This purple sweet potato soup is a fall favorite! The creamy and dense sweet potatoes fill the belly on a cool autumn day. The sweet flavor is tinted with the tart apples and savory seasonings for a complex, yet homey flavor. Enjoy with a leafy green salad and crusty bread.
I like using purple sweet potatoes for the visual appeal and the health benefits. I easily eat enough orange fruits and vegetables over the course of a day, but struggle to get plenty of the purple ones.
Health benefits of sweet potatoes
According to All-About-Sweet-Potatoes.com, there are approximately 6,500 varieties! They vary in flesh and skin color, providing vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber. Sweet potatoes are low in sugar and a great carbohydrate choice. A half cup of sweet potato is an excellent source of vitamin C (helps your body fight infection and heal wounds), vitamin A (supports healthy skin and vision), potassium (regulates heartbeat and nerve impulses) and fiber (good for digestion and heart health).
Purple sweet potatoes: The antioxidant, Anthocyanin, gives these sweet potatoes their royal color. Anthocyanin is believed to decrease inflammation and support liver and heart health.
Orange sweet potatoes: Orange sweet potatoes are rich in beta-carotene, an antioxidant that supports eye health and decreases risk for some types of cancer. These bright potatoes are also high in vitamin C, an antioxidant that boosts immunity.
White sweet potatoes: White potatoes have similar nutritional benefits to their orange counterparts, although less beta-carotene, the antioxidant pigment that give the orange potato its color.
Sweet Potato and Apple Soup
Ingredients
- 3 lbs Sweet potatoes
- 2 large Tart apples about 1 cup shredded
- 8 cups Vegetable broth or 4 cups broth + 4 cups water
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 large Sweet onion about 2 cups diced
- 2 large Carrots about 1 cup shredded
- 3 stalks Celery about 1 cup sliced
- 1 Bay leaf
- 1 tbsp Fresh rosemary needles or 1 teas dried
- 3 tbsp Fresh thyme or 1 teas dried
- ½ teas Salt
- ½ teas Black pepper
- Optional garnish: Feta or Vegan cheese cumbles
Instructions
- Wash and peel the sweet potatoes and then cut them into small chunks.
- In a soup pot, saute the onions, carrots and celery in oil until slightly soft.
- Add the sweet potatoes, bay leaf and 8 cups of liquid (broth or broth/water combination) and bring to boil. Lower the heat to simmer and cover. Cook 10-15 minutes until the sweet potatoes are soft.
- Remove the bay leaf and reserve. Use an emulsion blender to puree the mixture into a chunky soup: smooth sweet potatoes with celery chunks and carrot shreds.
- Peel and shred the apples. Add to the pot and mix well.
- Add the seasonings, including the bay leaf. Mix well and simmer 15 minutes or more, to allow the flavors to blend.
- Ladle into bowls, top with diced apples, shredded carrot or cheese.
Roasted Sweet Potato & Quinoa Salad on Toasted Kale
This nutritious vegan recipe combines the caramel-roasted flavor of sweet potatoes, pungent shallots and a tangy mustard dressing. Serve hot or cold.
