Thai Red Curry Coconut Soup with Sweet Potato

Sweet potato cooks first in this coconut curry soup, with sliced red pepper and mushrooms added later. Thai red curry paste and fresh ginger flavor the broth, while soy sauce and lime juice are stirred in at the end.

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 30g fresh ginger, grated
• 2 tbsp Thai red curry paste
• 400ml coconut milk
• 750ml vegetable stock
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 200g mushrooms, sliced
• 1 medium sweet potato, cubed
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• Fresh coriander (optional)
• Sea salt

How to make the coconut curry broth

1. Heat the coconut oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5–6 minutes, until soft.
2. Add the garlic, ginger and Thai red curry paste. Cook for 2 minutes, until fragrant.
3. Add the sweet potato cubes and stir to coat with the curry paste.
4. Pour in the coconut milk and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
5. Add the sliced pepper and mushrooms. Simmer for about 10 more minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Check the sweet potato and continue cooking if its center is still firm.
6. Stir in the soy sauce and lime juice. Taste before adding salt. Finish with coriander if using.

Why add the vegetables in stages?

The original method gives the sweet potato a 15-minute head start before the pepper and mushrooms go in. Cube size affects tenderness, so check the sweet potato rather than treating 25 minutes as an exact result for every batch.

Choose your curry paste deliberately

Heat and ingredients vary between Thai red curry pastes. Check the product label if you need a particular dietary option; vegetable stock alone does not establish that the whole recipe is vegan. The specified 2 tbsp paste is a flavor ingredient, not a guarantee of mild heat.

Optional chicken or tofu

The original variation allows 200g diced chicken or tofu. It does not give a tested cooking sequence for either addition. If using chicken, cook it thoroughly using a food thermometer and applicable poultry-safety guidance before serving; do not assume it can be added at any point and cooked by a brief warm-through. Follow the tofu product's preparation instructions if choosing tofu.

Serving with rice or noodles

Cook jasmine rice, brown rice or rice noodles separately according to their package instructions and serve alongside or add to the bowl. The soup's simmering time does not include preparing those accompaniments.

Preparing portions for later

Divide leftovers into clean, shallow containers and refrigerate promptly. If freezing, use freezer-safe containers or soup trays, leave expansion space according to their instructions and label the portions. Transfer frozen tray portions to a freezer bag or container once solid.

Thaw in the fridge and reheat in a pot, stirring until hot throughout. Coconut milk may separate and vegetables may soften after freezing, so the thawed texture may differ from a fresh batch.

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