Coconut red curry soup

While this coconut red curry soup with sweet potatoes and chickpeas is delicious and hearty on it's own, it's even more filling with a few spoonfuls of rice, quinoa, or noodles. And although I love a good soup, I don't always love eating the same one everyday for three to four days in a row. But by switching up some additional ingredients, leftovers can be a new-ish meal every time.

One day, I even reheated this soup in a pot with an egg dropped in the middle. Stirring the egg into the soup created a thicker, stew-like dish.

Coconut red curry soup with vegetables and chickpeas
Serves 4

Ingredients
1 tbsp grape seed oil
1 onion, chopped
1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
1-2 tbsp red curry paste
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbsp ginger, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped into 1 inch cubes
1 small can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 quart low sodium vegetable stock
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
1 tsp fresh Sambal chili paste (I used one by this one by Huy Fong Foods)
1/2 cup cilantro stems, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, chopped

Optional additions
Brown basmati rice
Quinoa
Rice noodles

In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and half the red peppers, and cook until onions are translucent. Next add jalapeño, curry paste, garlic, and ginger. Cook for 2 minutes, then mix in sweet potato cubes and chick peas.

Stir in coconut milk, vegetable stock, tamari, brown sugar, and chili paste. Let simmer for 10 minutes, then add remaining red peppers, carrots, and cilantro stems. Cover, and let simmer for another 10 minutes (or until sweet potatoes are cooked). Dish into bowls with fresh cilantro leaves. For an even heartier meal, serve with rice, quinoa, or rice noodles. Yum!

All images copyright © 2012 Jasmine Habart.