carrots | Brown Eyes and a Smile

Hello, second week of school. I’m settled back at school in Illinois, where I’m reconnecting with friends and starting to study. So far I love living in a house with my six best friends. All six of us are rational and considerate, so we’ll never have conflict. Stop laughing. I know we’ll have disagreements, but for now we’re on top of the world finding each other and the house.

I know the transition to fall vegetables has begun, since I saw Brussels sprouts at the farmers market last weekend. That being said, it’s time to roast carrots. This is the simplest side you’ll make, but it looks fancy and delicious.

Roasted Carrots

1 bunch carrots (about 15 medium sized)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp cumin
Salt and pepper

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Arrange carrots on jelly roll pan in a single layer and coat with olive oil. Sprinkle cumin, salt, and pepper on carrots. Roast carrots in oven, turning once, for 35-40 minutes, or until carrots are soft.

Avery is my friend. She is also very often my primary taste tester. Avery is a super-baker who likes to cook sometimes. Which leads me to this post. Sweet Potato Curry Soup is Avery’s recipe, and we made it together last night.

Much deliberation went into naming this dish, since the soup has sweet potato, carrots, chickpeas and curry, which are all important ingredients. It was hard to pick just two for the name. Sweet potato and curry are the flavors that burst out most, so we decided to use them.

Sweet Potato Curry Soup uses only a few ingredients. They are a sweet potato, carrots, chickpeas, curry, chicken stock, salt and pepper.

You will also need a submersion blender. I didn’t know I had one of those, but Avery found one in the back of the cupboard! That’s what friends are for. Providing blog content and stumbling on kitchen appliances. That was a joke; I appreciate Avery for much more than just her kitchen presence! I love cooking with friends and for friends. Food just really brings people together. Some of my best recipes come out of collaborating with other cooks!

For all you carnivores, know that even though there is no meat in this dish, it’s a hearty soup. It will fill you up, but it usually won’t make you too full. Another plus: the soup is gluten free.

Sweet Potato Curry Soup

1 sweet potato

2 carrots

3 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock for a vegetarian option)

1 16 oz can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained

1 tbsp curry powder

salt and pepper, to taste

Combine sweet potato, carrots, chickpeas and stock in a medium pot. Cook vegetables until tender. Transfer vegetables and liquid to submersion blender and blend until smooth. Return mixture to pot. Add curry powder, salt and pepper and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Adjust seasoning to taste.