Autumn is my favorite season! I absolutely love how dreamy and beautiful everything becomes when the trees change to vibrant shades of reds, oranges and gold as they fall leisurely from the trees against a backdrop of clear blue skies. The weather gets cooler and the wind crisper. Thanksgiving (an American holiday) is just around the corner bringing with it warm and rich delicacies. One of my most memorable Autumn vacations was a trip to Europe a few years ago. We started out in Salzburg, Austria the birthplace of Mozart and drove through the picturesque Austrian Alps into Germany where we visited the fairy tale Neuschwanstein castle in Bavaria, Germany finally ending up in Munich, Germany. In November, I will be sharing with you autumn dishes which have been inspired by trips to different countries each bringing with it a unique culinary experience. Many of these dishes will make wonderful additions to the Thanksgiving table. Join me for an autumn inspired culinary journey around the World.....
Sweet Potato and Carrot Soup
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes
Ingredients (serves 4)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ red onion (½ cup), diced
2 cups sweet potatoes, washed and chopped
1 cup carrots, washed and chopped
1 bay leaf
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock/broth
¼ teaspoon allspice
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon fresh herbs (thyme, sage, rosemary), chopped finely
Salt to taste
Optional Ingredients
2 tablespoons cream
Method
Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan and fry the garlic for about 1 minute.
Add the onions, sweet potatoes, carrots and bay leaf, then simmer uncovered for about 5 minutes.
Add the vegetable or chicken stock/broth, allspice and black pepper, then cook covered until the vegetables are soft (about 15 minutes); remove the bay leaf.
Transfer to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.
Place mixture in a medium saucepan and add the fresh herbs and salt, then simmer covered for about 5 minutes, then remove from heat.
Serving suggestion: Drizzle some more olive oil over the soup, a drop of cream (optional) and blackpepper before serving.
Tips: Instead of 4 cups of vegetable or chicken stock/broth, you can use 4 cups of water and 1 vegetable or chicken bouillon/stock cube.
