Sweet Potato-Carrot Soup

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A vibrant, hearty soup for an easy weeknight dinner.

Sweet Potato-Carrot Soup
Photo: Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Prissy Lee Montiel
Cook Time:
25 mins
Active Time:
35 mins
Total Time:
1 hr
Servings:
6

On a busy weeknight, healthy and hearty soups are our superheroes. With two basic steps—cooking down the root vegetables in broth, then pureeing them with an immersion blender—this Sweet Potato-Carrot Soup really could not be easier to throw together. Made vegetarian by using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth, our sweet potato and carrot soup makes a perfect winter weeknight main or dinner party starter.

Consider this recipe a formula to make a soup out of any veggies you have on hand. This simple two-step recipe is a smart way to use up a small amount of any root vegetable, and it can be made with many delicious flavors—from Sweet Potato-Carrot Soup to Potato-Beet Soup. Mix and match to make your own version, or try one of our super spin-offs, like Potato-Beet Soup (which boasts a beautiful magenta color) or Turnip-Parsnip Soup (an earthy, wholesome mix that pairs well with fresh herbs).

Garnish this Any-Veggie Soup any way you'd like: with roasted pepitas, a swirl of Greek yogurt, fresh herbs, or even crispy chickpeas for added protein. No matter which route you choose, be sure to serve the soup with a nice hunk of crusty bread for dipping.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil 

  • 1 cup chopped yellow onion (from 1 medium onion) 

  • ½ cup finely chopped celery (from 1 large celery stalk) 

  • 2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic (from 2 garlic cloves)

  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin

  • 5 cups chopped (½-inch cubes) peeled sweet potatoes (from 3 medium-size sweet potatoes)

  • 3 cups chopped (½-inch cubes) carrots (from 7 large carrots)

  • 6 cups lower-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth 

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

  • ¼ cup half-and-half 

  • Garnish: roasted pumpkin seed kernels (pepitas) and diced jalapeño

Directions

  1. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Add onion and celery. Cook, stirring often, until onion is translucent and softened, about 6 minutes. Stir in garlic and ground cumin; cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Stir in cubed sweet potatoes and carrots, broth, and ½ teaspoon of the salt; bring to a boil over high. Cover and reduce heat

  2. Remove soup from heat. Using an immersion blender, process until very smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir half-and-half and remaining ½ teaspoon salt into pureed soup. Garnish with roasted pumpkin seed kernels (pepitas) and diced jalapeño.

Potato-Beet Soup

Substitute ground cumin with 1½ Tbsp. finely chopped peeled fresh ginger (from 1 [1½-inch] piece). Substitute sweet potatoes and carrots for 5 cups cubed peeled red beets (from about 7 medium beets) and 3 cups cubed peeled russet potatoes (from about 4 medium potatoes). Substitute roasted pumpkin seed kernels and jalapeño for plain whole-milk Greek yogurt and chopped fresh chives for garnish.

Turnip-Parsnip Soup

Substitute ground cumin for 2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme. Substitute sweet potatoes and carrots for 5 cups cubed peeled turnips (from about 5 medium turnips) and 3 cups cubed peeled parsnips (from 6 to 7 medium/large parsnips). Substitute roasted pumpkin seed kernels and jalapeño for crumbled vegetable chips (such as Terra) and chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley for garnish.

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