Recipe: Curried Sweet Potato Soup with Crispy Black Lentils (using coconut milk)

CURRIED SWEET POTATO SOUP
WITH CRISPY BLACK LENTILS
"This is a light soup that works great for all dietary preferences. It feeds the vegetarians, vegans, gluten-free, and even dairy-free folks if you leave off the yogurt topping. It makes for a great dish to freeze and warm up when you're in need of some make-ahead meals."



"The trick to getting the lentils crispy is having them as dry as possible before adding them to the hot pan. I undercook the lentils just a bit, drain them well, and spread them on a dish towel while I make the soup to dry them out as much as possible before crisping them up. Don't even consider using canned here; they'll be a mushy mess.

A pureed soup like this can always be thinned to your liking with more broth or coconut milk. It thickens slightly as it cools, so make it a tad thinner than what you would like to enjoy when you sit down with your bowl and spoon."

FOR THE SOUP:
2 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil, divided use
1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon turmeric
3 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
2 teaspoons sweet curry powder
2 pounds peeled sweet potatoes (about 2 large), cut into 1-inch cubes
3 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup orange juice
1 to 2 tablespoons Sriracha sauce
1 cup coconut milk
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
FOR THE CRISPY BLACK LENTILS:
1 large shallot
1 1/4 cups cooked black lentils, drained
FOR SERVING:
Whole milk yogurt
1 bunch of fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup toasted and chopped cashews

TO PREPARE THE SOUP:
In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 2 minutes.

Add the turmeric, ginger, and curry powder and give it another minute or two.

Add the sweet potatoes and the broth to the pot. Bring the broth to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until the sweet potatoes are cooked through.

Add the orange juice, and use an immersion blender or regular blender to puree the soup.

Stir in 1 tablespoon of the Sriracha, adding more to taste, and the coconut milk. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and keep the heat on low while you prepare the lentils.

TO PREPARE THE CRISPY BLACK LENTILS:
Heat the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil over high heat. Mince the shallot. Add the shallot and lentils to the pan and fry for 2 minutes until crispy and hot.

TO SERVE:
Serve each bowl with a swirl of yogurt, spoonful of the lentils, fresh cilantro, and cashews

Makes 4 servings
Used by permission to Recipelink.com from Ten Speed Press
Adapted from source: The Sprouted Kitchen Bowl + Spoon by Sara Forte, Photographs by Hugh Forte