Asparagus, Basil, and Green Curry Soup

Using just a handful of ingredients, this creamy soup is plant based eating at it’s best. Don’t be scared by the word “vegan” here. This baby has tons of healthy fat in the form of coconut cream and satiating starchy potatoes, making a filling lunch sure to win over any meat/dairy lover. The green curry paste really takes this from something fairly standard to something special, so don’t be shy when adding it in!

Tips:

• Not all curry paste is vegan. In fact, the brand (Mae Ploy) I used is not. Make sure to check the label if you avoid seafood products. 

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Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 5 shallots, thinly sliced
• 1-2 tbsp green curry paste (depending on your spice preference)
• 2 large yukon gold potatoes
• 2 bunches of asparagus, about 2.25 pounds
• 5 cups of vegetable stock, or 5 cups water + 2 tbsp better than bouillon roasted vegetable base
• 1 can coconut cream
• ½ cup basil 
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Heat a large stock pot or dutch oven over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the shallots, saute for 30 seconds, and turn the heat to low. Cook while you prep your other vegetables, stirring every once and awhile. 
2. Peel the potatoes and cut into rough chunks. 
3. Cut the bottom inch off the asparagus and discard. Rough chop the remaining asparagus tips. Everything will get blended eventually, so don’t worry about size here. 
4. At this point, your shallots should be very soft and brown. If not, cook for another 5 or so minutes. 
5. Add the green curry paste to the shallots and increase the heat to medium low. Saute for 2 minutes. 
6. Add the chopped vegetables and stir until everything is coated in curry paste and shallots. 
7. Add the vegetable broth (or water and better than bouillon) and bring to a simmer. Your vegetables should be just barely submerged. 
8. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, until everything is very soft. 
9. Add the coconut cream and the basil. Stir, then remove from heat. 
10. Transfer to a blender and blend until very smooth. 
11. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Green curry paste and better than bouillon both have a lot of salt in them, so I didn’t need to add any extra.