A warm bowl of soup can hit the spot any day of the year and for any meal. Soup can also be a healthy way to start off a meal because it tends to be high in vegetables, filling and low in energy density.
Soup is the perfect food for any meal!!
It can be for breakfast, lunch, dinner or a snack:)
Homemade soup is a better choice than canned soup because canned soup often contains the chemical BPA and is high in sodium.
Most of us don’t get the recommended amount of vegetables daily. Adding soup to your diet can help you increase your vegetable intake, especially if you choose a vegetarian soup.
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are high in many important nutrients. They contain a good amount of fiber as well as vitamin A, vitamin C, Manganese and several other vitamins and minerals. A medium sweet potato contains approx. 3.8 grams dietary fibre.
Sweet potatoes are an excellent dietary addition for those with diabetes as they have been shown to help reduce and regulate blood sugar levels.
Sweet Potatoes vs. Yams
There are also some significant differences in the appearance of the yam vs. sweet potato as well. Sweet potatoes have tapered ends with smoother skin and can range in color from white to vibrant orange and purple. Yams, on the other hand, have rough skin and are typically white-fleshed and cylindrical. Yams are also more starchy and dry without the hint of sweetness found in sweet potatoes.
Carrots
Harvesting bunch of fresh washed carrot on the old wooden background
Carrots are a particularly good source of beta-carotene, fiber, vitamin K, potassium and antioxidants. They are found in many colors, including yellow, white, orange, red and purple but orange carrots are best for this recipe.
The glycemic index of carrots ranges from 16-60, being lowest for raw carrots, a little higher for cooked carrots and highest for pureed carrots. For those concerned about their sugar balancing then switching out the carrots may be helpful for you.
Sweet Potato & Carrot Soup
Print RecipeIngredients
- • 4 tablespoons organic butter or (ghee, olive oil, coconut oil...)
- • 2 medium sweet onions, chopped
- • 4 large organic carrots, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
- • 6 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
- • 6 cups organic chicken broth
- • 1-3/4 teaspoons Himalayan salt
- • 2 -3 organic green apples – peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
- • 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey if you prefer that taste
- • 1 tin of organic coconut milk for thickening - optional but I do love how it makes it taste
- • Freshly ground black pepper
- • 1 – 2 tablespoons of cinnamon – options. You can even sprinkle on soup when serving.
- • 1 tablespoon curry powder – optional. You can even sprinkle on soup when serving.
- * For those who love ginger, this is a perfect soup to add grated ginger for that wonderful flavour. 2 tablespoons would be nice.
- *This soup can be made with just sweet potatoes or any squash you like. Personally, my favourite squash to use in making soup is the butternut squash because of it lovely sweet smooth flavour. If using just sweet potatoes or squash make sure to add more water as the soup will be a little thicker without the carrots.
Instructions
1. 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. If adding the curry powder - add at this point.
2. 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.
3. Stir in the apples and maple syrup. Cook until apples are soft.
4. Using a hand blender, puree the soup until smooth and creamy or use a blender. When pureeing in a blending make sure to add small batches at a time. Make sure to leave the hole in the lid open and cover with a kitchen towel - this will allow the steam to escape.
4. Season to taste with salt, pepper and cinnamon if you wish.
5. When serving soup have fun garnishing with shaved carrots, bits of cooked squash or carrots, hemp hearts, pumpkin seeds, parsley...
Have fun and make it look like a meal!
To speed up the cooking time, I chopped the sweet potatoes into small chunks, at about a 1/2-inch dice.
This recipe yields a thick and creamy soup especially if you add the tin of coconut milk.
If you want the soup to be thinner, add 1/2 - cup of water.
This soup works wonderfully with butternut squash. Substitute the sweet potatoes for 1 pound of cubed butternut squash.
Notes
Note: Puree soups can thicken as they sit and you can always add a bit of water or alternative milks. Freezer Leftovers: This soup can be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost the soup in the refrigerator for 12 hours and then reheat it on the stove top over medium heat until hot. Once again, feel free to add an alternative milk or water to keep it at the consistency that you would like.
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