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.
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 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!”
About Sweet Potatoes
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
Step 1: Cook the aromatics. Begin by cooking the onions in butter until they are soft and translucent. Then, add the curry powder and cook until fragrant.
Step 2: Add the veggies and broth. Add the carrots, sweet potatoes, and chicken broth and bring to a boil.
Step 3: Simmer and add apples. Cover and simmer over low heat until the vegetables are tender, about 25 minutes, then toss in the chopped apples.
Step 4: Blend. Purée with a stick blender until smooth and creamy.
Step 5: Serve. Ladle the soup into bowls and enjoy!
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Autumn Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup
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 (2.5-cm) pieces
- 1½ pounds sweet potatoes (about 2 small), peeled and chopped into 1-inch (2.5-cm) 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
- 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.
- 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.)
Notes
Nutrition Information
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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This delicious soup is easy to make but tastes like it was hard to make. It is so filling that it makes an easy supper with a piece of good bread.
I rarely find any recipe that’s perfect, until this soup. I served this at a dinner party recently and it was enjoyed by all. Good full bodied taste, excellent consistency “just right”. Perfect amount for the eight of us. Wouldn’t change a thing. Thank you
could you add fresh sage to this soup? would it work with the curry spice?
thanks.
Hi Jazzbird, I think that could work. Sage is slightly peppery and the soup is a bit sweet, so it might be a nice combination. Would love to hear how you liked it!
the sage worked like a dream (2 chopped tablespoon of fresh sage) added to the butter and onions. i only used one teaspoon of honey to dial back the sweetness a little. great way to use up all those extra carrots! thanks again for sharing your lovely recipes!
made this again and added a pear – which was also lovely.
This is the most delicious and easy soup I’ve ever made. You are at the top of my list for recipe ideas!
Hi! This looks wonderful! What is the volume of soup this recipe makes?
Hi Jessie, I think this makes approximately 13 cups (or 104 ounces) of soup. Hope this helps!
Have just made this soup. Delicious especially on this cold frosty morning.
made it for the first time and bar none the best carrot sweet potato recipe ever! simple tasty and quick! I hade to make a couple of modification only because I was short 2 items. Instead of 2 onions I used 1 and instead of 2 sweet potatoes I use 1 plus 1 regular white potato. Still came out amazing and my family including picky kids ate it all up! thumbs up and big smiles!
Would I be able to make this ahead and freeze it?
Definitely– it freezes nicely!
This is the perfect fall soup when the weather turns colder. I have made this several times, my family loves it. What a perfect flavor combination, warm and comforting. You are so inspiring, I love forward to every new recipe you add. I have made many recipes from your website, I have never been disappointed and my family has been thrilled with the meals I have made.
This was the first time I had tried to make a creamy soup like this. It was absolutely delicious! I shared it with my niece and sister-in-law and they loved it, plus asked for the recipe. The recipe is easy to follow ( as all of Jennifer Segals are) plus I love the little bit of apple in.