Curried Sweet Potato & Hazelnut Soup

This recipe is a wonderful way to incorporate late winter veggies with a lovely kick from yellow curry and a sweet, nutty flavor from hazelnut butter to round out the dish.

Ingredients:

Hazelnut Butter

•     16 ounces raw hazelnuts
•     1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
•     2 teaspoons honey

Soup

•     2 tablespoons ghee (or unsalted butter)
•     1 large onion, finely chopped
•     3 large cloves of garlic, minced
•     2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
•     2 Tablespoons yellow curry powder (if you are sensitive to heat start with 1 1/2 tablespoons)
•     1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•     1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
•     1 large sweet potato, cubed (about 1.5 pounds)
•     3 cups of water + additional if necessary
•     3 tablespoons hazelnut butter
•     1 cup whole milk
•     1/4 cup roasted hazelnuts, chopped
•     1/2 cup parsley, chopped
•     whole milk yogurt for serving

Directions:

Prepare the hazelnut butter:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Add hazelnuts to a cast iron pan or baking sheet in a single layer. Toast the hazelnuts until fragrant and golden brown. About 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, pour the nuts out onto a large kitchen towel and use your hands to roll the nuts around to remove most of the skins (this will result in a creamier nut butter) you don’t have to be perfect here, but the more skins you get off the better.
2. Leaving excess skin behind scoop the hazelnuts into the bowl of a food processor. Blend the nuts until they become creamy, and slightly runny, this will take about 7 minutes so be patient! Stop to scrape down the sides as needed, the “butter” will be grainy and thick at first before it becomes smooth and creamy. Once the nut butter is creamy, add the salt and honey. Continue to blend until well incorporated. Taste for seasonings and adjust as needed.

Prepare the Soup

1. Melt the ghee in a large cast iron pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally until soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, ginger, curry, cinnamon and salt. Cook for 1-2 minutes longer. Add the sweet potato and continue to cook, stirring often for about 3-5 minutes longer. Add the water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Carefully, ladle the soup into a blender and add the hazelnut butter. Blend on high until smooth and creamy. Return to the pan and pour in the milk. Give it a good stir. If the soup seems too thick add more water a little at a time to thin as necessary. Season to taste with plenty of salt and pepper. Taste for seasonings and adjust as needed.
2. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with chopped hazelnuts, parsley and a little whole milk yogurt.