Roasted Sweet Potato & Carrot Soup with Pecan Topping
A comforting blend of roasted sweet potatoes and carrots, this soup is elevated with a crunchy pecan topping for the perfect balance of flavour and texture.
Serve the soup in bowls topped with the pecan topping (if using), more shredded cheddar cheese and fresh rosemary.
Why you’ll love this carrot and sweet potato soup recipe
- Sweet & savoury: This sweet potato carrot soup recipe is the perfect balance of sweet, savoury, and crunchy.
- Cozy flavours: The sweet potato and carrot base creates a smooth, earthy base while the cheddar cheese adds a salty contrast and the pecan topping creates an unexpected sweet, spicy, and crunchy finish.
- Healthy: Packed with antioxidants and fibre.
Is carrot and sweet potato soup healthy?
Yes! At its core this sweet potato carrot soup is a healthy choice, packed with antioxidants, natural dietary fibre, and is naturally gluten-free. However, it can be made as indulgent as you’re feeling depending on what you top it with or substitutions you may like to make. I highly recommend trying it with my Pecan Topping, the sweetness and crunch bring this soup to the next level.
Ingredients for sweet potato soup
For the soup
Sweet Potato: Brings a rich sweetness that caramelizes beautifully.
Yellow Onion: Melts down to add a depth to the base.
Garlic Cloves: Adds a warm, roasted something special to this soup.
Carrots: Adds a subtle, earthy sweetness.
Olive Oil: Coats the vegetables evenly to help them crisp up and brown.
Spice & Herb Blend (Paprika, Dried Oregano, Salt & Pepper, Chili Flakes, Fresh Rosemary): A complementary mix of smoky heat and earthy herbs.
Chicken (or Vegetable Broth): Provides flavorful and controls thickness.
Cheddar Cheese: Melts into a gooey layer that adds a sharp, salty contrast to the sweet vegetables.
For the pecan topping (optional):
Butter: Melts into the topping creating the golden-brown crust.
Pecans: Adds a buttery crunchy texture against the creamy soup.
Spice Blend (Cinnamon, Chili Powder, Chili Flakes, Salt): A sweet-and-spicy flavor kick.
Brown Sugar: Caramelizes and combines all the ingredients.
Kitchen tools needed to make this soup
- Large, rimmed baking sheet and parchment paper – for roasting the vegetables
- High-speed blender or immersion blender – to puree the vegetables and broth
- Large soup pot OR Dutch oven – to simmer and heat the soup
- Wooden spoon or silicone spatula – to stir the soup and optional topping
- Small frying pan (skillet) – to make the option topping
Key steps to making this soup
- Roast the Vegetables: Preheat your oven to 400F. Toss the halved sweet potatoes, carrots, and yellow onion with olive oil, and add directly to a parchment lined baking sheet. Mix the paprika, oregano, salt, black pepper, and chili flakes, in a bowl and sprinkle over the vegetables. Tuck the unpeeled garlic cloves in with the veggies. Roast for 45-55 minutes until everything is fork-tender and the edges are crispy.
- Blend Everything: Into a blender add the scooped-out flesh of the sweet potatoes, the roasted onion, carrots, and squeeze the garlic out of the peels into the blender too. Add in 2 cups of broth and blend until smooth. Add in 2 more cups of broth and blend again until smooth.
- Simmer: Once fully blended, add the soup to a large pot and warm over medium-low heat until hot enough to serve. Alternatively, blend everything together in the pot using an immersion blender and then warm over medium-low heat.
Tips & tricks on how to make sweet potato carrot soup
To ensure this sweet potato carrot soup turns out perfectly smooth and has big flavour, focus on roasting the vegetables thoroughly and getting the most flavour out of these simple ingredients.
Roast before blending: Roast your halved sweet potatoes, carrots, onions, and unpeeled garlic cloves on a baking sheet with the olive oil and spices until caramelized. This develops a rich, charred sweetness that can’t be matched if you boil or steam the veggies.
Bloom the spices: Make sure you add the paprika, oregano, and chili flakes directly to the oiled vegetables before roasting – not after. The heat wakes up their essential oils and adds a tonne of flavour.
Blend and adjust: Add the roasted veggies, garlic and broth to a stand blender or use an immersion blender directly in the pot. Start by blending with 2 cups of broth. Blend for at least 1 to 2 minutes to ensure the veggies become completely smooth. Then add 2 more cups of broth. If the soup feels too thick, slowly add more broth ¼ cup at a time, until it’s reached your preferred consistency.
