Sweet Potato Carrot Soup

Day 3 of our Vegan Cleanse week, is also the last day we are allowed to eat both cooked and raw veggies.  I worriedly looked at the inside of my fridge, hoping to find anything that still looked fresh so I wouldn’t have to go to the market…. I opened one of the drawers in the fridge and discovered I had 3 garnet yams. The basket on the kitchen counter has a couple of onions.  I’ve been wanting to make a Sweet Potato Carrot Soup and so I was very excited. I can make soup!  I had all the ingredients, except the carrots.  My husband came to the rescue and went to the market and fetched me some fresh carrots!

So, here it is:

Garnet yams (about 2 lb.) Can use Japanese yams too, very delicious.  Cut in cubes

Carrots (about 1 lb) Cut in cubes

Onions, roughly chopped

Finely chopped garlic, 3-4 cloves

Nutmeg powder

Cinnamon powder

Vegetable broth, one box or more.

Salt

Unsalted butter, 3 TBSP

Parsley

Using a stock pot, saute onions and garlic in 1 ½ TBSP butter until soft.  Push them aside to the edge of the pot.  Add the rest of the butter to the pot, let it melt and brown a little.  Then add sweet potatoes and carrots to the pot and saute.  Then mix the onions and garlic with the sweet potatoes and carrots.  Add the nutmeg and cinnamon powders, a little salt.  Pour veggie broth to cover the contents in the pot.  Let it boil and then reduce it to low and let it simmer for 30-40 min with the lid closed.  Check it periodically to see if you need to add more broth or water.  The kitchen is going to smell so good.

When it is done, scope 2-3 ladles of the soup to your blender (Vitamix).  I added more liquids (veggie broth) into the mixer directly, diluting it a bit and also cooling the temperature down.  Puree the mixture starting at low and gradually turning the dial to high speed for a minute or so, until you see it as blended and pureed.  Pour it into a smaller saucepan.  Repeat this procedure for the remainder of the soup in the stock pot, dividing it into 2 or 3 batches so as not to overwhelm the blender and always being careful about the hot liquid blending in the blender (make sure you hold the top down and securely fastened and blend using slow speed then gradually increasing to high speed).

I served the soup to my husband with some chopped parsley on top.  He was surprised. With a salad, we were set for the evening.  Dinner felt satisfying and healthy (some may say that’s an oxymoron.)

For another version, I sliced up some leftover roasted beets and added some sprouted greens (roasted vegetables like roasted cauliflower, parsnips, sunchokes would be delicious.)

I texted my son with a picture of the soup and asked if he wanted some.  He responded with a resounding YES and came up to our apartment (we live in the same building!) and inhaled a bowl. I feel so loved.

Success!