I don’t know why but curry has always scared me. Where do I buy it? How do I use it? What does it taste like? Is it going to spice my face off?
Sadly, these questions were all too accurate. That is, until I tried a few curry dishes and started doing some down and dirty curry research. I quickly discovered there’s nothing to be scared of with this colorful spice. And I now plan to use it abundantly.
Curry is typically a blend of spices that comes in a variety of colors and flavors and even consistencies. You can buy curry paste, curry powder, red, yellow and green curry, just to name a few. And each seems to be best suited for a certain type of dish. Yellow tends to be the mildest of the curries and green the spiciest. Yellow curries get their bright yellow hue from turmeric, green from cilantro and coriander rot, and red from red chilis.
With all of these considerations, curries can be made more spicy or mild, depending on the curry base and how much heat is added in the form of chilies and peppers.
Now that we have a basic understanding of what curry is, how do we use it?
Curries are most heavily employed in Thai and Indian cooking, and this soup is a fusion of the two, relying on yellow curry powder (Indian influence) and coconut milk (Thai influence. I prefer spicy dishes, so I added some chipotle powder to this soup. But I think cayenne would work well here, too (used in moderation). I didn’t have access to red chili at the time or I likely would’ve tried adding it to the mix. Next time. There will certainly be a next time.
Let’s talk soup.
This soup is luxuriously creamy.
Comes together in about 35-40 minutes, and requires just 1 pot ( + 1 bowl and baking sheet is making chickpeas).
Is naturally sweet from the sweet potatoes and coconut milk.
Spicy from the garlic and chipotle powder.
And surprisingly filling, thanks to the addition of crunchy, spicy baked chickpeas.
The flavor also comes in waves, first savory, then sweet then “whoa, this is spicy.” If you prefer it less spicy, simply add less chipotle (or cayenne) powder, or omit it entirely. I just felt that it needed some heat to balance out the sweet potato and coconut milk.
- {Soup}
- 1 medium white onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 large sweet potato, cubed
- 2 Tbsp yellow curry powder
- ½ tsp chipotle (or cayenne) powder
- ¾ tsp sea salt + ½ tsp pepper
- 3 cups coconut milk (either light coconut milk or plain coconut beverage)
- chickpeas
- {Spicy baked chickpeas}
- 1 can chickpeas (2 cups)
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp yellow curry powder
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp ginger powder
- pinch chipotle (or cayenne) powder
- Preheat oven to 400 (for chickpeas).
- Then start the soup by sweating the onions in a large pot over medium heat in ½ Tbsp coconut (or olive/canola) oil. Cook for a few minutes and then add garlic and stir.
- Season with ¼ tsp each salt and pepper and stir. Add sweet potatoes, curry powder, chipotle (or cayenne) and stir.
- Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add ¼ tsp more salt and pepper, coconut milk and cover.
- Bring to a simmer and then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 25 minutes more.
- In the meantime, prep your chickpeas by tossing them in olive oil and spices and spreading evenly on a baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until crispy on the outside and slightly soft on the inside. Remove and set aside for serving.
- At the end of 25 minutes, taste and adjust seasonings as needed. I added about ¼ tsp more salt and a pinch more chipotle. Then puree using an immersion blender, food processor or blender. Transfer back to the pot if needed and keep heat on low until ready to serve.
- Will keep in the fridge for several days and the freezer for a month or so.
Stephanie @ Girl Versus Dough February 26, 2013 at 8:44 am
This soup looks. just. perfect. I’m crushing hardcore on all the flavors!
Ashley McLaughlin February 26, 2013 at 8:46 am
Love the color, flavors, and sweet potato to make the soup creamy. Luxurious is right! I used to be afraid of curry, too. Actually, I used to totally avoid it because my mom always did. I don’t think I tried curry/Indian food until I was about 25. :)
Caitlin February 26, 2013 at 9:11 am
what a creamy, silky, delicious looking soup! i love the spiced chickpeas on top, too!
Charlsey February 26, 2013 at 10:21 am
I cannot wait to try this recipe later in the week :) Thanks!
Monique @ Ambitious Kitchen February 26, 2013 at 11:41 am
Curry used to scare me too until I used it in a soup. This looks delicious.
