This Spiced Kumara and Carrot Soup is probably my favourite soup I have made. It has so much flavour and is really rich and creamy a nice orangey-red hue. It’s vegan, gluten-free and nut-free! The kumara (or sweet potato as you may know it) and carrots are roasted in the oven for a long time so they go all nice and caramelised. The result is super flavoursome and slightly sweet veggies which really make this soup incredibly tasty. I have used kumara/sweet potato in this soup, however if you are after something lower in carbs feel free to swap the kumara for pumpkin or squash!

What is in this Spiced Kumara and Carrot Soup?

Of course there’s the obvious kumara and carrot. Kumara as it is called here in New Zealand is essentially sweet potato. I believe it is slightly different in texture and flavour but they are really similar so can be interchanged quite easily. I have used orange kumara because it is the sweetest readily available variety in New Zealand, and it’s also softer than red of gold so is quicker to cook and easier to blend into a soup. 

I added carrot to add more orangey colour to this soup as well as some additional nutrients such as vitamin K and beta-carotene. Like the kumara it’s fairly quick to cook and adds some sweetness. 

The “spice” comes from red curry paste. This adds some heat from chillies, and just generally boosts the flavour to that similar of a Thai red curry, but with pureed veggies mixed in. I just used store bought but you could also make your own. If you are using store bought be sure to check the ingredients as a lot of brands contain fish sauce. I used Exotic Food Red Curry Paste. To elevate the Thai spice flavour further I have also added shallots, garlic and ginger. 

To make this all into a soup I used vegetable stock, which is pretty standard, and also coconut milk. Coconut milk adds to the Thai curry flavour and also makes this soup really creamy and luxurious. 

How do I Make this Soup?

Step One – First, preheat the oven to 200℃. It needs to get nice and hot to roast the veggies!

Step Two – While this oven is heating up, peel the kumara (or sweet potato), and chop it into pieces about 3cm in size. Halve the carrots lengthwise and then slice into pieces also about 3cm in size.

Step Three – Put the chopped kumara and carrots onto a baking tray with a good lug of oil (I used olive oil but you can use any oil you like) and season generously with salt and pepper. Use your hands to mix through so that all the veggies are evenly coated in oil.

Step Four – Roast in the oven for about 45 minutes until starting to caramelise.

Step Five – Peel and slice the shallots, garlic and ginger then add to a large pot with about 1tbps of oil. Fry on a medium heat for about 3 minutes.

Step Six – Add the curry paste then cook for a further 2 minutes until it’s smelling really good. Turn off the heat.

Step Seven – Add the cooked kumara and carrots to the pot along with the vegetable stock and coconut milk. 

Step Eight – Use a stick blender to blend everything up until it’s all nice and smooth and there are no lumps. If you don’t have a stick blender, you could also transfer to a food processor to blend. 

Step Nine – Serve hot. If you like, add some sliced chili and/or fresh coriander on top

What Kitchen Tools Do I Need?

• Vegetable Peeler
• Chopping Board
• Knife
• Roasting Dish or Baking Tray
• Large Pot
• Measuring Spoons
• Measuring Jug or Cups
• Stick Blender or Food Processor

What Should I Eat This Spiced Kumara and Carrot Soup With?

It’s perfect on its own but if you want to bulk it up a bit more I definitely recommend having it with some really nice bread or toast! If you want to keep it lower carb, try a low carb bread. I enjoy this soup with Gerry’s Low Carb Bread.

What If I Have Leftovers?

Soup is great for leftovers! You can refrigerate any leftovers you have for around 3-4 days. Or if you want to extend its life you can freeze it! If you do choose to freeze, do so in small amounts rather than all of it at once – it’ll save you a huge amount of defrost time!

If you are a fan of Thai food and want to have a go at making a Thai Green Curry from your scratch have a go at my recipe.