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.

30/30 - #23 Sweet Potato Fries

We are rolling right along here with my Top 30 on Kettler Cuisine. Chiming in at #23 are Sweet Potato Fries. I seriously could eat them every day of my life and be quite happy. If these sweet and crispy treats are on a menu, you can guarantee I will order them!

Probably my favorite in the area is at Bull City Burger and Brewery. Not only can I get sweet potato fries, but a freshly ground burger on a gluten free bun with a side of house-made pickled vegetables too! 

But this post isn't about the amazing food at Bull City (another time). Today, I am sharing the recipe to make sweet potato fries at home. Yes, I am a health nut, so there is absolutely no deep frying in my kitchen. (The Hubby still seems to think he will convince me to do it one day). It is tough to make sweet potato fries at home and still get that crunchy outside, however, the recipe on My New Roots is the closest I have tried. The cornmeal and butter coating is pretty freaking delicious! I like to add in additional spices to my "shake and bake" mix - cayenne and cumin. Until tomorrow...

Sweet Potato Fries

Recipe over at My New Roots

Add 1/2 teaspoon Cayenne powder and 1/4 teaspoon cumin powder to the cornmeal mix