten alone (especially without prior warning) can be a rather painful experience. The original recipe calls for dolloping the pesto on top of the finished soup, (the benefit of which is that everyone can then adjust the spice level to their own preference), but I knew it would only be packed for my mom’s lunches during the week so I stirred it in. Together, the sweet and spicy aspects of the recipe, paired with a delicate sourness from the pesto’s lime, meld into a stick-to-your-ribs whole that is neither too sugary not mind-blowingly hot.
This week's #SundaySupper is all about All Things Orange. The #SundaySupper family is using the spirit of the season to inspire you and will be sharing some fabulous dishes at the #SundaySupper table this week, and we do hope that you’ll join us!
Just look at all of the fabulous dishes being offered up this week:
Sunrise (Breakfast and Brunch)
- Erin from Dinners Dishes and Desserts is baking up some Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Heather from Girlichef is bringing Pumpkin Doughnuts with Spiced Buttermilk Glaze
- Nicole from Daily Dish Recipes is making Pumpkin Donut Puffs
- Patti from Comfy Cuisine is bringing Classic Orange Marmalade
- Sunithi from Sue’s Nutrition Buzz is making Spiced Pumpkin Ricotta Muffins with Craisins and Walnuts
- Wendy from The Weekend Gourmet is cooking up some Pumpkin Maple Oatmeal
- Jamie from Mama Mommy Mom is bringing Butternut Squash Butter
- Chelsea from Chelsea’s Culinary Indulgence is bringing Pumpkin Spiced Donuts with Chai Icing
High Noon (Soups, Salads and Sandwiches)
- Renee from Magnolia Days is serving up some Butternut Squash Soup
- Beate from Galactopdx is bringing her Carrot Ginger Soup
- Jen from Juanita’s Cocina is making some Curried Sweet Potato Salad With Cranberries and Pecans
- Megan from I Run For Wine is making Skinny Roasted Butternut Squash and Italian Sausage Soup
- Sarah from What Smells So Good is filling our bowls with some Spicy Sweet Potato and Coconut Soup
- Alice from Hip Foodie Mom is coming with her Roasted Carrot and Red Quinoa Salad
- Susan from The Wimpy Vegetarian is making Cider – Spiced Sweet Potato Soup
- Tora from Tora’s Real Food is bringing Butternut Squash and Tomato Soup
- Melanie from From Fast Food to Fresh Food is making Monty’s Pumpkin Soup
- Lyn from The Lovely Pantry is bringing Roasted Pumpkin & Coconut Soup
- Kim from Cravings of a Lunatic is whipping up some Mandarin Chicken Salad
Sunset (Dinner and Main Dishes)
- Sarah from Crispy Bits & Burnt Ends is offering up some Pumpkin Ravioli
- Shelia from Pippis In The Kitchen Again is serving her Roasted Squash and Ricotta with Honey
- Pam from The Meltaways is making Spooky Stuffed Peppers
- Patsy from Famfriendsfood is bringing her Carrot Souffle
- Laura from Small Wallet Big Appetite is bringing Chicken and Sweet Potato Fritters
- Mehereen from Chattering Kitchen is making Sichuan Orange Glazed Chicken with Toasted Sesame Seeds
- Tammi from Momma’s Meals is making Hearty Pork Stew
- Kristin from Kwistin’s Favorites is making Orange Chicken
- Soni from Soni’s Food For Thought is cooking up some Rigatoni with Pumpkin Ricotta Sauce
- Shelby from Diabetic Foodie is cooking up some Moroccan Vegetable Stew
- Dara from Generation Y Foodie is bringing Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
- Brandie from Home Cooking Memories is sharing a DIY Baked Sweet Potato Bar
- Amber from Mama’s Blissful Bites is bringing Rice and Fig Stuffed Mini Pumpkins
By The Bonfire (Sweets, Snacks and Sips)
- Carla from Chocolate Moosey is making Pumpkin Tiramisu with Pumpkin Butter Caramel Sauce
- Heather from Hezzi D’s Books and Cooks is offering up some Pumpkin Cake Truffles
- Shelia from Cooking Underwriter is bringing Sweet Potato Bacon Beet Salsa
- Anne from Webicurean is making some Drunken Pumpkin Bread
