Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup

Even though warm weather is coming...slowly, we are still at the tail end of Winter produce. Soup is the perfect easy dinner to keep me warm as the evening turns chilly. Using the carrots and sweet potatoes from the last of the Winter harvest makes for a perfect base for soup.

During the month of February, I was sick for probably 20 of the 28 days! It was a rough month, and soup got me through most of the sniffles, sneezes and freezing cold weather. As Spring approaches, I have a few soup dinners planned for the Hubby and I to keep us warm during the chilly nights.

I love carrots and always eat them. It seemed like an orange match made in heaven pairing them with sweet potatoes, another favorite vegetable. I first made this soup during one of the snow days in February. The Hubby loved it and I knew it would be the perfect dinner for the chilly nights ahead this week.

Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup 

Yields: 6-8 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30-40 minutes

1 onion, chopped

3 tablespoons butter
3 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 inch fresh ginger, grated

2 medium sweet potatoes, chopped

4-6 whole carrots, chopped

salt and pepper

1 quart organic low-sodium chicken broth (use vegetable broth if vegetarian)

1 large bay leaf

1/8 teaspoon coriander

1/4 teaspoon dried chili peppers

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

lime wedges

maple syrup

fresh parsley, chopped

In a large, thick-bottomed soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat and sauté the onions until translucent, around 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and ginger and sauté for another few minutes. Add in the sweet potatoes, carrots, dash of salt and pepper and continue to cook while stirring. After 2 minutes pour in the broth, bay leaf, coriander, chili peppers and thyme. Stir well and cook covered for 20 minutes over medium heat. Check to see if the sweet potatoes and carrots are well cooked and soft. If not, continue to cook for 5-10 more minutes.

Pull out the bay leaf and discard. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until desired consistency. You can also use a blender to puree the soup (most likely in batches). Serve with a drizzle of maple syrup, fresh parsley and juice from a lime wedge, all to taste.