Sweet Potato, Poblano and Coconut Curry Soup

Mexican and Asian/Indian flavors, combined in a soup?

I was a little skeptical at first. After all, I never would have thought to combine poblano chiles with coconut milk and oregano

But thanks to the True Food Kitchen Cookbook, I was inspired to try this recipe, and I ended up with a tasty, well balanced and healthy meal!

True Food Kitchen is one of my favorite cookbooks. Written by Dr. Weil, M.D. – a pioneer in the field of integrative medicine and holistic health care – this cookbook has 125 original recipes straight from his True Food Kitchen restaurant.

All True Food Kitchen locations feature dishes that are built on the principles of Dr. Weil’s anti-inflammatory diet. TFK is a “new kind of restaurant: one in which delicious flavors, healthy nutrients, environmental awareness and an inviting atmosphere come together to create an unforgettable dining experience.”

Dishes are influenced by Mediterranean, Asian and Californian cuisine, so it’s no surprise that this soup brought together a fusion of incredible flavors.

I made some modifications to the dish – I felt there were a few errors in the original recipe (in terms of amounts of spices and proportions, which I’ve noted below), I modified the directions to make it faster, and for some protein, I’d suggest adding some tofu to make it a complete meal. Or you can leave the tofu out and serve it as an appetizer.

Either way you eat it, this will be an incredibly warming and comforting meal with a full spectrum of veggies and spices – it’s both delicious and nutritious!

The Ingredients

Adapted from The True Food Kitchen Cookbook

Makes 12 cups, 6 servings

1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 small red onion, diced
1/2 cup corn kernels
2 carrots, diced (original recipe has only 1 carrot)
1 fennel bulb, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 poblano chile, seeded & diced
1 tbsp olive, canola or grapeseed oil (original recipe has 2 Tbsp)
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2-3/4 tsp salt (original recipe has 1/2 tsp, I felt like that was slightly too little)
1/2 tsp pepper
OPTIONAL FOR A SUPER SPICY SOUP: 1/4 tsp cayenne (note: the 1/4 tsp is in the original recipe, but be warned – it will make your soup incredibly spicy!! I’d recommend leaving this out or just including a tiny pinch of cayenne, unless you’re one of those people who puts hot sauce on everything
)
1/2 cup white wine
1 14oz can light coconut milk
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 green onions, sliced
2-3 cups of water (original recipe notes 3 quarts — which is way too much)
Optional for added protein: 14 oz diced organic tofu

The Directions Step 1: Chop your veggies. Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the oil, onion and garlic, and cook for 5 minutes (or until the onion is translucent). Add the sweet potato, corn, carrot, fennel, poblano, salt and pepper. Stir to combine – cook for 5 minutes.

Step 2: Add in the chili powder, cumin, oregano, cayenne, turmeric, wine and 2-3 cups water (enough to just cover the veggies). Bring to a simmer over medium high heat. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30-45 min – until the veggies are cooked through.

Step 3: Once the soup is almost ready, add the tofu (if you’re adding in tofu). Cook for 5 minutes, just until the tofu is heated through. Remove soup from heat and whisk in coconut milk. Ladle into bowls, garnish with cilantro/green onions.

How good does that look?

I ended up serving this soup with a Thai Coconut Curry Hummus (from Hope Hummus) and Pita Chips for some crunch.

I loved the creaminess of the soup – it was amazing how well the coconut milk blended into the water/spice broth! This recipe is also vegan and gluten free, but it’s so hearty you won’t even notice how healthy it is.

I hope you like it as much as we did!

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Sweet Potato, Poblano and Coconut Curry Soup