Recipe and Photos by Christina Hurt Smith. 

I’m sure this has happened once or twice: you get your new CSA box, it comes with a huge bag of carrots but you haven’t yet finished your last huge bag of carrots. This is the very best way to use a bunch of carrots at once. This soup can also be prepared vegan if you leave out the fish sauce and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. One important thing: I have listed a specific brand for the red curry paste for a reason. Maesri curry paste is truly the best and can be found in most asian markets. Sure you could use another brand but I promise you, once you taste this you will never go back. With that said, if you are unable to find it, it’s not a deal-breaker. Your soup will be delicious anyway. Enjoy!

Curried Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup



Ingredients:

• 1lb Carrots, peeled and chopped into 1in chunks
• 1 Sweet Potato, peeled and chopped into 1in chunks
• 1 Large Onion (or 2 small), diced
• 1 can (13.5oz) Coconut Milk, full fat
• 1 can (4oz) Maesri Red Curry Paste
• 3c Vegetable or Chicken Broth
• 2 tbsp Butter or Coconut Milk
• 1 tbsp Fish Sauce (optional)
• 1 tbsp Sugar
• Salt
• Pepper
• Garnish:
• Cilantro
• Toasted Peanuts
• Sriracha

Directions:

1. Heat a large pot to medium-high heat. Add butter or oil and toss in onion. Cook for 3 minutes until onion is translucent.

2. Add in red curry and coat the onions. Cook for 1 minute.

3. Toss in carrot and sweet potato chunks and stir to coat in onion and curry mixture. Cook for 5 minutes.

4. Add in broth. Place your lid on the pot and bring to boil. Once the mixture comes to a boil, turn heat to low and cook for 30 minutes or until the carrots and sweet potato are soft. Remove from heat.

5. Add sugar, fish sauce and can of coconut milk, reserving a little to garnish.

6. You can either use a hand emulsifier or you can let the mixture cool and blend in batches. Salt and pepper to taste.

7. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with drizzle or reserved coconut milk, sriracha, toasted peanuts and cilantro.