Curried Sweet Potato, Apple & Peanut Soup

I realize I'm a bit behind in posting fall recipes, and now that it's officially October - the month of all things pumpkin, Canadian Thanksgiving, and Halloween - it's about time that I shared a warm and comforting Autumn soup!

I was craving a creamy spiced soup recently and sweet potato seemed like the perfect ingredient to make a flavourful and thick base. When I saw this recipe online for a curried sweet potato and apple soup, I was intrigued by the combination of ingredients and thought it sounded appropriate for the season with the warm spices and apple.

For my version, I changed up the spices a bit, used vegetable broth as the liquid instead of water, and at the last minute I decided to add a dose of peanut butter to the soup since I love peanut flavoured dishes and I know that it complements both sweet potato and apples really well too.

I tend to prefer thick and creamy soups that I can dip bread into, and this one definitely fell into that category. It also had a nice amount of heat from the spices without being too spicy, and a touch of sweetness from the apple and sweet potato.

If you love peanut butter, I definitely recommend including it as it adds a richness and just the right amount of peanut flavour. But I also tasted the soup before adding it and I loved it that way too, so it's up to you!

I just regretted not making a double batch of this recipe because as soon as it was gone I wished I had more!

Curried Sweet Potato, Apple & Peanut Soup

Adapted from Prevention Magazine 

1/2 tbsp olive oil

1 small yellow onion, diced

1 large clove garlic, minced

1/2 tbsp minced fresh ginger

3/4 tsp curry powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp nutmeg

Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional for extra heat)

3/4 lb diced and peeled sweet potato (about 1 large sweet potato)

1 large apple, diced

2 cups vegetable broth

2 tbsp peanut butter

Crushed peanuts and plain yogurt for serving (optional)

Heat oil in a large saucepan on medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, for about 4 minutes. Stir in the ginger, curry powder, cumin, salt, nutmeg, and red pepper flakes (if using), then add the sweet potato, apple, and vegetable broth to the saucepan. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for about 20 minutes, until the sweet potato has softened.

Transfer soup to a blender in two separate batches and puree until smooth. Return soup to saucepan and stir in the peanut butter until it is completely melted.

Serve hot, topped with a spoonful of yogurt and a handful of crushed peanuts on each serving if desired.

Makes 2 large servings or 3 smaller servings (you can easily double the recipe for a larger batch)