Good grief.
I’m freezing cold. I want Taco Bell. I want to eat vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce in a hot tub.
I can feel myself being a major brat.
I’ll settle for a giant scarf. A big bowl of this healthy soup. Hot chocolate and a bath… and I’ll stop being a dang brat.
I like kale as much as I like brownies.
Wait… could Kale Brownies be a thing? My head might explode.
Let me tell you why this soup makes everything better.
Big, gnarly kale leaves are shredded and cooked down with delicious sweet potatoes (yams), swimming in a slightly spicy coconut broth. With the flavors of turmeric, ginger and coconut… this soup is super comforting and delicious served over a big bed of brown rice.
Healthy. Warm. Comforting.
Follow with a warm bath and a brownie… just cause that seems dreamy.
Kale and Sweet Potato Soup
inspired by Food and Wine
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, chopped fine
3/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon crushed red peppers
3/4 pound kale, tough stems removed and roughly chopped
1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes (yams), peeled and diced into 3/4-inch cubes
1 1/2 quart chicken or vegetable broth
1 teaspoon salt
fresh ground pepper, to taste
1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
2 cups cooked brown rice
In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook down until tender and translucent, about five minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring, for about 1 minutes.
Add the sweet potato chunks and stir.
Add the chicken or vegetable broth and bring to a simmer.
Add the kale once the broth is simmering and submerge all of the leaves, helping them to cook down.
Cook for about 20 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes have become tender.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Lastly, stir in coconut milk, heat through and serve over a bed of brown rice.
Alli
This is my go to soup recipe! Making this for a large dinner party, any idea how many servings this is?
Meghan B
I made this soup last night and love the combination, but it tastes like it’s missing a certain depth. Do you think I should add anything? Soy sauce maybe? I put some sriracha on top and that helped a little, but I don’t want that to overpower the more delicate sweet potato and coconut flavors. Thanks!
joythebaker
Soy sauce or worchestershire sauce?
Jen
I know I am like 4 years late. I have a jar of pre made green curry sauce and some kale, sweet potato and chicken at home. How would I combine all of these?
Martha Howe
I have made this twice now and each time it has been uber delish! Thank you for warming my heart and my belly (and I am sure all my friends thank you, too). xoM
Julie Ann
Just made this and it was excellent!!! I overcooked the potatoes but it was still great.
Laura
Just made this- so glad I found your recipe (better late than never). YUM!
Harriette Carrington
I’ve made this soup about 3 times now, since January! It’s so good, can’t get enough of it. You know what’s really great? Adding a dab of red curry paste at the end with the coconut milk. Makes all the difference in the world!
EllaG
Your desserts slay me…I never make them, just drool over the pics….but this. This soup. Absolute nirvana. I served it with a little farro because I don’t eat rice if I don’t have to (empty calories). Kale and sweet potato…two of the best things we can put in our bodies and the result!!! It was simply one of the best things I have ever tasted. Thank you.
SusanK
this looks so wonderful. I am nuts for soup (soup to nuts?) so I’ll make this soon. But I’ll use
Dino kale instead of the curly kind – you know the one I mean? It’s also called Lacinto. I like it
better than the curly kind. It’s also great in smoothies :-)
Katy Snell
I made this with half the oil, extra kale and with quinoa instead of brown rice. I have a very sore throat right now and I swear the spicy, coconut-y broth was absolute heaven for it. Delicious. I am raving madly about this to anyone who will listen. Thank you. (and p.s.- I made a pan of black bean brownies for dessert. Perfect meal.)
Kaellen Craft
I made this the other night. I made the mistake of putting the whole can of coconut milk in the soup! It all worked out though…I just adjusted the spices and it was so yummy!!!
Thanks!!
Kate
Kale and sweet potatoes and a bit of a spice kick, just a few of my favorite things. This soup is so so good, especially after a weekend of one too many drinks and nachos at 2 am!
Jessica
Collard greens and I are best friends. Mostly because my parents have an overabundance of it in their garden. I will have to try this recipe with the collards. Looks delicious!