- Karen from In The Kitchen With KP is making Oven Baked Sweet Potato Chips
- Leslie La Cocina De Leslie is making Sweet Potato Atole
- Seet Fei from My Trials in The Kitchen is bringing Sweet Potatoes Mini Balls
- Tara from Noshing With The Nolands is bringing Oranges En Suprise
- Susan from The Girl in The Red Kitchen is making Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Scone with Pumpkin Glaze
- Conni from Mrs. Mama Hen is making Orange Glazed Poundcake
- Isabel from Family Foodie is baking up Moist Pumpkin Bread
- Cindy from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings is baking up a Vegan Pumpkin Orange Cake
- Brenda from Meal Planning Magic is whipping up some Creamy Pumpkin Dip
- Laura from Family Spice is making some Unprocessed and Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread
- Kathya from Basic and Delicious is baking up Butternut Squash and Carrot Bread
- Liz from That Skinny Chick Can Bake is serving up Pumpkin Roll with Cream Cheese Filling
- Stephanie from The Cookie A Day Challenge is whipping up some Pumpkin Ice Cream Sandwiches
- Katie from She Like Ruffles, He Likes Truffles is bringing Pumpkin Harvest Cookies
- Nancy from Gotta Get Baked is baking up some Orange Macadamia Dark Chocolate Cookies
- Angie from Big Bear’s Wife is bringing Orange Soda Pumpkin Patch Cupcakes
- Katy from Happy Baking Days is bringing Carrot Cake with Orange Glaze
- Sandra from Midlife Road Trip is bringing Orange ya glad it’s fall! Hungarian Apricot/Walnut pastries
Please be sure you join us on Twitter throughout the day during #SundaySupper... we’ll be meeting up at 7:00 pm (EDT) for our weekly #SundaySupper live chat where we’ll talk about our favorite recipes featuring our favorite fall color. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag or through TweetChat! We’d also love to feature your easy go to recipes on our #SundaySupper Pinterest board and share them with all of our followers, too.
Also submitted to Gluten-Free Monday and Gluten Free Fridays
Spicy Sweet Potato and Coconut Soup
Serves 6
Pesto:
4 oz unsalted peanuts, lightly toasted
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
2 Serrano or Thai chiles, minced (seed if less heat is desired)
1 cup chopped cilantro
¼ cup fresh mint
2 tbsp low-sodium tamari
1/2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 tbsp lime juice
Zest of 1 lime
1 tbsp brown sugar
Soup:
1 tsp coconut oil
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups GF vegetable stock
1 2/3 cups coconut milk (one 13.5 oz can)
1 2/3 cups water (use the can to measure)
1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1 cup cauliflower florets
1 ½ lbs sweet potatoes, peeled, chopped and roasted
- In a food processor, combine peanuts, garlic, ginger, chiles, cilantro, mint, soy sauce, sesame oil, lime juice and zest and brown sugar and process until mostly smooth. Set aside.
- In a large pot, heat the oils over medium heat and add the onion.
- Cook, stirring often, until the onion is beginning to turn golden - about 10 minutes.
- Add the vegetable stock, coconut milk, coconut, cauliflower and sweet potatoes.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the cauliflower is very soft.
- Let cool slightly, then pour into a food processor or blender, add the peanut mixture and puree smooth.
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 346.8
Total Fat: 19.0 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 522.5 mg
Total Carbs: 39.8 g
Dietary Fiber: 6.3 g
Protein: 8.5 g
This sounds so good, and very unique. I have to say I have never tried a sweet potato soup before. And since I love Thai food the twist makes it just that much more intriguing to me.
ReplyDeleteThis soup sounds fabulous! Thank you so much for joining in this week!
ReplyDeleteCoconut & sweet potatoes, what a delicious combination!!!
