Sweet Potato Carrot Soup

Our electricity went out in our complex today and was off for several hours (oh my, what to do?!?). No huge deal really, but the summer weather did invade our townhouse, making it much warmer than I deemed comfortable …does any else have a difficult time concentrating and working when it’s really hot? The electricity finally kicked on and began to cool the place down, but I was in the mood for something light and chilled mid-morning. Thank goodness I already had a summer soup waiting for me in the fridge from two days ago!

After making my refreshing and chilled pea soup last month, I kept thinking about other soup recipes to make that would be yummy during the hot summer days. On Tuesday, I had several sweet potatoes and carrot on hand and finally got around to whipping up another soup that might serve as a good snack or an accompaniment to a light lunch. This sweet potato carrot soup has a hint of ginger and a freshness that comes from either lemon or lime juice (your choice, I like both) and can be enjoyed chilled, warmed or hot. I liked the soup the first day I made it but found that a couple days in the fridge really made the flavors stand out.

This recipe makes quite a bit of soup so if you want a small batch for a snack or an appetizer, feel free to cut in half.

Sweet Potato Carrot Soup

Ingredients

For Soup

1 large leek, chopped (can use both white and light green parts)
1 1/2 Tbsp butter, olive oil or refined coconut oil
1 cup sweet onion, chopped
2 cups carrot, peeled and chopped
4 cups chopped and peeled sweet potatoes (about 3 small or 2 large potatoes)
5 cups or more low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth (can use more if you like a thinner soup but can add after pureeing)
1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger or 1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp sea salt, or more to taste (potatoes absorb salt!)
Squeeze of lemon or lime juice, optional but brighten ups the flavor
Ground black pepper to taste
Dash of cayenne pepper, optional if you want more heat

Optional for Serving

plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
chopped cilantro or green onions
Freshly ground black pepper
Grated parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Place chopped leeks into a bowl filled with water. Leeks often have dirt between the layer that cause soup to be gritty, so this helps to clean them for cooking. Stir leeks to break apart and to remove dirt, then drain and set aside.
2. Over medium heat, add butter/olive /coconut oil in a dutch oven or large soup pot until heated. Add in the onions and drained, chopped leeks, carrots and cook for 5 minutes. Add in the sweet potatoes and cook one minute, then add broth and ginger and stir. Season with salt to taste.
3. Bring mixture to a boil, cover and reduce heat and bring to simmer. Cook for 20 minutes or until potatoes are cooked through and are fork tender.
4. Either add to stand blender* to puree, or use a stick immersion blender to puree either until smooth or to desired consistency (be careful, will be hot!). If too thick, add more broth.
5. Add a squeeze of lemon or lime juice (if using) and add black pepper and a dash of cayenne. Add more salt to taste, if needed.
6. Either serve hot with toppings/garnish as desired or chill at least 4 hours and garnish to your preference. I think this soup tastes best after one or two days in the fridge!

* If using a smaller blender, you may have to puree in batches.

Recipe Notes: If you want a richer soup, add a 1/2 cup of heavy cream or coconut milk. You could also add a couple tablespoons of cream cheese as well.