African Style Carrot Soup

It was a bit difficult for me to decide on a name for this soup, since there is so much going on in it. Some of the prospects were carrot and sweet potato soup with peanut, or speedy african style carrot soup with coconut milk, or carrot, sweet potato and kale soup. I decided to go with the flavor profile that dominated the soup, which is kind of a riff of african style peanut soup, but much heartier and nutritious. 

Not only is this soup super quick and easy to prepare, it can also act as a foundation for a heartier meal, if you prefer. Since this recipe (as most of the ones I put on here) makes a very large batch, I've found that it freezes well and by adding any protein you wish along with a favorite bean or legume. The yield you get from this recipe along with its versatility makes it very cost effective since it keeps in the freezer so well and can be deliciously stretched.

Since I'm writing this with a writhing 2 year old on my lap, I can't really elaborate on why/how I came to making this soup except for the fact that the last time I made carrot soup, the blade broke on my immersion blender since the sliced carrots weren't smushy enough after 30 minutes of cooking. So this time I shredded them so I wouldn't damage my new tool, and wouldn't have to cook the things forever. Needless to say, my little one loved it, especially for how it only kept her out of my undivided attention for a short while.

INGREDIENTS

1 lb organic carrots, scrubbed
3 small or 2 medium sweet 
   potatoes, peeled
1 small sweet onion, diced
3 Tbsp coconut oil
1 Tbsp sweet curry powder
1 tsp corriander
1 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 - 1/2 tsp red pepper flake,
   according to taste
1/4 tsp cardamom
1 14 ounce can low fat coconut
   milk
4 cups low sodium vegetable stock
4 cups water
~8 ounces kale, washed and lightly chopped, removing most of the stems
3 - 4 Tbsp creamy natural peanut butter (more if you'd like your soup extra peanuty)

Place a large dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot on the stove over medium heat. Add the coconut oil and onion along with a fat pinch of kosher salt. Saute for 4 - 6 minutes till onions are beginning to turn translucent. 

Meanwhile, run the carrots and sweet potatoes through the shredder attachment in your food processor, or use a standard cheese grater. Add the shredded root veggies to the sauteed onion and add another pinch of salt along with all the spices. Stir well and reduce heat to medium low and cover. Let cook for about 5 minutes, stirring once to prevent the veg from sticking to the pot.

Uncover and add the coconut milk, stock, water, and peanut butter. Stir well then add the kale with another pinch of salt. Bring to a steady simmer and cover, dialing heat to low. Let simmer covered for 20  minutes, or until root veggies are tender (this may take less than 20 minutes). 

Now your soup is technically done, but I reccomend taking it one step further and blitzing it with an immersion blender (easy and quick way) or using your regular blender. I prefer it smooth, but serve to your tastes.

This dish ended up being vegan unintentionally, but you may want to add a plain yogurt drizzle to offset a some of the heat that the red pepper provides. Or, reserve a bit of coconut milk and drizzle that into your bowl. Both ways are very delicious.