ReplyDeleteA very complex and amazing sounding soup! I´m not a cilantro person either, but used in moderation brings a lot of interesting flavor. Have a great sunday!
ReplyDeleteI love Thai food and sweet potatoes too. No allergy worries so I can make and enjoy this soup for sure.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure this is loaded with flavors and I love the addition of the cauliflower!
ReplyDeleteSweet and spicy? YUM! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteSpicy? Yes please! I'll take two bowls!
ReplyDeleteLove that it's gluten free!
ReplyDeleteThe way you describe the flavors has me drooling! Now I'll have to try it!
ReplyDeleteI love Thai food and this looks amazing. Thanks for sharing!!
ReplyDeleteI love Thai recipes, mainly because it's something I don't eat often. In fact, I don't know if I've ever been to a Thai restaurant!! Pinning to make someday :)
ReplyDeleteLove Sweet Potato Soup adding coconut sounds yummy, Sarah!
ReplyDeleteYum! I love Thai food. This soup looks very tasty and healthy. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a wonderful soup! I love Thai flavors and combining them with the flavors of fall sounds wonderful. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteNever had sweet potatoes with coconut milk before,but I love Thai food!!This looks like something I would surely enjoy :)Thanks for a lovely recipe Sarah!
ReplyDeleteI am a huge fan of all these flavors, as well...so may I can sit next to your mom for lunch!? Sounds like seriously good soup to me!
ReplyDeleteSweet Potato and Coconut seriously sound like a wonderfully imaginable combination that is to die for.
ReplyDeleteYUM!
This soup is a huge party all by itself! And they sound perfect with the sweet potatoes.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a nice hearty soup! A must try in my book.
ReplyDeleteSuch a flavourful soup!!! Jam packed with goodness! :-)
ReplyDeleteThai food is one of my favorites, using pumpkin to give it a fusion touch is a great idea
ReplyDeleteI want to travel with your Mom. We'd get along well :) Your soup sounds like an amazing combination of flavors - can't wait to try it!
ReplyDeleteSo many great soups this week! And with coconut? Sounds heavenly!
ReplyDeleteI love Thai food and this soup sounds so aromatic, creamy, and packed with unique flavours. I'm really loving all the soup posts this week - you all make me want to whip out the stock pot and go buy an immersion blender!
ReplyDeleteGirl, your soup is bursting with everything good !!!!! Love all the ingredients ! Will be making this :)
ReplyDeleteMmmmm, Sarah, this sound sounds fantastic! I love the kick from the pesto :)
ReplyDeleteI personally love Thai food. This soup looks so full of great flavors!
ReplyDeleteI love Thai food but my husband is like you... I can't wait to try this fabulous recipe.
ReplyDeleteSweet potatoes with coconut - great combination! Love you add in some spice too, sounds like Tom Yam!
ReplyDeleteSweet potato and coconut? Love it!
ReplyDeleteDid you eat the soup? I was wondering how you would have substituted the nut and the coconut for your allergies. I see you substituted the nut with tamari. Just curious. The combination of flavors sound fantastic. I love Thai food too. I can eat Thai food everyday. Yummy!
ReplyDeleteCauliflower! Sounds amazing. I love Thai flavor but mostly find it too spicy. I bet I could adjust this to make it yummy!
ReplyDeleteLove the color! This sounds like an awesome soup! :) Thanks for linking up at our Gluten Free Fridays party last week! I have tweeted and pinned your entry to our Gluten Free Fridays board on Pinterest! :) I hope that you'll join us this week to share more yummies! Also, be sure to stop back by to see who the winner of the Planet Rice will be! The winner will be announced at GFF #9 Cindy from vegetarianmamma.com
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite sweet potato casseroles has coconut in it... I think this would feel like I was drinking dessert (and that's a good thing!)
ReplyDeleteJamie @ www.mamamommymom.com
Your blog title sure fits your recipes! Thank you so much for linking up at Gluten-Free Monday on OneCreativeMommy.com.
ReplyDelete