October is the best month of the year for cooking, no doubt about it! The produce available in October in Quebec, Canada is just the very best there is. We still have strawberries (yay L’Ile d’Orleans!), sweet corn, tomatoes, apples and of course… tonnes of delicious root vegetables. I took advantage of the bounty of this month to make a tasty carrot and roasted sweet potato soup. If you’re looking for a great fall soup for your next get-together, I’ve got you covered!
One of the things I love about making soup is that it is a really forgiving and flexible dish! You can add, subtract, or substitute lots of the ingredients and you’ll still get a great result. If you don’t happen to like sweet potatoes you can always substitute them in this soup for butternut squash or pumpkin. I’ve made variations on this soup many times, and they’ve always been delicious!
Carrot and Sweet Potato Harvest Soup
*ingredients listed in order of use*
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1-cm-thick rounds
1/2 tsp paprika (I used a smoked variety – fancy!)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
olive oil
maple syrup
4-5 large carrots, peeled and chopped
4 stalks of celery, chopped
1/2 large red onion, chopped
1 1/2 tbsp fresh ginger, finely minced
olive oil
5-6 cups of broth (I used a combination of homemade turkey broth – Thanksgiving leftovers! – and chicken broth)
1/4 tsp paprika
approximately 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg (I used whole nutmegs so my measurement of it is a little a hazy – but it’s hard to go wrong with nutmeg)
1/2 tsp dried chili flakes (You can use less if you prefer less heat in your food)
1/8 tsp ground saffron (Omit if you don’t have saffron – that stuff can get pricey!)
3 tbsp REAL maple syrup (Do NOT use the artificial junk. That is not maple syrup. If you don’t have real maple syrup, you could substitute honey or even some brown sugar. But for the love of all things delicious, do not use fake maple syrup!)
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 350°. Place the sweet potato rounds on a baking sheet or in a baking dish. Drizzle olive oil over them and sprinkle with paprika and cinnamon. Brush them using a pastry brush to spread the spices, and then repeat on the other side of the rounds. Drizzle them with maple syrup. Roast them until they are tender, approximately 10 minutes each side.
- Pour approximately 2 tbsp of olive oil in a soup pot. Sauté the carrots, celery, onion, and ginger until they are aromatic (onions should be translucent).
- Add the broth to the soup pot and simmer the vegetables until they are tender.
- Add the sweet potatoes and simmer a further 5-10 minutes
- Blend the soup until it is creamy. If you like a thinner texture, add a bit more broth.
- Add the remaining spices and simmer for about 15-20 minutes.
This is a simple recipe that you could freeze for a quick meal. If you have leftover turkey or ham from Thanksgiving, it would be a great accompaniment to a cold turkey or ham sandwich. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to heat up a bowl!
What are your favourite harvest soup recipes? Let me know in the comments – maybe you’ll inspire my next recipe.
Have a great week!
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Joining the party at Fiesta Friday!
