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

1. 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.
2. 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. 
3. 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

More soup recipes to love from the blog

• The Best Creamy Potato Soup
• Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Soup
• Roasted Cauliflower Soup

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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 flavor and texture.

Course Soup

Cuisine american-inspired

Keyword pecan, soup, sweet potato

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 55 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Jess

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.

The post Roasted Sweet Potato & Carrot Soup with Pecan Topping appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

This time of year I like to balance the seasonal produce with sweet treats I like to make.

So grab a cup of coffee and let’s dive into all of the recipes to make in November along with some ideas for the upcoming holiday season! 

I am really looking forward to baking some of my favourite holiday treats this month. I love to make a cup of hot chocolate, put on a Christmas movie and bake, bake, bake!

But other than baking, I’m always on the lookout for one-pot and easy meals for weeknights. I found this AWESOME post from Modern Proper with 60 BEST EASY DINNERS and it’s been my go-to lately. Some of our fav dinner’s we’ve made are: Thai Basil Beef, Kung Pao Chicken and Sesame Garlic Ramen Noodles.

There are so many recipes I want to make this time of year; from cozy soups to one pot pastas, to seasonal desserts and festive cocktails. It’s hard to choose!

So here are some of my fav recipes to make in November to help all of those cravings:

Broccoli – Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli

Carrots – Sheet Pan Roasted Carrots, Brussels Sprouts and Potatoes

Cranberries – Cranberry-Pear Chia Seed Jam

Kale – Warm Kale Salad with Sweet Potatoes & Apples (from my FREE e-Cookbook)

Pears – Baked Pears with Cardamom Cream

Sweet Potato – Sweet Potato and Cheddar Drop Biscuits

Winter Squash – Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

I hope wherever you are, you are able to gather again together for the holidays; whether in small or larger groups.

So with that in mind, check out my GATHERINGS section for ideas of what to serve like my Festive Market Cheeseboard or my roundup of holiday cocktails.

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

The post What’s In Season – Recipes to Make in November appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

By roasting the sweet potato and kale on the flatbread you create the most delicious savoury and sweet flavours.

Then, bringing all of the flavours together, the flatbreads are topped with a local plant-based Garlic and Herb Macadamia cheese by Flora Fromage. These Sweet Potato Kale Flatbreads just might become your go-to appetizer for entertaining!

I absolutely adore entertaining. I always look to create food that is easy to make so you can spend more time enjoying delicious food with your family and friends.

So, I partnered with Flora Fromage to bring this simple and beautiful Sweet Potato Kale Flatbreads recipe to you.

I discovered Flora Fromage when I met Janice, the Chef and Owner, at a workshop she was hosting.  The workshop is where I first tried her plant-based cheese recipes and the flavours absolutely blew me away! The cheeses are all dairy-free and rich in probiotics; plus the cheese is perfect to serve when you have a variety of dietary needs or tastes.

What I love about the Garlic and Herb Macadamia cheese is the savoury flavour from the garden herbs and zesty garlic.  The flavours of the cheese complement the vegetables on the flatbreads perfectly! Sprinkling on the cheese after the flatbread is cooked also makes this dish easy to serve at parties.

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Sweet Potato Kale Flatbreads

Roasted seasonal vegetables are paired with a Garlic & Herb Macadamia Cheese for the ultimate flatbread! A simple recipe for dinner or party appetizer!

Course Appetizer, dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword flatbread

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 4

Author Jess

Ingredients

• 425-450 g fresh pizza dough usually this can be found in the bakery section or frozen section of your grocery store and may vary in size; one package of freshly-made dough
• 1/2 cup red onion slices
• 1 cup sweet potato cubes
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 2 1/2 cups chopped kale
• 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp Flora Fromage Garlic & Herb Macadamia Cheese
• 1/2 cup Flora Fromage Garlic & Herb Macadamia Cheese
• extra salt & pepper to sprinkle on at the end

Instructions

• Make pizza dough according to the recipe you are using. Or, if you're using a store-bought dough, remove the dough from the fridge and leave on the counter, covered with a tea towel for about 15-30 minutes.
• Pre-heat the oven to 400F. 
• Mix together the onion, sweet potato, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/4 tsp pepper on a baking sheet.
• Bake the onion and sweet potato for 20 minutes, flipping the vegetables halfway through.
• While the vegetables are baking, lay a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet and using a bit of flour, stretch or roll the pizza dough into two oval shapes, about 8 inches tall.
• Once the vegetables are done baking, place the flatbreads in the oven for 10 minutes.
• While the dough is baking, mix the chopped kale with 1/2 tbsp olive oil.
  
