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 found it delicious and comforting. After a few spoonfuls I just drank it like it was a smoothie. Will make again.
Turned out fantastic, as everyone of your recipes I’ve tried so far. Perfectly balanced, even though mine was a bit heavy on the sweet potato. Perfect consistency. Smooth and shiny finish. My teen loved it. Thank you.
This soup is delicious!!! Perfect for a fall day!
I made this soup tonight to take on a weekend trip coming up. I will likely share it with my daughter-in-law who is pescatarian so I used vegetable broth instead of chicken. I was afraid it would be lacking flavor but it is outstanding! Just the right amount of sweetness and curry. And healthy to boot!
Great fall recipe! Very easy to make. Used small amount of ginger instead of curry as another commenter suggested and closer to 2 T. to cook the onions; otherwise made as directed.
Jenn,
Thanks for this delicious fall soup. The combination of flavours especially the curry, honey, and apple made for a real taste experience. This is a keeper.
Very bland and one dimensional. Before serving, I add garlic powder, ginger powder, cayenne pepper, Worcestershire sauce to make it palatable. Will keep looking for a better sweet potato soup recipe.
This soup was smooth, creamy and delicious. What a great way to enjoy your veggies! Thank you for your detailed instructions, hints and tips!
This soup is excellent and easy to make.
We loved the soup. I’m not a big fan of curry so I skipped it and added a Tbsp of grated ginger with the apple. It added a wonderful warmth to the soup. Will definitely make it again
This is just yummy. Made it exactly as written. Next time I will substitute coconut oil instead of butter and use zatar, bharat or ras el hanout spice blends because I’m not that fond of curry. I’ll add a cup of cider too. Thanks for your wonderful recipes
Made this soup for the Canadian Thanksgiving which was a week ago and it go rave reviews.
My new favorite fall soup! I love that it’s deliciously creamy without the dairy of other recipes. And the little kick of curry gives it a wonderful aroma. So satisfying on multiple levels during the cooler fall weather.
Now that fall has arrived, I love finding & making new soup recipes. This looks delicious & I’ll be making it soon. I was just wondering if a (good quality) vegetable broth could be substituted for the chicken broth.
Definitely – hope you enjoy!
Don’t puree celery. I decided to add some celery because why not, and after I pureed the soup, random fibers marred the texture. An otherwise smooth soup with random twigs in it is not as pleasant as a completely smooth soup. The celery fibers easily survive the stick blender and become thin and rigid inclusions. Avoid. Otherwise a delicious soup perfect for this time year. 10 minutes seemed a little long to saute onions but I managed to avoid burning them. =-)
This is such a good soup! I’m planning on making it again but trying pumpkin spice next time. If I were to substitute the curry powder with pumpkin spice, how much would you suggest adding?
Hi Jenny, I’d start with one teaspoon; you can always add more to taste at the end. Please LMK how it turns out!
Hi! Would it be possible to use turmeric instead of curry??? I love your recipes! Really looking forward to do this one 🙂
Sure (and glad you like the recipes)!
This soup is like autumn in a bowl. So good. I didn’t change a thing except I made my own curry powder for a class I’m taking. Everyone in the family who ate the soup absolutely loved it.
ANOTHER HOME RUN!!!
I made this exactly according to the recipe and it was delicious. This one is definitely a keeper. Thank you Jen.
Can I add can of coconut milk to recipe?
You can definitely add some coconut milk; I’m not sure I’d add an entire can as it will dilute the other flavors. Hope you enjoy!
Excellent soup and so easy.
Easy and delicious!
Why isn’t there an option to print the recipe ingredients and instructions. Makes life so easy to do a quick print.
Hi Marilyn, you do have that option — when you’re viewing the full recipe (near the bottom of the page), look in the upper righthand corner of that box – you’ll see an icon there that looks like a printer. Select that and it (and it will open a dialog box that gives you printing options/will print only the recipe and not all the other materials.) Hope that helps! Please let me know if you have any additional questions.
This soup was over the top good. I didn’t change a thing and the recipe came out perfect. It screams Fall 🙂
Jen do I need to use butter? Can I use evoo instead?
Hi Amy, Olive oil is fine. Hope you enjoy the soup!
I loved this opportunity to clean out my veggie drawer! To make this recipe cravable by everyone in our non-dairy family, I decided to make it a little creamier by cooking with 1 cup less broth then adding 1 cup coconut cream-based “half and half” when blending, along with a pinch of cayenne. I made an extra large batch due to using up what I had, thinking that I would freeze part of it, but it disappeared too fast 🙂 Definitely will make again.
Excellent. The curry taste is very faint; if you’re not looking for it you won’t taste it. I added frozen corn after pureeing the carrot/sweet potato mixture, then let it cook 15 minutes more.
Made it as close as I could to the recipe, with a few tweaks only because I was out of things. I cooked the onions in a mix of EVOO and butter since I was low on butter. I did half and half chicken broth and vegetable broth. No apples, these aren’t fruits I usually keep on hand. Still delicious! I only used 3 carrots to my 5 sweet potatoes, but the carrot flavor still stood out great. This is a quick and simple recipe that would lend itself well to variations, and I can’t wait to try some new combos!
