Curried Carrot & Sweet Potato Soup

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

This is a perfect soup for using up those lonely carrots and sweet potatoes you have left over from the week. Most of these items are pantry staples, and this recipe requires very little effort. It’s warm, somewhat spicy, slightly sweet, and very comforting.

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound carrots, peeled and chopped

2 cups peeled and chopped sweet potatoes (about 1 medium-sized potato)

2 shallots, roughly chopped

3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste

1½ tablespoons curry powder

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

4 cups Chicken Stock (page 81) or Vegetable Broth (page 80)

1 tablespoon sunflower seed butter

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Microgreens for garnish (optional)

In a large pot, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the carrots, sweet potatoes, shallots, garlic, and salt, and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are slightly browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in the curry powder and ginger. Pour in the stock or broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer until all the vegetables have softened, about 20 minutes. Carefully pour the soup into a blender, or use an immersion blender, and blend until smooth. Return the soup to the original pot, place over low heat, and stir in the sunflower seed butter. Warm until smooth and heated through. Season to taste.

Ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish with microgreens, if desired, and freshly ground pepper, and serve hot.