Ashley
I made this soup on Sunday and it was fabulous. Will be making it again! :-)
Theresa Durbin
I’m allergic to coconut…can you please suggest another viable option. Food allergies so no nuts either. I know, sad. Do you think evap. milk and vanilla flavoring or pumpkin puree.
Rosalyn Steele
This recipe was easy to make and incredibly delicious-definitely a keeper! Thanks for sharing.
Maxi
This plate (and the smaller version of it) are my all day favorite plates. They make every picture and meal look even better! Where did you get them? Anthropology? Oh, and your blog rocks my world. I mean it!
cleartrampoline
Made this soup this week, let me tell you, AHmazing! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe, it’s gonna be a regular in our home. :)
hassan
wao….
Bri Roach
Hi Joy :) I must say.. this is the best soup I have ever had. And I feel super knowing that It’s totally ok to have 2nds or 3rds becuase of all the good for you ingredients. I honesty could eat this soup every single day. Thank you so much for being awesome. Your blog and podcast are soo fun. Have A Great Day!
Daniel
You are among the best in cooking plans,
I wondered how you thought of adding the coconut milk just at the end of the cooking.
Keep on.
Thanks
Jenna
I made this tonight…. it was THE BEST THING I’VE HAD IN MY MOUTH FOR A REALLY LONG TIME! seriously. the coconut milk added this creamy goodness that missing all throughout the cooking process. I kept tasting, thinking “this is good….but it needs something….” then i remembered to add the coconut milk at the end and my socks flew off. Great recipe. Thanks!!!!
Liss
Last night’s dinner. So delicious! Used light coconut milk and the flavor was fabulous and the soup was visually appealing. Thanks!
Bonnie
I made this soup last night and could not believe how good it turned out! I’m new to cooking and was somewhat intimidated but was SO thrilled when all was said and done. So glad I found your blog, can not wait to try making more of these recipes!
Ziu
Wow!!! I’m eating thi right now. Yuuuumy!!!
And dont tell anyone but I think I’ve just found my favourite handover cure.. Tsss… ;-)
Thanks!
Sara
It is storming outside and I am warm inside with this soup on my stove! So delicious. I blended half of it in a blender for a different texture. Interesting color…good flavor.
KT
Blizzard today = this soup tonite! Do you think I could add shrimp to it? I don’t have to but sounds like it might be tasty. Can’t WAIT to add the sriracha!
CJ
I’ve been waiting for the perfect night to make this! These are some of our FAV ingredients, and it’s nice to not make a traditional ‘curry’ recipe with coconut milk! Delicious with chicken added! Thanks for including some non-baking recipes!
Courtney P
I made this last night to combat the (seemingly) never-ending rainstorm that is drenching la la land. It was so delicious that I ate it again for breakfast this morning. Ah the virtuous feeling of consuming kale for breakfast!
pigletfanatik
I discovered your blog a couple of months ago and have been faithfully following it since. I made this amazing soup tonight. It was SO good we went through the whole pot tonight. My 3 young children, who informed me several times while I was making it that they don’t like soup, devoured it. I will be making it again very soon. Thanks
Mandy Gorman
Eating this soup tonight, drinking wine and watching basketball. Perfect – absolutely perfect. I used collard greens – couldn’t find kale.
Kirsten
Made this last night and having it for lunch today. I didn’t have enough raw yams but used some roasted root veggies (sweet potato, yam, parsnip) I made a few days before at the end to round it out. This soup is simple yet flavorful and comforting on a cold Pacific NW day. Thanks for the inspriation!
Tina
I made this soup yesterday, and its awesome! So flavorful, I am making more for the weekend!!
Andrea
I made this today. And it’s really really cold out. And it’s warming my insides. :-).
Dominique T
I made this soup right before I came down with a wretched cold and fever. It tastes great! Now here’s the question – does it freeze well?
Lisa
I just made this and it was GLORIOUS! Especially loved by those in my household who have a wee bit of a cold. Very tasty – thanks for the good and healthy recipe.
Also, I <3 kale too!
Kendall
Yesterday, I was given more types and amount of kale than I know what to do with by a local organic farmer. I also happen to love sweet potatoes. Therefore, I fully intend to try this recipe very soon =) Thanks!
