As soon as the weather cools I’m ready to make soup, especially this sweet potato apple soup. It’s the perfect lunch soup to share with friends, and even the kids liked it! It uses all my favorite fall flavors, apples, sweet potatoes, carrots, and autumnal spices. Below I’ll give you the recipe for the autumn spice blend I like to keep on hand for the fall season too.
When I shop for sweet potatoes and any other root vegetables, I always choose organic. Root vegetables grown in soil absorb anything that is put into the soil. So although sweet potatoes are often on the Clean 15 list, I still opt for organic when I can find it. They often taste better too.
Apples are one of those fruits that I only buy organic, or eco-certified. This is a new term that is for farmers who closely follow organic practices, but are not certified. Apples are susceptible to pests, and these farmers use integrated pest management practices that are safer than conventionally grown apples.
Did you know most apples in the stores can have up to 30 different chemical pesticides on them? And they don’t wash off. They get into the skin and because it’s in the soil, it’s in the whole apple. No thank you. I talk a little more about how to best spend your dollars at the grocery store in this post.
This sweet potato and apple soup is both gluten free and dairy free, but is incredibly rich and creamy. I use some coconut milk at the end of the cooking process to add the creamy factor. Look for canned coconut milk that just says coconut milk. There’s a new one out from Native Forest and I just ordered a case of them from Amazon.
My recipe calls for chicken broth. You can learn all about how to make chicken bone broth here and learn why it’s so good for you. If you want this to be a vegetarian meal, please substitute vegetable broth. Take a look at the post about broth to learn how to avoid buying broth filled with MSG…aka yeast extract.
SWEET POTATO AND APPLE SOUP
Ingredients
- 2 large sweet potatoes cut into ½" cubes
- 4 tablespoons avocado oil divided
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 4 shallots minced
- 3 carrots diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 6 cups chicken bone broth
- 3 gala or fuji apples
- 1 tablespoon autumn spice blend
- 1 cup coconut milk beverage
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Add potatoes to baking sheet, drizzle with 2 tablespoons avocado oil and sprinkle with salt. Mix with your hands to fully coat. Roast for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are soft, but not mushy.
- Meanwhile, in a large pot, heat the remaining oil over medium heat. Add the carrots and shallots. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, then add the garlic for one additional minute.
- Stir in the chicken broth, add the sweet potatoes when ready, apples, and spice blend. Cover the pot and simmer on low for 15 minutes.
- If you have an immersion blender, use it to puree the soup in the pot until desired texture is reached. Alternatively, you can transfer the soup to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Return the soup to the pot and add the coconut milk. Stir to combine well.
- Serve warm.
AUTUMN SPICE BLEND
*keep this on hand in a small jar and add to soups, smoothies, and oatmeal all season long. It will last two weeks in the pantry, or up to 3 months in the freezer.
- 1/3 cup ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
These warming spices help boost your circulation. Ginger also helps support your digestive system. If you are someone like me who ALWAYS feels cold from October till April, try adding this into more of our foods. I use a high quality cinnamon that is Ceylon cinnamon. Often times what’s in traditional grocery stores is cassia, which doesn’t have the same medicinal properties. I order a bulk bag of cinnamon and then keep a small jar on hand and store the rest in the freezer.
What’s your favorite fall soup? Here’s one additional health tip–consider having soup for breakfast. As the weather continues to cool and the mornings get dark, enjoying a warm soup first thing in the morning is a great way to start your day. Don’t knock it till you try it! With the sweet potato and apple soup you already have had a couple of servings of vegetables to start your day. Enjoy.
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