Maggie @ A Bitchin' Kitchen February 26, 2013 at 12:50 pm
This looks awesome! What a great idea to top it with crispy chickpeas!
Natasha February 26, 2013 at 1:46 pm
Such gorgeous photos. I love love love curry with sweet potato. This soup looks silky and amazing!
McKenna Ryan February 26, 2013 at 3:47 pm
This looks too yummy for words. And your pictures are so pretty. Food ART! xx. McKenna Lou
p.s. Huge giveaway on the blog today! Check it out here: http://www.lynnandlou.com
Izy February 26, 2013 at 4:08 pm
Pretty pretty pretty!! I love the colours; and you put baked chickpeas on top too!? um…YUM.
Lindsey February 26, 2013 at 5:42 pm
the color and texture of this soup is amazing. can’t wait to give it a shot before winter is over!
Rachel Kamish February 26, 2013 at 7:13 pm
Wowza! I made this for dinner tonight (but I subbed black beans instead of chickpeas because that’s what I had on hand, & I was too lazy to go to the store), and it was AWESOME!! It had the perfect combination of sweet, spicy, and creamy! Great job, guys!
Dana February 26, 2013 at 7:32 pm
Gush! Glad to hear it and so happy you enjoyed it. Thanks, Rachel!
Genevieve February 26, 2013 at 7:47 pm
Mmm! I LOOOOVE curry and make it once a month maybe. But I’ve never tried it smooth like this. Looks soo good. And those chickpeas! Yum. :)
Jess February 26, 2013 at 9:13 pm
Glad you’ve jumped on the curry bandwagon, Dana! Now that you’ve started using it, I guarantee you’ll find 100 different things to put it in. There are few things I love as much as the combination of coconut milk and curry. (PS You must be glad to have some nice warming soups in your house – I can’t believe this weather you guys are having!)
Dana February 27, 2013 at 11:20 am
I know, Jess! The weather here has been nuts. I like it though. Thankfully yesterday the sun came out and we were able to go for a walk and enjoy the fresh snow. I even tried to sled down a hill on my back. It didn’t work but so worth it. CFFL (curry friends for life)
Kathryn February 27, 2013 at 3:00 pm
A little bit of curry does wonders for a dish. It’s such a good combination with the coconut too. Totally love this.
Catherine February 28, 2013 at 10:04 am
I made this last night – it was delicious! I actually didn’t blend the whole thing, though…just left some partial (soft) pieces of sweet potato in it.
Mandi March 1, 2013 at 11:07 am
This looks amazing! And how ironic–we were at DigAPony last night (next time you are in pdx it is a must!) and had some fried chickpeas (no, not as healthy as baked but mmm…) and I totally thought of you, that it may be something scrumptious you would come up with! We were trying to name the spices…I’m thinking cinnamon, sugar, and some chili powder. But yum. So…next time you’re on the left coast let’s make a happy hour date!
Dana March 2, 2013 at 4:19 pm
UM YES! That sounds amazing, Mandi. Crispy chickpeas are like heavenly, spicy pop rocks. I could eat them all day. DigaPony sounds amazing! Next time we’re on the cost we’ll definitely check it out! Miss you guys :D
Jackie @ Vegan Yack Attack! March 4, 2013 at 1:43 am
I love, love, LOVE curry. So much. And this soup.. Well, it sounds totally perfect and like something that I would love. Hopefully, I’ll have some time in the next month to enjoy this with the last of the cool weather!
Grace March 4, 2013 at 9:42 am
Yummy!! Some of my favorite flavors here! Could chipotle in adobo be substituted for the powder you think?
Kelly Jo March 4, 2013 at 2:11 pm
this soup looks absolutely detectible and your photography is stunning- I want to take a swim in that bowl of soup.
Leslie March 8, 2013 at 10:55 am
I was nervous because I tasted the soup before blending and it was quite spicy! But the blending of the sweet potatoes tempers the chipotle. The chickpeas are awesome and I’ll be making those to top salads as well. Great meal!
Genevieve March 14, 2013 at 8:44 pm
Mm! We made the chickpeas the other day and topped a salad. It was one of the best salads ever! So good.