Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Curried Sweet Potato, Carrot, and Apple Soup

Boy have I got a recipe for you today!! 

This one came courtesy of some leftover baked sweet potatoes and glazed carrots that needed to be used up. 

And of course, the ever-present quarts of home made chicken broth in my fridge. 

I started thinking about making those leftover sweet potatoes into a pureed soup. 

And of course, they would go perfectly with the glazed carrots. 

And while I'm at it, why not toss in some apples and fragrant spices? 

Done! And let me tell you, what I had in my head was nothing compared to how it actually turned out! 

It was so amazing, such a blend of complex flavors, that I brought in a sample for my Chef at work. He's from Brittany, France and has been a chef all over the world....he makes wonderful soups, and he loved mine so much he wanted me to bring in samples for the rest of the cooks behind the line! 

Ok here's what you'll need: 

5 small sweet potatoes
2 medium onions
3 cloves garlic
3/4 sweet red pepper
2 granny smith apples
3 cups baby carrots
1 3/4 quarts chicken broth
Spices: curry powder, nutmeg, allspice, cayenne pepper, and smoked paprika
A splash of cream

Here's how it came about! 


First thing in the morning, before I went to work, I threw together the ingredients for homemade naan. 

I have tried multiple naan recipes, and in my humble opinion, I believe Tieghan over at Half Baked Harvest has THE BEST naan recipe.  The best, by far. The bomb-dot-com. 

This is my absolute go-to naan recipe, and I always try to keep a batch in the freezer. 



The dough is super easy to whip up, and the naan is really quite easy to make. 

Check out Tieghan's recipe for the ingredients you'll need if you want to make your own naan to go along with my amazing soup. 

I wrapped the bowl in plastic wrap and left it on my counter to rise while I was at work.  

When I got home after an extra-long day at work, I immediately started getting the naan baking.

If I wasn't so late getting home I would have taken more pictures, but I was kind of rushing....sorry! 


While I was cooking the naan in batches, I started the soup. 

Into my all time favorite pot went a drizzle of olive oil, followed by 2 medium onions, 3 cloves garlic, and 3/4 of a red pepper, rough chopped. The garlic cloves were just peeled and smashed. 

I cooked the veggies over medium heat, getting them a little brown before adding in 1 3/4 quarts of chicken broth. 

I scraped up as many of those good brown bits off the bottom of the pan, and let the veggies simmer while I kept making naan. 


If you did not have pre-cooked sweet potatoes and carrots, you would add them in with the broth at this point. Peel and chop the sweet potatoes into small chunks, and the same with the carrots. 

Let it all simmer until the veggies are very tender. At that point, add in two granny smith apples, also peeled and cut in small dice. 

Simmer for a few more minutes, until the apples start to soften as well. 

My sweet potatoes were already baked, so I just removed the skins, and threw them in. The carrots were already cooked as well, so in they went along with the apples. 

Then it was time to puree the soup - I use my good old standby immersion blender, which I love. 

Now it's time to bring in the spices....this is what really makes this soup special! 

I used 1 1/2 tsp curry, and 1/4 tsp each of nutmeg, allspice, cayenne pepper, and smoked paprika. 

Taste and adjust the spices as you like. There should be a bit of a kick, but not overwhelming. If you don't like it spicy, cut those amounts in half....you can always taste and add more as needed. 

The last thing I added was a small splash of cream. If you add too much spice, add more cream to temper the spice. 

Again, there should be a touch of heat in this soup....but just enough to keep you coming back for more. 


You could top this soup with a drizzle of cream, or a dollop of creme fraiche or sour cream...even some shredded cheddar. 

We just ate it as is, with that fabulous naan. The flavors could not have complemented each other better....it was the most satisfying meal on a frigid winter's night. 

By the time we sat down, my kitchen looked as if a bomb had gone off. That's what happens when I get delayed at work, sadly....I'm rushing to get dinner on the table, and I'm not cleaning as I go along. Well, in fairness, I had my hands full making naan....that was more important for sure!


By the way, I have to share with you a new wonderful product that Sweetie got me as part of my Christmas gifts. He knows how much I adore my Le Creuset items, and he found the most fabulous cleaner for them! 


This stuff is pure magic, I tell you!!  The tiniest drop (the size of a pea) cleans up the baked-on black goo in seconds, with no scrubbing!!  


I'm totally hooked on this stuff....Sweetie says he got it because I would often ask him to scrub the pots when they were really bad so I wouldn't ruin my nails, ha ha!! 

Sweetie got me the set with the nylon brush but they also sell the cleaner on its own


The rest of the kitchen got attacked with Mrs Meyers Geranium Scent all purpose cleaner....I love her cleaners, they really do a wonderful job tackling the grease and grime, and leave the kitchen smelling absolutely fabulous. I had my audio book playing on my new speaker, and was happy as can be puttering around my little country kitchen.  

Lunch was packed for the next day, the rest of the soup and the naan were both tucked away in the freezer for another night, and my mind was already turning to meal planning for the next evening.

A short time later, the kitchen was spotless once again, and Molly and I were snuggling up by the fire. 

