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1
Peel and Cube the Sweet Potatoes
10 Mins
Room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Peel the sweet potatoes with a vegetable peeler, then cut them into chunks about 3 cm (1 in) across. Rinse the chunks briefly so the soup stays clean and golden rather than cloudy.
Orange-fleshed sweet potatoes are the ones you want here: pale or white varieties cook up fine but the soup loses its colour.
Done when: Even, bite-size sweet potato chunks, fully peeled.
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2
Soften Onion, Garlic and Ginger
5 Mins
Medium heat, about 160°C (320°F)
Warm the coconut oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and grated ginger and cook, stirring, for 4 to 5 minutes until the onion is soft and translucent and the ginger smells warm and fragrant. Do not let anything brown.
Ginger burns quickly and turns bitter, so keep the heat medium and stir often.
Done when: Onion soft and translucent, ginger fragrant, nothing browned.
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3
Simmer the Sweet Potatoes
20 Mins
Gentle simmer, about 95°C (200°F)
Add the sweet potato chunks and the water, bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes until the sweet potato is completely tender and falls apart when pressed with a spoon.
Keep the lid on and the heat low: a rolling boil throws water out of the pot and the soup ends up too thick before the sweet potato is soft.
Done when: Sweet potato falls apart at the touch of a spoon.
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4
Blend Until Smooth
5 Mins
Hot, about 80°C (175°F) — take care with hot liquid
Take the pot off the heat and blend the soup with an immersion blender until completely smooth and creamy, or blend in batches in a standing blender, holding the lid down with a folded towel and leaving the centre cap off so steam can escape. Return the soup to the pot.
Blend longer than you think: 2 full minutes with an immersion blender is what turns this from chunky to silk.
Done when: Soup velvety and smooth, with no visible pieces of sweet potato.
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5
Stir in Coconut Milk and Lime
3 Mins
Gentle heat, about 80°C (175°F)
Stir in the coconut milk, salt and pepper, then warm gently for 2 to 3 minutes without boiling. Take off the heat, stir in the lime juice, taste and adjust the salt. Ladle into bowls and scatter with the sliced spring onion.
Do not boil after adding the coconut milk or it can split; a gentle warmth is all it needs. Lime goes in last so its brightness survives.
Done when: Soup hot, creamy and golden, seasoned and bright with lime.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Ladle the soup into deep bowls, scatter with the sliced spring onion and serve hot with a lime wedge on the side — squeeze it in at the table if you like the soup brighter.
Micronesia
1h 15m
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