I made this soup today and it is the BOMB! I love how the sweetness goes well with savory! I’m def making this again! I just ate a huge bowl and feel healthier already. Thank you!
Hi Jenn
We have a strong aversion to curry powder. Is there something I can use instead? Thanks for your amazing cookbooks and recipes. …and for all the joy your work brings to so many!
Hi S, Thank you for your kind words about the recipes! 💗
Garam masala, cumin, or cinnamon would all work nicely in place of the curry. Hope you enjoy!
Love the Recipe.
Not many recipes are perfect without any changes, but this one is simple, easy, nutritious, and delicious, so doesn’t require it.
Being who I am, I could resist a few tweaks …. added a tablespoon or grated ginger at the beginning (I like a little zing}, and a little freshly squeezed orange juice at the end for the sweetness instead of adding honey.
Grateful
Thanks Jenn!
This soup is delicious, however, I do not think it needs the honey. I would suggest you make the soup in its entirety before you add the honey. Also, maple syrup is a favourite of mine, so i used it instead of honey. After adding a fair bit of salt, it was ok.
totally agree Ruth, though th quality of the carrots determines this for me.
AND, I prefer fresh orange or Maple syrup as well
While this is definitely 5 Stars, I have my own Mr. B’s Rating System.
1.It’s ok.
2.That’s good.
3. That’s pretty good.
4.Oh, that’s Really good.
5. Ooooohhh, that’s Restaurant Quality. I could serve that in any restaurant in town.
This soup is definitely Restaurant Quality. Here in Houston we are one of the top Restaurant cities in the Country and this soup could go in the Best of them.
As for http://www.OnceUponAChef.com, this is simply the best recipe site around. I’ve pretty much stopped looking at other sites. Jenn, thanks for sharing your heart and gift with the rest of us !!!
Thanks for your very kind words!! 🙂
My 19MO loved loved loved this soup, and it’s so easy to make. We only used about half an apple, less water, and no honey. Lemon juice added at the end really rounded out the flavor. I think next time I will add cream to my son’s soup (to get more fat in his diet) and keep our soup dairy-free like the recipe.
Absolutely delicious! used a Granny Smith apple as that was what I had on hand. So very, very good. Thank you Jenn for another fab recipe 🙂
This soup was excellent! I skipped the honey and found the vegetables to be plenty sweet. I can’t get over how much flavor there is for so few ingredients!
No need for any honey, was far too sweet with only half the quantity added!
Will make again but no honey !!!!!
The soup was too sweet for our family.
Made it today.. and light and delicious. Added parsnips and celery as only had 1 sweet potato .
Tasted sweet enough so didn’t add honey . Easy great versatile recipe
This soup is soooo good! I did add another large sweet potato. Thank you for this delicious recipe.
I love love love this soup! I can’t get enough of it! Thank you for this awesome recipe!
Excellent!
Amazing soup! So flavourful for such a simple easy recipe. Thank you!
Love this soup,
Thank you for sharing it with us !!
Reduced the water and added a can of chick peas- we like thick soups. Delicious! Will be a regular soup for our household.
Made exactly according to the recipe, this is one of our favorite soups.
Made this soup didn’t add the salt though and it was a little bland
Just made it last evening and it’s a keeper :)) Everyone loved it. There’s enough leftover for the next day too! Followed the recipe exactly as indicated. Am thinking of adapting it with pumpkin next time, I’m sure it’ll be great too. 😋
I really loved this soup. I skipped the honey and used kettle & fire brand butter chicken bone broth. Will definitely make again!
It’s great! Super falvourful and really easy for the prep. Get your kids chopping.
I made this soup for the first time this week. It’s really delicious and my husband and I really enjoyed the delicious flavors of carrots, sweet potatoes, curry, and apples. A definite keeper!
Also, I made the Lasagna soup from Jenn’s new cookbook. It was amazing and full of yummy flavors (the ricotta mixed in adds the perfect touch!). If you haven’t gotten the new OUAC cookbook, I encourage you to get it as soon as possible. It’s filled with lots of amazing recipes 😋
Made this soup and it was really easy to make and yummy. I do like the curry taste but I found it a little strong. Had to add coconut milk to balance it out. I also didn’t add honey and found it sweet enough. I have to say I did make this for my toddler and even though she didn’t approve I do really enjoy it.
Thank you for the recipe. I made some changes, adding two small parsnips to the carrot portion, to include more varied vegetables. I also over-did the honey accidentally when mixing it in, so added a bit of coconut milk powder, coriander and cumin powder, salt and white pepper, and the soup calmed down and it delicious. I’m looking forward to serving it as part of our dinner for 4.
The only thing I would like to suggest is also give the measurements in UK (g and ml) proportions for ease in places that don’t do US cups and lbs.
Glad you liked it! I just added metric conversions to the recipe. 🙂
Thanks Jenn! I was halfway through roasting yams, butternut squash and carrots and realized I didn’t have the rest of the ingredients for the other soup I was making. I found your recipe and made it as written, with the exception of the sweet potato and carrots being roasted and adding roasted butternut squash. It came out perfect, served with bannock, and my 8 year old had two bowls. Thanks again!