Whoops, haven't posted here for 8 months! Well...my last Hungry Harvest delivery gave me the largest sweet potato I've ever seen, and the smallest butternut squash I've ever seen...to add to a second small butternut squash I hadn't used from a previous week. So I figured some kind of sweet potato-butternut squash soup was in order. A bowl of beta-carotene! I made such a big pot of this that I'm going to freeze some to add to the Thanksgiving spread next week.
I don't tend to do pureed soups that often because 1) they're a bit more fussy and 2) they don't seem as filling as chunky soups. But those orange vegetables make for good creamy soups, so I decided I'd go for it. I also added a can of chickpeas for some protein.
I was totally going to add a can of coconut milk to this at the end, but after I pureed it I was very happy with the texture and flavor, so I decided to leave it out. I also totally meant to add an apple for some sweetness, but forgot - so I added a splash of apple cider.
Like most good soups, this can be completely improvised for what you have on hand and/or prefer. You can use all or just one of sweet potato, butternut squash and/or carrots. I am not even suggesting quantities because it's that flexible! I would say at least 4 cups of veggies is good - I might have had more like 8; it almost filled my Dutch oven. This is also vegan if you use veggie broth.
If you're inspired you can also have fun with garnishes like pumpkin seeds, bacon bits, kale chips, croutons, flavored oils or maybe a drizzle of heavy cream or sour cream. Or just eat it with a nice grilled cheese!
- Sweet potato, peeled & chopped roughly
- Butternut squash, peeled/seeded & chopped roughly (you can prick & microwave for a few minutes to soften it up first)
- Carrots, scrubbed & chopped roughly (no need to peel)
- optional: 1 apple, peeled & chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2+ cloves garlic, minced
- fresh ginger, grated or minced
- curry powder (at least a couple of teaspoons, maybe more especially if it's a large pot)
- turmeric (1/4-1/2 tsp)
- cinnamon (a few shakes)
- 1 box stock/broth + water
- 1 can chickpeas, rinsed & drained
- lime or lemon juice
- optional: can of coconut milk, or some heavy cream
Saute the onion in some olive oil in a large pot until translucent. Season with salt. Add garlic and ginger & stir briefly. Add spices & stir briefly.
Add a little bit of the stock and mix everything together. Then add the chopped veggies. Add the rest of the stock, plus enough water to not-quite-cover the veggies, and a healthy pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover & simmer for 15 minutes.
Add chickpeas, cover & simmer for another 15 minutes or until vegetables are soft.
Puree the soup either with an immersion blender, or carefully in a regular blender (do it in batches and maybe let it cool a bit).
Return the soup to the pot over low heat. Add the coconut milk if you like, and some lime or lemon juice. Taste and see what it needs! I also added freshly ground pepper and some Penzey's Black & Red.
