This recipe for sweet potato coconut curry soup was a “savory” entry in our March Recipe Madness Contest, created and submitted by Margee Berry. She infuses this soup with lemongrass, ginger, and curry for fragrant, warm, and earthy flavors. And she uses pureed sweet potato and rich coconut milk for a creamy, silky finish.

Special Diet Notes: Sweet Potato Coconut Curry Soup
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, peanut-free, soy-free, tree nut-free, vegan, and vegetarian. In fact, they are generally top food allergy-friendly.
- 4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
- 2 cups peeled cubed sweet potato
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 lemongrass stalk, cut in half
- 1 teaspoon minced peeled ginger
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups water
- ⅓ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
- ¼ cup large flaked unsweetened coconut
- 1½ cups coconut milk (full-fat canned)
- Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in large saucepan, add the sweet potato and onion, and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the lemongrass, ginger, curry powder, and salt, and sauté for 1 minute more. Pour in the water, cover, and cook until the sweet potatoes are fork tender about 12 minutes.
- Meanwhile, stir together the cilantro and remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a small bowl.
- In a small skillet, toast the coconut over medium heat, shaking the skillet often, until the coconut is golden all over, about 4 minutes.
- Remove the lemongrass stalks from the soup. Working in batches, puree the sweet potato mixture in food processor or blender.
- Add the pureed mixture back to the saucepan, and pour in the coconut milk. Whisk and cook until smooth and heated through.
- Ladle the soup into 4 bowls. Add a dollop of cilantro and a sprinkle of toasted coconut to each serving.