Thai Sweet Potato Soup with Coriander Pesto
Cook Time 45 minutes
Servings 6
Ingredients
400ml can coconut milk
1.5kg sweet potato, peeled and cut into 5cm pieces
1 ½ litres chicken stock
Fish sauce, to taste
Lime wedges, to serve
Red Curry Paste
1 teaspoon shrimp paste (belcan)
10 dried long red chillies, seeds removed
2 cm piece galangal, peeled, thinly sliced
1 stalk lemongrass, white part only, roughly sliced
6-7 coriander roots, scraped
6 kaffir lime leaves, stems removed and sliced thinly
2 red shallots, halved
6 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1-2 tablespoons rice bran oil
Coriander Pesto
1 cup coriander leaves (approximately 2 bunches)
¼ cup blanched almonds
1 small red shallot
2 teaspoons lime juice
2 tablespoon olive or rice bran oil
Salt, to taste
Method
To make the curry paste: Wrap shrimp paste in a piece of aluminium foil. Cook under a hot grill and cook for 1-2 minutes each side. Place chillies in a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water; soak for approximately 15 minutes or until softened. Combine shrimp paste, chillies and remaining red curry paste ingredients into the chopper bowl of the Control Grip Stick Mixer and process until fine.
Open can of coconut milk without shaking; spoon the firm coconut into a large saucepan and cook, stirring over a medium high heat until the coconut milk separates. Add the curry paste to the pan and cook, stirring, until the paste becomes fragrant.
Add sweet potato and stock to the pan and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the sweet potato is soft.
Meanwhile, combine the coriander pesto ingredients into the chopper bowl of the Control Grip Stick Mixer and process until combined. Season to taste.
Once the sweet potato is soft, add remaining coconut milk to the saucepan. Using the Control Grip Stick Mixer blend until soup is smooth. Adjust the salt levels of the soup with fish sauce to taste.
To serve ladle soup into bowls and spoon coriander pesto into the soup. Stir through and squeeze fresh lime to taste.