Lucia
If you try Kale Brownies let me know. They might be good, who knows?
Drea
Um…FANTASTIC! Thank you!
Ophelia
Fact…
The same day you posted this beauty.. I made a Giant pot.. and it have been my lunch and dinner every day since! Horray!
stellastarlite
This is delicious!! Love soups and this one is yummy. The addition of coconut milk is great.
Tammy Fox
This was delicious. My husband loved it which is surprising since it didn’t involve meat. And the 4 kids ate it up, too!
Thanks for continuing to inspire.
Dana Steinberg
We ate this last night (and lunch today) SOO GOOD!! It might be something I make every week this winter! Yum!
official coach handbags
Many thanks for that marvelous post! I really enjoyed reading it, I believe you are a great author. I added your blog official coach handbagsto my bookmarks and will return soonto your blog.
ursula
This soup looks great! And I love your new christmas banner! It’s great!
Gen
I just love soup in wonter ( and other seasons as well! ) This one looks so comforting!
lisanne
I’ll tell you, I always thought of kale as that leafy veggie in the produce section that no one really eats, but for some reason it is always there. Like maybe the kale gods forced all of the grocers to sell it out of fear of the kale god’s wrath, even though EVERYONE knows it’s not really edible… But now you are telling me it is, in fact, edible? Color me shocked. Now I just have to work up the nerve to try it!
the salty girl
god i love kale! in the winter i make big batches of soup and live off them for days. this is going to be added to the rotationnnnn!
Nicole @ The Dirty Oven
Wow…this sounds so good right now. I am freezing cold and probably only going to have a boring salad. I like Mylene’s idea of adding some sriracha and almonds on top….to spice it up a bit.
Thanks for the inspiration.
Mylene
I made this last night… heavenly!!! Yep, three exclaimation marks. Thanks Joy :)
PS. Added cilantro, sriracha and chopped almonds on top. Super yum.
Louise Archibald
The soup is simmering, the rain is falling…
So beautiful and so tasty.
Kale is such a great flavorful vegetable and I used to think of it as only ornamental.. BUT.. have discovered it to be such a super, tasty and healthy green that I hope more people discover it.
Your site is so well done Joy, THANK YOU.
All the best,
Louise
Megan
This post gave me a cough. I better stay home from work and make/eat this soup tomorrow.
Kathryn
I am fully into soup making mode. I love to make soup. it’s one of the very best things about this time of year and boy does this soup look good. Recently I have fallen for coconut milk so you know I’ll be making this soup really soon.
I just made your vegan Pumpkin Walnut Bread again. I cannot even begin to tell you how much we love this bread. I made it twice and it is already a family favorite.
I,also,want to thank you for introducing me to the Etsy website . I’ll be doing lot’s of holiday shopping there.
sarah g
hey homie. i am so making this on the weekend. dig it!
cheers, s.
Lisa
Yum! This looks amazing! Sweet potatoes and kale are two of my favorite foods, and talk about healthy! I’m going to make this tomorrow!
ashley
So I have a friend/co-worker who loves kale. Really loves kale. I sent him this blog post/recipe and he went home and made this soup last night. He brought in the leftovers and let me tell you, it was delicious. Thanks for the great recipe!
Sharlene
Looks homey and delicious! Love it.
Scarletta
You know it’s time to bust out the soup pot when you start getting the T. Bell shakes.
This recipe looks delicious – it’s stupid cold here and I can’t wait to make some to warm my bones.
Thanks so much for the recipe!
miss stacy
heavens! what a perfect thing on a cold day. And a crust of Acme bread just because.
Mondo
I have never had kale before. this seems like the perfect recipe to try it out.
brooke
just made this for dinner! So easy and yummy!
Stephanie
Oh my god, I gave in to my taco bell craving for the first time in like 10 years today – I should have had this instead.
Though I did have the warm bath and the brownie…
Jennifer S
What a nice dish of something different. I’ve been staring at a huge bunch of peacock kale (purple w/ green) my guy picked up at the farmer’s market and not knowing what to do with it. So to my surprise while rss’ing food blogs I find this. Walaaa! Your idea of paring with sweet potatoes and coconut milk is fabulous. I’ve got jars full and a bag of yams too. Thanks!
