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 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.
Table of Contents
“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
Begin by cooking the onions in butter until they are soft and translucent. Then, add the curry powder and cook until fragrant.
Add the carrots, sweet potatoes, and chicken broth and bring to a boil.
Cover and simmer over low heat until the vegetables are tender, about 25 minutes, then toss in the chopped apples.
Purée with a stick blender until smooth and creamy.
Enjoy!
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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.
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
- 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.)
- 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
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- 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
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I made my own curry powder mix with emphasis on coriander; did not add the honey (the veggies are sweet enough on their own!); and finished with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of garam masala. Absolutely delicious!!
Absolutely delicious! Simple and so tasty! Will absolutely make it again. Thank you 🙂
Flavorful, rich…loved it. We added just a hint of cinnamon as topping, too.
Jen this is an absolutely wonderful recipe. So quick to make and so delicious. I have made this soup at least 6 times and have shared the recipe with many of my friends. Even made it at my Granddaughters christening to great reviews. I use Sharwoods Hot Curry Powder which is made in the UK.
Today it is snowing and blowing here in Canada so will double the batch and invite some neighbours in. Thanks again for all your recipes. I have never had one that failed.
Carol
I want to try to make this soup, but I’m wondering If the recipe can be modified for a crockpot slow-cooker? If so, what are your recommendations. Thanks!
Hi KB, I never cook with a slow cooker so I haven’t tried it, but I think you could make it work. Here are some tips for adapting recipes to slow cook versions. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
Outstanding soup! I added some fresh ground ginger and a garlic clove. Would be fantastic with a nice crusty french bread. I topped it with scallions because that’s all I had on hand. Very, very good. Thanks for sharing this gem!
This recipe is so excellent and easy to do. I always love to improvise and add other flavours. So used fresh sautéed garlic and onions then mixed with turmeric and curry powder with a pinch of ground cumin. I also added a can of coconut milk for some extra creaminess and flavour. I also added some ground cinnamon as it was simmering on the stove. Beautiful!
How well will it work with a white sweet potato? Does it take away from the flavor?
Hi Candace, I’ve never made this with white sweet potatoes, so I’m not certain how it will impact it, but I think it will still be good. (From what I understand, white sweet potatoes are slightly less sweet than their orange counterparts so feel free to add a little more honey to taste if you think it’s necessary.) I’d love to hear how it turns out!
I’ve made this twice and everyone loved it! A great break from cream based soup. The sweetness from the Apple and honey is great with the curry. My daughter loves taking this to school. For those who think it’s bland, try a little extra salt on your portion. It will open your up your palate so you can taste all the delicious flavors!
Delicious, easy soup! I did not add any honey, but added chunks of ginger root and turmeric root to the pot as it cooked. I served it with crispy shiitakes and it made me very happy. Thank you!
This soup is the perfect bowl of comfort food! Super creamy and delicious and best of all VERY easy to make! The curry adds a great warmth and spice and Jenn is right, it seems like these ingredients are ones we all have hanging around. I like to make this on Sunday and have it for lunch all week!
I love this recipe but since this is for a large group, can I use vegetable broth in exchange for chicken broth? We have quite a few vegetarians for this meal.
Sure, Marion – that’s fine. 🙂
Can another spice instead of curry work? Combo of cardamom and cinnamon?
Sure, Malinda, that combination will work. Some other potential alternatives: garam masala or cumin. Hope that helps!
So good! I put in only half the curry, because it is a new spice for me. But, with that one exception I made it according to the recipe and we loved it! I can’t wait to serve it to friends…
Can this soup be frozen?
Yes, Lisa, it freezes beautifully!
Wonderful soup! I used a pear instead of apple as I did not have one. Very delicious, will be making again real soon.
I made this soup recently and it was absolutely delicious. I cut the recipe in half and used vegetable broth for a vegetarian version. Didn’t have a blender so I used a Magic Bullet. The addition of apple and honey after taking it off the heat adds a freshness that is fantastic. This will become one of my go-to recipes in the future.
Surprisingly delicious soup with a depth of flavor! Will certainly make this again!
This soup is DIVINE! Literally like “autumn” in a bowl. It make my whole smell like Thanksgiving. I substituted the butter for dairy free Earth Balance and turkey bone broth instead of chicken broth. I used a Vadouvan French Masala Curry from The Spice House. It’s a milder, sweeter curry that is usually best for curried salads. I figured that since there was going to be honey and apples in this soup to go that route. It’s just so good. I made it for Thanksgiving for myself because I’m the only one in my family that is gluten free and dairy free.
Totally awesome recipe. I made one small change, being a Canuck, I used Maple Syrup instead of honey. Used white pepper and liked it.next are the buttermilk biscuits.
Made this last night and it was super, super, super easy! I scaled back a little with the curry and carrots because I didn’t have quite 1.5 pounds of sweet potatoes (slightly under a pound). The result was great but as I’m not a huge curry fan. I added a splash of cream to it today though and it helped cut some of the curry and gave it a fantastic creaminess – super yummy! So happy I made a full recipe and froze half.
Amazing! Made this soup from the cookbook this afternoon and it was so yummy! Perfect for the fall and just the right amount of spice!
This soup is delicious! Perfect for a chilly Autumn day! I actually used canned sweet potato instead because it was all I had. So I didn’t put them in with carrots until 15 minutes after.
This soup is the perfect Fall starter. Brought it to a potluck dinner of 12 people, I doubled the recipe except for the honey, used 3 Tablespoons. This was delicious and everyone got to doggie containers to go too.
Thank you for sharing your delicious recipes.