• Remove the dough from the oven after 10 minutes. Spread 1 tbsp of the Flora Fromage Garlic & Herb Macadamia Cheese on each flatbread. Then, top each flatbread with kale, onion and sweet potato.
• Return the flatbread to the oven for an additional 8-10 minutes, until the kale begins to crisp.
• Remove the flatbreads from the oven and top with the crumbled Flora Fromage Garlic & Herb Macadamia Cheese.

Notes

For my friends who can't access Flora Fromage in their local town or city, a garlic and/or herbed goat cheese will work as a great alternative topping.

If you want to use pre-cooked flatbreads, skip the first 10 minutes of cook time and then follow the remaining steps, cooking the flatbreads with the toppings.

I am planning on serving these Sweet Potato Kale Flatbreads through the holiday season and beyond! They are shareable and easy to make for guests.

And if you love the sound of the Flora Fromage Garlic & Herb Macadamia Cheese, check out the other flavours including the Smokey Jalapeno (OMG!) and Apricot Orange.

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

Disclaimer: Thank you to Flora Fromage for sponsoring this post.  Thank you for supporting the brands that I support. All opinions are my own.

The post Sweet Potato Kale Flatbreads appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

This past month flew by and I’ve been enjoying cooking comfy and cozy meals. With Canadian Thanksgiving upon us, I’m so excited for turkey AND all of the amazing side dishes that come with it.

So grab a coffee and come on over for Autumn food inspiration and all of the #foodlove from our Oregon trip!

In mid-September we headed to one of our favourite places, the Oregon Coast. We spent a few days on the coast, walking the beach, taking in the ocean and eating all of the seafood we could.

We stayed in Cannon Beach and to be honest I think it’s one of the most magical places. The scenery is spectacular and if you love the ocean like I do, it’s complete ocean heaven. In the morning’s we’d grab a coffee and then walk the beach for hours. Then we enjoyed a variety of seafood throughout the days.

We made a quick pit stop on our way from Cannon Beach to Portland at Tillamook Cheese where I was in grilled cheese heaven.

Then we drove to Portland for a couple of days where we prepared ourselves to eat all of the delicious things at Feast Portland! This was our third trip to Portland for the Feast Portland event; every year we go we have such an awesome time and enjoy the unbelievable food that we decide to go again. And this year it didn’t disappoint (again!)

We enjoyed our first night’s dinner at Beast, a restaurant I’ve wanted to go to for ages. Each night is a set 6 course menu based on seasonal ingredients and wow did we ever luck out on the beautiful late-summer ingredients. Everyone sits at communal tables which I really enjoyed because it was like being at a dinner party; the people we sat with were fantastic to chat with too AND of course the food was absolutely divine!

Our weekend was a combination of eating and walking the city! On Saturday we had brunch at Tasty n’ Alder. Then, our evening was spent at Smoked, a Feast Portland event where chefs do their take on barbecue. Let’s just say we ate all the meats and enjoyed a number of fabulous cocktails.

The next day we went to my favourite event, Brunch Village! Imagine just cruising around from booth to booth, mimosa in hand, trying creative brunch dishes from local chefs. Hello heavenly!

Two of the highlights for me were the Breakfast Taco from Smokehouse Tavern and the ‘Yolko Ono’ egg sandwich from the food truck, Fried Egg I’m In Love.

And to top off our weekend of indulgence we attended the ‘Feast Like an Italian’ dinner which was hosted in a beautiful garden nursery.

We started off the evening with a delightful cocktail. Then we thoroughly enjoyed the family-style Italian dinner with all of the other attendees at our table.

Needless to say, it was another amazing trip out to the Oregon Coast and Portland. We’ll absolutely continue to go back!

And with Canadian Thanksgiving this weekend, many of the recipes in my ‘What’s In Season – October Recipe Ideas’ include ingredients that are the perfect accompaniment to your turkey dinner:

Apples: Apple Cinnamon Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Brussels Sprouts: Prosciutto Parmesan Brussels Sprouts

Carrots: Roasted Harvest Vegetable Bowl

Pears: Cranberry Pear Chia Seed Jam

Sweet Potatoes: Bacon & Sage Sweet Potatoes

Tomatoes: Roasted Tomato Soup

Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian friends!

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

The post What’s in Season – Monthly Favourites appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

Consider this a mash-up of some of my favourite things – sweet potatoes and tacos plus some seriously good for you ingredients like chickpeas and kale!

I really like to use chickpeas in my meatless dishes; they have a great taste and texture and take on any flavour you put to them so they’re really versatile and delicious.

The only time commitment you need to make for this recipe is baking the sweet potatoes; afterwards, this recipe comes together quite quickly.

