Thai Carrot Soup with Peanuts

I was in the mood for carrot soup, so I bought some carrots. While trying to decide on a recipe a regular European version crossed my mind, I considered Cajun carrot soup, and then finally settled on Thai. The combination with peanuts appealed to me so I settled on this recipe, tasted, adjusted it a little and voila.

Ingredients (serves 4):
500g carrots, chopped
1 sweet potato, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch ginger, grated
1 teaspoon galangal paste
2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
1 tablespoon peanut butter
400ml coconut milk
400ml water
Juice of 1 1/2 lime
1 stalk lemon grass
1 tablespoon olive or coconut oil

salt to taste

To garnish:
fresh cilantro
handful chopped peanuts
chopped chili pepper or chili flakes

Instructions:
1. In a big pan, fry the red onion in the oil for a few minutes until softened, then add the garlic, ginger, and galangal paste. 

2. Fry for a few minutes more, then add the carrot and the sweet potato and cook for a few minutes more. 

3. Add the Thai red curry paste and peanut butter. Stir well and add the coconut milk, water and lemon grass. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover the pan and simmer for 20-25 minutes until the vegetables are tender. 

4. Turn off the heat, remove the stalk of lemon grass, and blend the soup with a hand blender until smooth. If you find the soup too thick, add a bit of water. Stir in the lime juice, taste, and add salt as needed. 

5. Heat the soup again slightly so it is properly warm, then serve topped with chopped peanuts, cilantro and chopped fresh red pepper or chili flakes.