Autumn Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup

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With carrots, sweet potatoes and apples, this savory soup with a hint of sweetness is the essence of fall.

Carrot & Sweet Potato Soup

Photo by Alexandra Grablewski (Chronicle Books, 2018)

It seems I’ve always got the components of this soup lingering in my veggie bin (along with other mysterious things, but I’ll spare you those details), so it’s easy to whip up on a cool fall day. The nice thing is that the sweet potatoes add body to the soup, making it luxuriously silky, without even the slightest bit of guilt-inducing heavy cream.

Now, I have to admit that I’m not one of those people who look forward to fall; my pessimistic side knows all too well that winter is looming. But the thought of comfort food and cozy clothes does make it more bearable. So go ahead and think of this dish as that soft knit sweater you can’t wait to put on at the first sign of a chill. Pair the soup with crusty artisan bread, challah, or dinner rolls.

“Absolutely scrumptious! My husband is still talking about how delicious dinner was last night!”

Christina

About Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes on a counter.

Before we get started, let’s talk about sweet potatoes. It’s common practice in the U.S. to use the words “sweet potato” and “yam” interchangeably. This is confusing since yams aren’t sweet potatoes at all, but rather thick white tubers with dark brown skin. But chances are you won’t find real yams at the supermarket, so if you see “yams,” you’re probably looking at sweet potatoes. As for the different varieties, look for Garnet, Jewel, Beauregard, all of which have orange flesh and reddish-brown skin and are delicious in sweet potato pie, mashed sweet potatoes, and sweet potato casserole.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Begin by cooking the onions in butter until they are soft and translucent. Then, add the curry powder and cook until fragrant.

Onions, butter, and curry powder in a pot.

Add the carrots, sweet potatoes, and chicken broth and bring to a boil.

Boiling pot of chicken broth.

Cover and simmer over low heat until the vegetables are tender, about 25 minutes, then toss in the chopped apples.

Chopped apples in a pot of broth and vegetables.

Purée with a stick blender until smooth and creamy.

Immersion blender in a pot of soup.

Enjoy!

Carrot & Sweet Potato Soup
Photo by Alexandra Grablewski (Chronicle Books, 2018)

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Autumn Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup

With carrots, sweet potatoes and apples, this savory soup with a hint of sweetness is the essence of fall.

Servings: 8
Total Time: 45 Minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 medium yellow onions, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon curry powder, plus a bit more for serving
  • 1 pound carrots, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
  • 1½ pounds sweet potatoes (about 2 small), peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
  • 8 cups chicken broth, best quality such as Swanson
  • 1¾ teaspoons salt
  • 1 tart yet sweet apple (such as Honeycrisp or Fuji), peeled and chopped
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Do not brown. Add the curry powder and cook a minute more.
  2. Add the carrots, sweet potatoes, chicken broth and salt and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat until vegetables are very tender, about 25 minutes. Stir in the apples and honey. Using a stick blender, puree the soup until smooth and creamy. (Alternatively, cool the soup slightly, then puree in a blender in batches. Be sure to leave the hole in the lid open, and cover with a kitchen towel, to allow the steam to escape.) Season to taste with salt, pepper and more honey if necessary. Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle with more curry powder if desired. (Note: As the soup sits, it will thicken up so you may need to add a bit of water to thin it out.)
  3. Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The soup can be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost the soup in the refrigerator for 12 hours and then reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat until hot.

Pair with

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Per serving (8 servings)
  • Serving size: 1 1/3 cups
  • Calories: 277
  • Fat: 9g
  • Saturated fat: 4g
  • Carbohydrates: 42g
  • Sugar: 18g
  • Fiber: 5g
  • Protein: 8g
  • Sodium: 941mg
  • Cholesterol: 22mg

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

Gluten-Free Adaptable Note

To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.

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Comments

  • I had way too many carrots and sweet potatoes from my produce delivery this week so I went searching for a soup recipe and found this. It was perfect because I had everything on hand. It cooked up easily. I made a mistake and forgot to peel my apple before I chopped it, but honestly I think it gave a nice little bit of fine texture to the pureed soup at the end. I was worried whether the apples would be too crunchy compared to the cooked vegetables so I cooked them for about 4 minutes after adding them before pureeing.

    When I tasted the seasoning right after blending while it was still extremely hot, I was worried that it tasted a little bland. I could get some spice in an aftertaste but that was it. But after I put some in my bowl to eat and let it cool slightly, the spices and flavors really came out and I’m glad I didn’t make any changes to the spices in the recipe.

    • — Ess Ess on September 29, 2024
    • Reply
  • I love the curry flavour. Comes to together easily and will be on regular rotation during fall and winter.

    • — Jenee Mealey on September 27, 2024
    • Reply
  • Could you add beef sausage and kale to this soup? I had a favorite sweet potato, kale sausage recipe, lost it and this one is the closest to what I remember.

    • — laurie on September 20, 2024
    • Reply
    • Sure, Laurie, that should work. Hope you enjoy!

  • Wow. So delicious. Made it tonight. It’s amazing as it is but I really wanted to add chopped crispy bacon or sweet Italian sausage to it. This recipe you won’t be disappointed in…super yummy and cozy

    • — Lisa on September 15, 2024
    • Reply
  • This soup is heavenly!! Seriously the best soup I have ever tasted (that takes my leek & potato soup to 2nd)
    Do yourself a favour and make this 😋
    🍠🥕🍯🐝🍏

    • — Carolyn on July 20, 2024
    • Reply
  • This is a delicious soup, instead of 6 cups chicken stock I used 4 cups chicken stock and 2 cups coconut milk, I also added 1 teaspoon of Graham masala for extra flavor.

    • — Marianne on March 22, 2024
    • Reply
  • I loved the spices in the squash soup recipe.Do you think it would work using those spices in the carrot soup?

    • — Eleanor on February 20, 2024
    • Reply
    • Sure, Eleanor, I think it’s worth trying (although there aren’t a lot of differences between the two in terms of seasoning).

      • — Jenn on February 20, 2024
      • Reply

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