Total Time: 1 1/2 hours (includes sweet potato baking time)
Equipment: baking sheet, parchment paper, frying pan, medium mixing bowl
Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:

4 x medium sweet potatoes (about 6-7 oz each)
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp oregano
Optional: 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (if you like a bit of spice, definitely add these into the mix!)
1 x 540mL can chickpeas, rinsed
3 cups kale, thinly sliced
1 tbsp olive oil + 1 tbsp olive oil
1 1/4 cup old cheddar cheese, shredded (keep 1/4 cup aside)
Cilantro for garnish

Instructions:

Pre-heat your oven to 400F. Mix all of the spices together and set aside.  Scrub the skins of each potato and then using a fork poke a few holes into each sweet potato to let the steam escape.

Bake sweet potatoes directly on the oven rack for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until each sweet potato is fork tender.

While the sweet potatoes are cooking, drain and rinse the chickpeas, chop the kale and shred the cheese.

Let potatoes cool for 5-10 minutes before cutting each sweet potato in half. Once cooled, scrape out each potato and put the potato flesh into a bowl, set aside to be used as a part of the filling. Leave about a 1/4 to 1/2 inch layer inside each potato skin.

Place the potato skins on a parchment-lined baking sheet and put back in the oven to keep warm.

Cook’s Note: Keep your oven set at 400F as you will bake the potatoes once more!

Place a frying pan on medium heat and add 1 tbsp olive oil. Once the frying pan is warm, add the chickpeas and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Then, turn the pan to medium-low and add the kale, 1 tbsp olive oil plus all of the seasonings (2 tbsp chili powder, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp garlic powder, 2 tsp oregano, Optional: 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes). Stir consistently until the kale has wilted and then take the pan off the heat.

Mash the sweet potato you’ve removed from the potato skins and then add in 1/4 cup shredded cheese and the chickpeas and kale mixture, stirring until combined.

Remove the potato skins from the oven and divide the chickpeas and kale mixture evenly between the potato skins. The potato skins will become quite full and the filling will be above the edge of the potato skin.  Top all of the filled sweet potatoes with cheese and bake in the oven for 10 minutes, until the cheese starts to bubble.

Top each sweet potato with a few cilantro leaves and then it’s time to dig into these flavourful Tex-Mex Sweet Potatoes with Chickpeas and Kale!

I like to serve these Tex-Mex Sweet Potatoes with a green salad and some avocado to make this a full meal.

I think these Tex-Mex Sweet Potatoes with Chickpeas and Kale are going to be making an appearance on our dinner table fairly often and I hope you enjoy them too!

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

The post Tex-Mex Sweet Potatoes with Chickpeas and Kale appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

It has all of my favourite flavours – bacon, sage and sweet potatoes.  My brother gave me the idea when we were having a chat about foods we could create, specifically this dish and the addition of the crispy potato skins that are added to the topping.

The sweet potatoes are buttery and then you get the saltiness from the bacon and sage, plus the crispy skins take this over the top!

This is the perfect accompaniament to a holiday dinner and a side dish I plan on making year after year.

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Equipment: baking sheet, bowl, frying pan, pie-plate or 9×9 pan
Servings: 6-8

Ingredients:
4 lbs sweet potatoes (about 3 large), washed & peeled (reserve 1 cup of the peel)
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 slices of bacon, chopped
1 tbsp butter
20 sage leaves, sliced thin
1 cup of the sweet potato peel, sliced thin

Instructions:
Pre-heat oven to 375F.

Wash the sweet potatoes and peel them, saving 1 cup of the sweet potato skins. Slice up the reserved potato skins thinly and set aside.

Cut the sweet potato into 1 1/2 inch pieces and lay out on baking sheet.  Drizzle olive oil over the potatoes and use your hands to ensure the potatoes are all coated.

Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until when pricked with a fork the potatoes are soft.

While the potatoes are baking, chop the bacon and slice the sage. Then, turn a frying pan to medium heat and cook the bacon until crispy.  Scoop the bacon out with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel.  Next, turn the same pan to medium-low and add 1 tbsp of butter, the sage, potato skins and a pinch of salt.  Cook for 5 minutes, until the sage starts to crisp.  Then, add the bacon back into the pan to mix with the sage and potato skins. Set aside as this will be your topping.

Once the sweet potatoes are cooked, pour them into a bowl, add the butter, salt and pepper and mash.  I like to mash and keep a bit more of a chunky consistency to give the dish some texture but you can mash to your liking.

Once mashed, scoop into your serving dish and top with the bacon-sage-potato skins mixture. Pre-heat the oven to 325F and bake for 25 minutes.

Cook’s Note: You can make this dish ahead of time and heat later before serving.

I hope you enjoy this delicious taste of the holiday season!

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

The post Bacon & Sage Sweet Potatoes appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.