Creamy Thai Carrot Sweet Potato Soup with Roasted Tamari Almonds

For the Soup:

  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil 

  • 2 cups diced sweet onion 

  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced 

  • 1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger 

  • 2 tablespoons red curry paste 

  • 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth 

  • 1/4 cup peanut butter (can substitute raw almond butter) 

  • 3 cups peeled and diced carrots 

  • 3 cups peeled and diced sweet potatoes 

  • 1/2 tsp. sea salt 

  • 1/4 tsp. black pepper 

  • 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper 

For Garnish: 

  • Lime wedges 

  • Fresh cilantro 

  • Red pepper flakes 

  • Coconut milk 

For the Tamari Almonds: 

  • 1/2 cup raw almonds, finely chopped 

  • 1 tablespoon tamari 

In a large heavy-bottom pot, melt the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic and ginger and cook, stirring frequently, for 5-6 minutes or until the onion is translucent. Stir in the curry paste. 

In a small bowl, whisk together a small amount of the vegetable broth with the almond butter to help smooth it out. Then add this mixture, along with the remaining vegetable broth, to the pot. Stir in the carrots, sweet potatoes, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Bring the soup to a low boil and then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Simmer the soup, covered, for 15-20 minutes, or until the carrots and potatoes are fork tender. 

Meanwhile, make the tamari almonds. Pre-heat your oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss the chopped almonds and tamari together in a small bowl until the almonds are well coated. Then spread the almonds out in a single layer over the parchment paper. Transfer the baking sheet to your pre-heated oven and roast the almonds for 9-11 minutes, until lightly golden and the tamari has dried up. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. 

Once the vegetables are tender, remove the pot from the heat and allow the soup to cool slightly. Then using your immersion blender, blend the soup until it’s smooth. Alternatively, you can purée the soup in your blender, making sure to be careful when transferring and blending hot liquids, and working in small batches as necessary. 

Re-warm the puréed soup over low-medium heat. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper. You can also thin the soup out to your desired consistency with a little more vegetable broth. 

To serve, ladle the warm soup into bowls. Top with the tamari almonds. You can also add a squeeze of fresh lime juice, cilantro, red pepper flakes and a drizzle of coconut milk, if desired. 

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in your refrigerator for about 5 days.

Serves 4

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