This is a beautiful soup, my husband who is a carnivore loved it. Thankyou!
Just saw this recipe in your cookbook and am looking forward to making it tomorrow. Any suggestions for a sandwich to pair with it to make a heartier meal?
I think it’d be great with a Cheddar grilled cheese sandwich (maybe with some apple slices, too). Enjoy!
I have made this soup a few times. It is so simple and so delicious. Perfect for the cooler days. I do not change a thing. YUM!
I thought this was scrumptious. Beautiful autumn soup. I used Penzeys Now Curry and it is perfect because it adds a very subtle heat to the soup which makes it even tastier. I only used 1 Tablespoon of honey and thought it was plenty sweet enough. Next time I will add the honey after tasting the soup because the freshness/sweetness of the veggies and apple has an affect on how much, if any, you would add.
Dear Jen,
I’ve made this soup countless times over the past several years – it has always (without exception) received rave reviews and requests for the recipe! Several family members request that I bring it to gatherings, and my teenagers absolutely love it. I’ve tried quite a few of your recipes now, and they’ve all been wonderful, but this is the one for which I get the most requests!
Thank you for sharing your talent with the rest of us!
Sarah
Delicious, but a bit too sweet for my taste. I will definitely make again and try only 1 T of honey or less or even no honey at all–the vegetables and apple bring plenty of sweetness. This soup is comforting with a layered aftertaste of sweet and spicy. One nice tip: I served with a dollop of yogurt. This cut nicely into the sweetness and added to the flavor. I love the one reviewer’s suggestion of toasted pumpkin seeds–that would be great on top of the yogurt garnish, too.
This recipe is wonderful. I made this today but was intrigued by one reviewers suggestion if using Chinese 5 Spice Powder, so that is what is used in place of curry….it was so delicious. My mother is not a fan of curry and since I was taking some to her I chose to substitute but I have no doubt the curry would be wonderful too. I blended it all in my Vitamix, and the soup was like velvet..thick, creamy with a lovely warm bite from the spice. I will definitely make this again!
It has a nice flavour. I only used 1 tsp of curry powder because my kids don’t like anything too spicy.
This recipe looks amazing. The only thing is I am not a curry lover. What can I substitute for the curry?
Hi Kathy, you could use any number of things in place of the curry — garam masala, fresh herbs, cumin, or cinnamon. Hope that helps!
Made this recipe exactly but it has a very unpleasant too strong curry powder taste. I did think a tablespoon sounded like a lot! I used Keens curry powder which is an Australian brand, could be it’s a lot stronger that what was used in the original recipe. Never mind, my husband still ate it!!
Just made this as it had such good reviews. It’s INCREDIBLE! My two year old thinks so too. Thank you.
Amazing Soup! Followed recipe exactly, and was very happy with how it turned out. I’ve never tried adding curry powder to a soup, and it really gave it some umph, and a bit of heat. Perfect soup to warm you up on a cold day.
I’ve made this delicious soup twice now, first with Better Than Bouillon – No Chicken Base (we don’t eat meat), and the second with veggie broth. Since chicken broth tends to be more flavorful, in the veggie version I added garlic and cumin, and only used 6 cups of broth to make it thicker. The result was *perfect* — even my 5yo loved it!!
I was very hopeful for this recipe based on the positive reviews. I halved the recipe, followed it exactly. It was just meh. I added some half n half and more salt, that made it slightly better. I wish I had not added the apple, this soup turned out more like baby food/apple sauce. Overall, I would not make this again.
I made this as directed, but 1/2 the amount. It was fantastic – so smooth and delicious and slightly sweet. I will definitely make this again. Thanks!
This soup is seriously amazing. So creamy and flavourful without the addition of cream or flour. It’s perfect for my daughter with allergies. Serve this with a side of bread for an easy dinner.
How would this be with Chinese five spice powder added to it> A guest who loved it as written suggested this, saying he thought it would add another depth of flavor.
Second review…served this recently and my guests suggested adding Chinese five spice powder to it. Love the recipe as written, but was intrigued with the addition of this spice, adds another depth of flavor. Curious as to what you think about it.
This recipe is a keeper! I just made this recipe for the third time and I think this is a very nice soup. It’s fine to vary the amount of sweet potato and carrots a bit. I’ve tried two different curry powders and both worked fine. I’ve always stuck to amount of apple and honey and think it adds just the right amount of sweetness. This is a great soup to pair with sandwiches on a cold day. Tonight I’m going to serve it with quiche.
I loved this soup. I left out the honey and curry powder, and actually made the soup in my instant pot. When I pureed I kept some of the carrots a little bigger to give some texture. I would make this over and over. My family loved it.
I prepared this recipe exactly as directed and it turned out awesome! Everyone in my family enjoyed it! Thank you for sharing!
This recipe is delicious! I added a small russet potato because I just had a medium sized sweet potato and wasn’t sure it would be enough. I made this for company along with a beef roast and veg and it was an excellent company recipe.
Followed the recipe and turned out very nicely! I used Granny Smith apple and it worked well.
This soup is DELICIOUS! It is also easy and fast to make. Make it exactly as written and I would not change anything!
Did add a fair amount of freshly ground pepper at the end! Thanks a great recipe!
Just made this soup! Delicious! Added some cinnamon and some water to thin a little. Wonderful!
I made this soup for my family last night. It was horrible. I followed the recipe to the T. None of us were able to eat it. I threw the whole pot out. Waste of money and time 😐🙁
Absolutely delicious with a vibrant color. I used half oil, half butter.
This was great. I didn’t have curry, so did need to sub cumin, turmeric and cinnamon.