Watch your topping: When making the optional topping, toast the pecans with the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and chili flakes over medium-low heat. Brown sugar burns quickly, so stir constantly for just 2 to 3 minutes until they are fragrant and glossy, then remove from the heat immediately.
Variations and substitutions
Topping Ideas
Crispy & Crunchy: Try adding my home made croutons, or swapping the pecans directly for walnuts or hazelnuts.
Nut-Free: If you have a nut allergy but still want that sweet-and-spicy crunch, swap the pecans for raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas) or sunflower seeds. They toast beautifully in the skillet with the butter and brown sugar. Or swap out the pecan topping for my Pumpkin Seed Topping (pumpkin seeds, brown sugar kosher salt, paprika and extra virgin olive oil).
Low-Sugar Savoury: Skip the brown sugar in the pecan topping. Instead, toast the pecans with olive oil, and try adding rosemary, salt, and cayenne pepper.
Dietary Substitutions
Make it Vegetarian: Simply swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth.
Make it Vegan: Swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth and replace the butter in the pecan topping with coconut oil or a plant-based butter and don’t add the cheddar cheese. Instead try stirring in 2–3 tablespoons of nutritional yeast to create that nutty cheesy flavour.
Produce Variations
Vegetable Swap: If you don’t have enough sweet potatoes, you can easily substitute up to half of the weight with butternut squash or add more carrots.
Additional Produce: Roast one peeled, cored and halved apple or a pear with the other veggies, it adds a bright touch that you didn’t know you needed. You can also add a small nob of fresh ginger to the vegetables before roasting to add a zippy warmth.
An Extra Kick
Smoky heat: If you like a little heat, swap the paprika for smoked paprika or blend 1 small chipotle pepper directly into the soup. The smoky heat cuts through the natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes nicely.
How to store and reheat
If you have leftovers, refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 – 4 days. Reheat soup in a pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Alternatively, freeze the soup for up to 2 months.
FAQs
Yes, you can absolutely freeze sweet potato and carrot soup. This is a great soup to keep stocked in the freezer for a quick comforting bowl when you need it. It will freeze for up to 2 months while keeping its flavour and texture.
If you make the recipe as written, it will last 2 – 3 days in the fridge. If you make a dairy free version, it will last 3 – 4 days.
Yes! At its core this sweet potato carrot soup is a healthy choice, packed with antioxidants, natural dietary fibre, and is naturally gluten-free. However, it can be made as indulgent as you’re feeling depending on what you top it with or substitutions you may like to make. I highly recommend trying it with my Pecan Topping, the sweetness and crunch bring this soup to the next level.
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Roasted Sweet Potato & Carrot Soup with Pecan Topping
Ingredients
For the soup
- 1 large yellow onion, peel removed and halved
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut in half lengthwise
- 3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp ground pepper
- Pinch of chili flakes
- 900 g (2lb) sweet potatoes (about 2 large sweet potatoes, halved)
- 4-5 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 3/4 cup freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese plus more for serving
- fresh minced rosemary for garnish
For the pecan topping (optional)
- 1 tbsp butter
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp packed brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- Pinch of chili flakes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Add the peeled and halved onion, halved carrots and garlic cloves to the baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil and use a brush or your hands to make sure everything is coated.
- In a small bowl mix the paprika, dried oregano, salt, pepper and chili flakes together.
- Sprinkle the seasonings over the cut side of the sweet potatoes and put them cut side down onto the baking sheet. Prick the skin side of the sweet potatoes with a fork a few times.
- Roast everything for 45-55 minutes or until everything is fork tender, especially the sweet potatoes. Start checking around the 40 minute mark as it will depend on the size of the sweet potatoes you use.
- Once everything is done roasting, set aside until cool enough to handle.
- If making the pecan topping: In a small frying pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted and bubbling, stir in the pecans to coat with butter and then stir in cinnamon, brown sugar, chili powder, salt and chili flakes. Cook 2-3 minutes and remove from the heat and set aside on a plate to cool.
- Into a blender add the scooped out flesh of the sweet potatoes, the roasted onion and carrots. Squeeze the garlic out of the peels into the blender too. Add in 2 cups of chicken or vegetable broth and blend until smooth. Add in 2 more cups of chicken broth and blend again until smooth. Once fully blended, add the soup to a large pot and warm over medium-low heat until hot enough to serve. Alternatively, blend everything together in a pot using an immersion blender and then warm over medium-low heat.
- Stir in the ¾ cup freshly grated cheddar cheese until combined. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper if desired.
- Add up to 1 cup more broth if you like a less thick soup.
- Serve the soup in bowls topped with the pecan topping (if using), more shredded cheddar cheese and fresh minced rosemary.