Kitchen Corner
Oh.. I had kale a lot when I was in the UK. It’s very nutritious vegetable! No doubt, this is a very healthy soup!
Bonnie@WhatAboutPie
Joy, this soup sounds fantastic! It is really healthy too, me oh my! I know my body needs something healthy…as I write this, I have a warm, just out of the oven, pumpkin roll, rolled in a powdered sugary towel, just a’waiting to be filled with some sweet cream cheese frosting. And so…I really must make your soup recipe, my body will thank you for all the good vitamins. By the way…freezing over here in Pennsylvania…it’s 30 degrees tonight and the weather man is calling for rain and snow mix all day tomorrow! yikes! Time for soup!
Elisabeth Edwards
This soup sounds gorgeous. Finally, a way to use two of my family’s very favorite veggies in one dish. Thanks so much for this. I feel comforted already.
jeanology
Hi Joy, on the off chance you might read this while this soup is still cooking, do you have any recommendations for spices besides tumeric and ginger that would taste good in this soup? I don’t have either of those on hand, but I decided to throw this together anyway because your pictures look so great. I’m thinking it will taste pretty good without them, but if you think another spice would be worth a try, I wouldn’t mind adding a bit more flavor.
jeanology
So I finished the soup–it turned out so well! Delicious even without the tumeric and ginger. Thank you so much, this was just what I needed tonight.
joythebaker
hmmm… next time how about cumin and de-seeded jalapeno pepper?
Amy
Joy, I would have never put sweet potatoes and kale together. You’ve got me curious!
michelle
It’s cold and wet even here even in Australia today so that soup looks awsome!
juliette
I don’t usually comment on blogs, however I love to read them,
There is a recipe on King Arthur for zucchini brownies, so why not Kale brownies???
I say lets look into that…..
Rhoni
I don’t know that kale and zucchini are interchangeable, I’d think twice before trying that! :) Zucchini is a squash and can lend moisture to baked goods…kale will not do the same thing. But if you prove me wrong, let me know!
Liz
This sounds delicious! I have some swiss chard and sweet potatoes that I need to use, so this would be perfect! Though of course not the same, chard and kale relatively interchangeable, right?
I’ve gotten a lot of kale in my farm share and am growing to like it quite a bit. Kale chips are great and super easy.
Finally, three cheers for dishes that keep you warm in the winter! (Says the Cali girl looking at her 4th Boston winter fast approaching!)
joythebaker
i bet chard would be delicious.
Rhoni
Okay, Liz…if you didn’t try it already, I can officially tell you that this recipe with swiss chard is utterly delicious! I used a combo of chard and kale because that’s what I had and it just came off the stove. Yum.
Thanks Joy for the recipe!
linda
this soup looks great…& the styling on the photos was just fantastic & very creative!!!
Sandra J
Love this kale soup recipe. We grew 8 plants and from just 5 of them, got 2 laundry baskets full (after eating lots and lots all fall). Have a freezer full; wondering how to use it. We usually steam it and mix it in with mashed potatoes. Will try this soup recipe. Thanks much.
Jess
Have you tried kale chips? Chop the leaves, toss them with a bit of olive oil and salt, then broil til nice and crispy!
Jess
I agree with the other Jess. Kale chips are the best. Hardly any work and totally delicious. I add a bit of cayenne to mine, and they are so so so so tasty.
cindy
I love the sound of this recipe. My husband though does not like anything coconut. Can I use milk or something else in its place?
Jessica
As a fellow hater of all things coconut, Thai curries and peanut sauces with coconut milk are some of my favorite things. They don’t taste coconutty to me I think because of the spices and other flavors. So maybe give this a try, but don’t tell him the secret ingredient? :)
joythebaker
you can leave the coconut milk out all together and just add more broth… and if you really want it creamy, you might try a cup of milk…. but i haven’t done this… so i’m not sure.
Melissa
I agree, I generally detest the taste of coconut and yet I love coconut milk based curries.
