Creamy orange carrot & sweet potato soup

If you’re looking to deliver a beta carotene boost, look no further. This smooth and creamy soup is subtly sweet and brilliant orange, flavoured with orange juice and ginger. Spice it up with a spoonful of curry paste after serving the kids.

Ingredients:

canola oil, for cooking
1 tbsp (15 ml) butter
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp (15 ml) grated fresh ginger
1 tsp (5 ml) curry powder or paste (optional)
1 lb. carrots, peeled (or scrubbed) and cut into 1” chunks
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1” chunks
4 cups (1 L) low-sodium chicken stock
1 cup (250 ml) orange juice
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup (125 ml) half & half or heavy cream (optional)

Directions:

1. In a medium pot, heat a drizzle of oil with the butter over medium heat. When the foam subsides, add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, until soft. Add ginger and curry powder (if using) and cook for another minute or two.

2. Add carrots, sweet potato, stock and orange juice and bring to a simmer. Cook for 25–30 minutes, until the vegetables are very soft.

Season with salt and pepper.

3. Remove from heat and using a hand-held immersion blender, purée the soup in the pot. (Alternatively, process it in a blender in batches until smooth.) Blend in the cream, if you’re using it, and serve hot.

Serves 6.

Per serving (made with 1 tbsp canola oil and half & half)

156 calories, 5.4 g fat (2.9 g saturated fat, 0.6 g polyunsaturated fat, 1.9 g monounsaturated fat), 3.4 g protein, 24 g carbohydrates, 13 mg cholesterol, 3.8 g fibre.

Originally published in ParentsCanada magazine, November/December 2011.