A perfect ending to a very busy winter's day.

26 comments:

  1. I never heard of a Naan. How yummy. The soup sounds so delish. I love sweet potato anything and with the apples I bet it was so tasty. Thank you for sharing the recipe. Happy Tuesday.
    xoxo
    Kris

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    1. Naan is a traditional Indian style bread, Kris, and it's so incredibly delicious!! It's 'baked' in a hot pan on the stove, with a lid, one at a time. It's crazy addictive!

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    2. Kris!! How have you lived here in the Chicago area and not heard of naan bread? Maybe I need to take you to an Indian restaurant for lunch ;-)

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    3. Sounds like a plan, ladies!!!

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  2. I have no idea how you do it all. Puts me to shame when I think how you work fulltime and garden and get all these things cooked. You must be super woman.
    Brenda

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    1. Oh my gosh, hardly, Brenda!! There are also a million things I DON'T manage to get done, which drives me nuts of course. I have more free time in winter to experiment in the kitchen, since I'm not spending every spare minute in the garden....I sure do take advantage of it!

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  3. I make curried sweet potato soup the exact same way - we must be twinsies!! I have never made my own naan bread though; I've bought it from Trader Joe's. And of course, have had the real thing in Indian restaurants. ;-) Perhaps I'll try making my own one day this winter! Interesting about the Le Creuset cleaner. I've used Bar Keeper's friend (the liquid, not powder) on mine and that works well, too.

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    Replies
    1. Twinsies indeed!! You should try making the naan, Melanie, it's so far beyond anything you can buy in the store....oh it's just heavenly!

      I've tried other cleansers for my Le Creuset, nothing has blown me away like this. All those old stains that didn't really disappear completely with the other methods (you know, the yellowing) - GONE!!!

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  4. I can not imagine tackling such a meal after working all day. I used to dread getting home, knowing supper had to be cooked. :) The soup looks and sounds delicious. I've never heard of Naan bread. It all sounds good!

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    1. It's funny Henny, my sweetie says any night I'm too tired to cook or don't feel like it, just let him know and he'll either bring over take-out, or take me out to dinner....but I'm just so happy to be home after a long day that more often than not I prefer to cook!

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  5. Well that looks delicious, but I am so envious of all you accomplish in a day! Where do you the energy to work a full day, cook a gourmet meal and clean up?? I think it must be super veggie power from your garden!!

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    1. Ha! Maybe it is!! Or maybe it's that old saying that a body in motion stays in motion....once I sit down, I don't want to get up again, so I just keep going!

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  6. I must get some of that cleaner!

    Your soup looks and sounds wonderful! I've never eaten naan, must try it sometime. Most of the time I make hoe cakes to go with my soups. Every heard of that?

    I agree with Brenda above, I'm constantly amazed at all you manage to do, plus working away from home too.

    Your last picture...isn't that a good feeling! I know you must have been so tired by then but you couldn't have left it and slept well. And seeing it the next morning must have made it so worth it.

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    Replies
    1. I've never heard of hoe cakes, I'll have to look those up, Dewena, thanks for the tip!

      As for my clean kitchen, I never ever leave my kitchen messy and go to bed....even after a dinner party, everything has to be clean and all dishes washed before I crawl into bed. I can't possibly wake up to a messy kitchen!

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  7. That soup really does sound wonderful! I have never mad naan. I need to give it a try!

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    1. It's truly so much better than any naan you can buy in the market, Penny, and sooooo easy to make yourself!

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  8. Hi Debbie,

    This recipe is getting made by me very soon, it sounds great!! The only tweak for me is curry. My husband and I aren't fans. I'm looking forward to making this and thanks for the recipe.

    Cindy

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    1. It could definitely be made without the curry Cindy - just use the other spices and add more as needed.

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  9. I forgot, thanks for the cleaner because I love my Lecruset too.

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    1. It's pure magic, Cindy!!! I can't get over how amazing it is!

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  10. Everything you cook up looks amazing, you definetly have a talent for cooking, recipes, canning and preserving......oh, and GROWING THE FOOD! LOL I So enjoy your posts, I do. Happy weekend!

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    1. You're so sweet Debbi, thank you!! I love to cook, it's a passion of mine! I also love nights like this one, where I just pull something I've already made out of the freezer! Perfect for a Monday night!

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  11. Good Morning!
    I love your recipe shares and tips on how to make ordinary soups, meals etc... top-notch. I too have fallen in love with Smoked Paprika and I have even begun to sneak curry into my one-pot wonder meals as well as stews.
    You are one organized Lady and I so enjoy your positive attitude as well!
    Happy Super Bowl Sunday,
    Jemma

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    1. You are such a joy, Jemma! Talk about a positive attitude - you exude cheerfulness!! Thank you for your lovely comments, my sweet friend...hope you enjoyed the game!

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  12. That does sound like a fantastic combination! Thanks for sharing.

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  13. I'm kind of craving it right now, Karen Ann, along with some of that amazing naan!!

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I thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking time out of your busy day to leave a comment...I truly love reading your comments and I try to respond to each and every one of your sweet comments right here on my blog page!

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