Dawn
I’m definitely going to try this. Believe it or not, my kids like kale, but not sweet potatoes! More for me! :-) Oh, maybe I’ll make them a batch with carrots instead.
Beth
My mouth is watering and I have everything BUT the kale, my all time favorite green! I put kale in just about everything I cook! I might even try the brownie thing, add a bit of spice? I have a crazy palette when pregnant, but if I can make a sweet a bit healthier I won’t feel so glutinous indulging on a heavenly delight! I LOVE this blog!
Tiffany B.
I see that you did put yams in parenthesis next to sweet potatoes but I have to wonder why you didn’t just call it Kale and Yam soup. I have never understood why people still feel the need to call a yam a sweet potato. Love you all the same! :)
Could Kale really be just as good as brownies? I don’t know.
Anna
I love love love that you didn’t make puree soup. I don’t have a blender and seeing all the smooth blended soupy goodness everywhere is depressing. But I can, and will, totally make this. Looks so good.
Miri Leigh
Ahhhh. Soup does sound like a good idea! And any recipe that makes it easy to eat super-nutritious kale is a recipe I like. This sounds fabulous, and warmmmmm.
Stephanie
It’s totally soup weather, and this looks so healthy and good on a really cold day (like today-brrr)! Taco Bell though? Seriously? There are a million and one better taco shops and stands all over So Cal!
Sasha @ Global Table Adventure
I think they put some sort of addictive drug in taco bell. It’s totally not fair.
Georgia @ The Comfort of Cooking
Thank you for sharing this beautiful soup, Joy. And thank you also for reminding me that I have a big bathtub and a drawer full of hot cocoa mix that needs tending to. The weather here in So Cal lately has certainly been calling for both!
Lauren
Love the sound of this. Kale and sweet potatoes are some of my favourite foods. The only thing that could make it better is if you came and made it, as soup is the perfect food for when you’re sick (especially when you’ve been sick for months like me!).
Esther Martin
Yay! I have recently been on a kale kick and wanted to expand my kale-soup recipe repertoire. It looks so good with the sweet potato. Can’t wait to make it tomorrow!
niki
Joy, that new banner is ADORABLE!
Kylie @ A Hungry Spoon
Kale + sweet potatoes is a delicious combo. We made West-African Peanut/Sweet Potato stew a couple weeks ago on an especially cold evening, and I decided it’s my official winter soup this season!
And please come up with a Kale Brownie recipe…I’d be all over it!
sm
kale brownies could TOTALLY be a thing.
i lost most of my sweet tooth in the past year or so, so whenever i’m in the mood to bake, i end up adding odd ingredients to sweets.
tabasco cinnamon sugar cookies? awesome.
wasabi ginger cupcakes? even more awesome.
kale brownies? totally doable.
jenifaOHjenny
Thank you for the soup… I am going to make this tonight
Cathy B. @ Bright Bakes
a soup like this could make everything better, pretty sure. Nothing like a warm healthy bright-tasting soup to perk me up! Thanks for another great recipe…
love,
cathy b. @ brightbakes
Natalia - a side of simple
This looks like the perfect recovery soup for life itself. I’m sure, if served in a cute dish like yours, its healing powers would be that much stronger, too!
jenny
totally craving this right now.
Rachell
You know, I’ll tell you a secret. I’ve never had kale.
I know!
But this soup makes me want to try it. That and kale chips. Ever had/made those?
joythebaker
i hear kale chips are super easy to make. do this.
Jacqui
YUM, Joy! You had my attention with kale, but you sold me with coconut milk. I love your site, your style, your humor. Delightful.
Katie@Cozydelicious
Warm, colorful, healthy and just what I need right now!
Katie
Definitely making this! Sweet potatoes and kale are two of my favorite foods!
S.
Looks delicious- can’t wait to test this one out! Maybe it’s healthiness will balance out the extra apple pie I ate this past weekend…?
Sushi Girl
Yum! I might give it a go in my crockpot
*love*
Susan
I have to agree with you on the kale – it is fabulous. And, girl, if you could rock a kale brownie, I’d be all OVER IT!
Johanna
Kale and sweet potatoes are my foods of the moment–I eat them in everything! Have you tried baked kale chips yet?
