Thai Sweet Potato Soup with coconut, lemongrass and ginger….a light and healthy recipe that is Vegan & Gluten-free!
We are kept from our goal, not by our obstacles, but by a clear path to a lesser goal.
Robert Brult
It never ceases to amaze me, how simple ingredients can come together to create something wonderfully flavorful and complex. Yams (or sweet potatoes) are the superstars of this soup. Ginger, lemongrass, shallot, and garlic, give the soup its flavor and depth, while lime gives it its brightness. Coconut milk is added sparingly to keep it on the lighter side.
Why I love this Thai Sweet Potato Soup
Not only is this soup vegan and gluten-free, but it’s so flavorful, healthy and light and will bring a little sunshine into your life with its bright, warm flavors. Guaranteed!
It can be made ahead on Sunday for the busy work week, and can be reheated for lunch or dinner!
And as for optional texture, little grains of Sorghum are popped like popcorn for a little crunch and the unexpected surprise factor. They are the ¼ the size of regular popcorn and remind me of little white flowers.
I like to keep this little popped grain, for occasions like this, when I want to add texture without adding the gluten or fat of croutons, or fried crispy things. But feel free to leave them off!
Peel and dice the sweet potatoes. Simmer in the fragrant broth- then blend and season!
Add as much coconut milk as you like.
Keep the sweet potato soup simple and wholesome like this, or play around with it, adding fresh cilantro, scallions, and popped sorghum.
To make the popped Sorghum, just put a couple of tablespoons or so (a single layer) in a small dry, heated pot, over medium-high heat, cover, and shake fairly often to prevent burning. Little batches work best.
Spoon a little coconut cream into the soup (it helps if you whisk it first) cut scallions into long thin strips. Finely chop cilantro. And just decorate. It’s fun!
Enjoy this Thai Sweet Potato Soup!
xoxo
More Thai Recipes you may like
- 30-Minute Thai Green Curry
- Thai Green Curry Noodle Soup
- Khao Soi (Thai Coconut Noodle Soup)
- Thai Chicken Noodle Soup
- 20 Delicious Easy Thai Recipes!
Thai Sweet Potato Soup w/ Lemongrass and Ginger
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 50 mins
- Yield: 4-6
- Category: Soup, vegan
- Method: Stove-top
- Cuisine: Thai
Description
A delicious healthy recipe for Thai Sweet Potato Soup with coconut, lemongrass and ginger….light and tasty! Vegan and Gluten free!
Ingredients
Units
- 2 large shallots (or one white onion) diced
- 2 Tablespoons coconut oil (or olive oil)
- 6 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/2 cup finely chopped lemongrass (packed) 2-3 stalks
- 2 tablespoons ginger, chopped
- 1 small Serrano chili (or jalapeno for less spicy), diced
- 1 teaspoon yellow curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 4 cups veggie or chicken stock
- 2 cups water
- 2 lbs yams, peeled, cubed (or sweet potatoes)
- 1 large carrot (for color- this is optional) peeled, sliced
- 1/2 cup to 1 can coconut milk
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 2–4 teaspoons soy sauce: to taste ( or sub fish sauce for extra depth)
- 2 Tablespoons lime juice
- salt and pepper to taste
Garnish with:
- Cilantro, coconut milk, scallions, popped Sorghum grains, Sriracha Sauce and lime wedges.
Instructions
- In a large heavy-bottomed pot heat coconut oil over medium heat. Add shallot (or onion) and stir for 2 minutes. Add ginger, garlic, lemongrass, and chili, cook for 3-5 minutes, until fragrant and golden. Add spices, and stir for 1-2 more minutes. Add stock and water, scraping up the spices from the bottom.
- Bring to a boil and add yams and optional carrot. Simmer on low, covered, until yams are fork-tender, 15-20 minutes. Let cool a bit, while you prepare your garnishes.
- Puree soup until very smooth. Either blend in small batches in a blender or use a submersion blender. Get it as smooth as you can. Return to the stove and heat on med-low.
- Stir in ½ cup of coconut milk — or, if unconcerned with fat content, or a richer soup, add more, or most of the can, reserving some the harder “cream” for the garnish.
- Now it’s time to season. Add the brown sugar, 2-4 tsp soy sauce ( or fish sauce) and the lime juice. Taste. Depending on how rich and flavorful your stock is, or how much coconut milk you added, you will need to adjust the seasonings. You may need to add more depth (soy sauce) or a pinch or two of salt, or more lime, or more sugar, or more heat. Find the balance -between salt, sweet and sour and spicy. This is where you develop your own palate, which no recipe can teach. It just takes practice. 🙂 A little sriracha sauce can work miracles because it contains salt, acid, sweet along with heat and spice. But use sparingly for best results.
- Garnish with cilantro, scallions, coconut milk (whisk with a little warm water to loosen) and popped sorghum (optional) and serve with lime wedges.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Make Popped Sorghum: place 2 tablespoon sorghum grains in a small pot over medium-high heat shaking often. Pop like popcorn, removing from pan immediately so they don’t darken. Store in an air-tight container.
For a thicker consistency, add only 1 cup water.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 378
- Sugar: 7.6 g
- Sodium: 460.4 mg
- Fat: 16.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 13.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 46.6 g
- Fiber: 6.5 g
- Protein: 8.7 g
- Cholesterol: 6.3 mg
Great! Loved the Serrano pepper addition.
Glad you enjoyed this one!
Awesome recipe!!
Thanks Tina, appreciate the review!
I’m not a huge fan of sweet potatoes, but this recipe is delicious!! Love it and make it regularly. I originally made it for my mom and found a favorite soup for both of us.
Nice to hear Tina!
Absolutely delicious!!! Made it tonight for dinner. Definitely now a favourite. Thanks so much for all you do!
Thanks Patti!