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Thai Coconut Soup with Sweet Potato Noodles


This is the dinner that I crave when I feel like I've not had a vegetable in days. When I just need something nourishing, something to help me feel better about the colourless PB toast I had for breakfast and the bean burrito I had for lunch. Some days I rely heavily on grains and seeds, which are't bad choices, but certainly won't help me avoid scurvy.

I adore raw sweet potato. Though sweet potato noodles can't trick me into feeling like I just enjoyed a bowl of noodles, they can still leave me feeling satisfied. They have a fantastic texture and the leftover noodles are delish for breakfast, sauteed quickly in a pan with a fat of your choice and garlic. Like other orange whole foods, sweet potatoes contain a whole lotta beta carotene, along with other vitamins and minerals (Vitamin A and C, fiber, potassium, and iron). Unlike regular potatoes, sweet potatoes can in fact be eaten raw, though a word to the wise, sweet potatoes have an enzyme inhibitor that can make digestion difficult when eaten in large quantities.

The broth of this soup is quite pleasant, it won't come close to the broth you'd get at your fav thai restaurant (how do they do it?!?), but it's still pretty darn good. If you can't find fresh lemongrass, you might be able to find it in tube form near the fresh herbs in your grocery store. I think you'd need about 1-2 tsp?

Thai Coconut Soup

1 Tbsp coconut oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 celery stalks, chopped

4 cups sliced shiitake mushrooms

1 red pepper, sliced thinly

1 hot pepper, seeds removed and minced (optional)

1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger, or microplane it

1 stalk fresh lemongrass

4 cups vegetable broth

1 400mL can of full fat coconut milk

2 tsp red curry paste - I used the thai kitchen brand, found in most grocery stores

2 Tbsp coconut aminos (could also sub tamari)

1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil

1 Tbsp fresh lime juice

1 bunch cilantro

salt and pepper to taste

1 sweet potato, spiralized

Heat the coconut oil in a large pot on medium. Add the onions and garlic and cook until onions are translucent (about 5 minutes). Add the celery, mushrooms and peppers and sauté for another 5 minutes.

Remove the tough outer layer from the lemongrass stalk and the top few inches that feel hard, and cut what's remaining into 3-4 inch long pieces. Take a rolling pin and roll over each piece so the flavour and aroma is released. Cut the stalks thinly so they can go into the soup.

Add the broth, coconut milk, coconut aminos, ginger, lemongrass and curry paste to the soup.

Bring the soup to a boil and then simmer on low, covered, for 15-20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

Add the toasted sesame oil, lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. Chop the bunch of fresh cilantro and add it to the soup, reserving some for garnishes.

Pile some sweet potato noodles into a bowl, ladle in some soup and top with more cilantro and fresh lime.

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