HappyWhenNotHungry
This looks so warm and yummy! Your photos are awesome too. Thanks for sharing!
Emma
This looks delicious and healthy, the ingredients are some of my favourite. Love the Thai flavours and the brown rice!
Chocolate Freckles
Ohhhh yes.. this sure looks like something I’ll like to have on a cold day!! ..
Maris (In Good Taste)
This was such a great sentence to read on a gray Monday morning:
I’m freezing cold. I want Taco Bell. I want to eat vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce in a hot tub.
Love the soup!
JUROBBINS
if i could only lick the screen~YUM!!!
Estela @ Weekly Bite
Love the addition of coconut milk! Such a pretty soup :)
Katrina
Great combo of flavours! This soup would be perfect to warm me up. Im c-c-c-c-ooooold!
Tiffany
Mmm, I will have to try this soon!
Lauren at KeepItSweet
hmmm what a great “detox” meal post thanksgiving
Jessica @ How Sweet It Is
Perfect for the weather we are having!
Tara
This recipe, in combo with the fact that the BBC predicts it will snow here tomorrow, really makes me wish I had a big enough pot to cook soup. *Sigh*
I love the new header and everything by the way!!!
joythebaker
oooh lady…. get a pot!!
Tara
I would, but I only get 23kg of luggage on the plane home in two months time, and I suspect clothes and wine are going to take up most of that.
sisi
This is the perfect vegetarian meal for the cold winter we have here up in the north, after battling against the wind and the rain..love the kale and carrot combo.=)warms me right up!btw..i recently watched Food,Inc documentary and it’s an eye opener, even to a long time vegetarian like me..i will think twice before purchasing fruits and veggies that are shipped from miles away over locally grown produce from farmers market..i wonder if organic kale and sweet potatoes are in season now..are they winter veggies?
joythebaker
totally winter.
Silvia
I love the idea of spices in a soup, I suppose one can use them with any vegetables, or not?
Wei-Wei
I love sweet potatoes, and I’ve never had kale. I wonder if I can substitute with spinach… so healthy :D
joythebaker
spinach will break down much faster than the kale in the warm broth. you should totally give kale a try!
the blissful baker
i heart sweet potatoes, and kale is my new favorite vegetable, so this soup is definitely on the menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner this week. yum!
Val
When I saw the picture at the begining of the post I thought this was going to be another one of those healthy stew-style soups that totally bore me. But the fact that you made this more of a Thai style soup has completely got me interested. It looks so delicious that you probably forget just how healthy it is and leaves room for a guilt-free dessert too. Yum.
Jessica
p.s. eeee, the Christmas lights on your new header! <3
Jessica @ bake me away!
YES. Kale ftw. I had some for dinner tonight! Love it with sweet potatoes, and those spices + coconut is an awesome twist.
Kale neutralizes the baking. Fact.
laura
i love the idea of the spicy coconut broth
Kocinera
I’m really glad that I read this at bedtime. All the comforting soupy goodness has lulled me into a slightly trance-like state. Just lovely. ^.^
Allie (Live Laugh Eat)
Two of my favorite ingredients in one bowl! I’ve eaten enough sweet potatoes this week (in casserole form) to last me a lifetime. Yet, I want more…
Alexia @ Dimple Snatcher
This is the second kale soup recipe I’ve seen today!
It’s a sign :)
New York Girl
I wish more folks would incorporate kale into their diet… I for one, would love some, and it’s so “home cooking” in a nice and nurturing way… the vitamins are stock full… and this looks yummy…
Annabeth
Wonderful! Dairy-free to boot! (whilst nursing baby is allergic). Kale is super-duper healthy, and I hear it’s excellent at combating ‘bratty-ness’!!
Thanks, Joy!
Laura @ SweetSavoryPlanet
There is nothing like a soup made with nutritious foods right after a holiday weekend. We had swiss chard sauteed with beans and garlic along with a side of whole grain rice. I love the combination of flavors. Seems just right!
Amanda (Eating Up)
Perfect! I just brought back the big pot from my mom’s house this weekend. I can make soup all the time now.