Vegan Sweet Potato Soup

The great thing about cooking in the Edible Garden Outdoor Kitchen is that you are never at a loss for fresh herbs. Above, a volunteer harvests some thyme for the soup from the Herb Wall.

This delicious, vegan soup lets coconut milk act as a flavorful substitute for heavy cream. The curry powder will not only fill your home with a delicious aroma, but it will add a nice, yellow color to the soup, prompting your dinner guests to go “Mmmm!” long before they lift their spoons.

Garden Chef Christina Curry recommends using a teaspoon as a tool to peel the fresh ginger. With a little scraping, the skin will come right off. Go ahead and throw whole sprigs of thyme in the soup. Some of the leaves will fall off while the soup simmers; you can remove the rest with tongs before you blend.

Sweet potatoes were a staple crop for homesteaders and farmers in Georgia before home freezers, imported produce, and supermarkets. Before the advent of modern medicine, doctors “prescribed” them to combat malnutrition in children because of their high Vitamin C content as well as Vitamin A, iron and thiamine. Sweet potatoes are one of the most nutritious foods you can find. Enjoy!

Vegan Sweet Potato Soup

serves 6

3 T olive oil
1 lb sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 small apple, peeled and diced
1 small yellow onion, diced
3 T ginger, minced
1 T curry powder
3 sprigs fresh thyme
4 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 T maple syrup
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium high heat. Add the sweet potato, apple, onion, ginger and curry powder. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for five minutes, stirring continuously. Add the thyme and vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. Remove the thyme sprigs. Using an immersion blender or food processor, puree the soup until smooth. Finish the soup by stirring in the coconut milk, maple syrup and seasoning with salt and pepper.

Discover more Garden Chef recipes here.

Aspiring chefs and sisters pose with Garden Chef Christina Curry.