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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How long can this be stored in fridge for ??
Hi Laura, I would say 3-4 days.
i make this for thanksgiving every year, so yummy!
I have this recipe memorized now. I found it last year and have made it several times. Latest batch is just finishing up right now and will be served to guest this week. Easy make-ahead soup that will wow the family. I did not change a thing.
The recipe was very easy and clear. The taste turned out to be amazing, every body loved it even my 5 year old asked for another serving 🙂
Just did it yesterday and it was an absolute 5/5 ! CRAZYYY
Your carrot and sweet potato soup is not only delicious but so easy to make. The one major major thing that really stands out here is the addition of the curry powder. Many recipes that i have seen over the years just say to add the curry or other seasonings to the mixture. What they do not tell the potential cook is that these items should be added prior to cooking with the other myriad of ingredients. By doing this, it softens and brings out the flavor and avoids having a ‘raw’ taste in the final product. You have pointed this out perfectly in this recipe.
I forgot to be more precise. Items such as curry should be heated slightly prior to adding to the main ingredient….and that is what brings out the proper curry flavor while getting rid of and/or avoiding that ‘raw’ taste.
I have made this recipe over and over. My husband and I love it! It is simple and healthy and delicious!
Came out exactly like the picture. Followed the recipe exactly. It was creamy and absolutely delicious and so easy too!!!!
This soup is delicious. But first, just let me say that I changed it a bit. I love curry so I had used all of my curry powder. I used about 3/4 tbsp coriander and 1/4 cumin instead. Not the same flavours as curry powder but it did lend it a nice curry flavour. I also used three apples instead of one because I was trying to get rid of some apples and an extra half onion that I wanted to get rid of as well. I’m pleasantly surprised at how nicely the flavours came out. The soup is a perfect consistency, not to thick or watery, and it’s got a nice sweetness.
This recipe makes about 11 cups (exactly 13 cups with my two extra apples and extra onion so I’m estimating) and I weighed the carrots and sweet potato exactly. Just for anyone wondering about how big a serving is, calorie-wise or whatever. I’m going to eat this stuff all day and freeze any extra!
Oh, and I wanted to add that I served mine with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt sprinkled with chopped cilantro (I love coriander/cilantro) and a bit of pepper. I think the honey Greek yogurt would be nice though too.
Is anyone struggling with the sweet potato to carrot to broth ratio? The first time we made this, it was too thick, but the sweet potato amount was perfect. This time the carrots took over. Also, the eight cups of broth seemed to make the soup much to watery. Help!