Sweet Potato and Carrot Soup with Turmeric and Ginger - AIP elimination compliant

This soup asks almost nothing of a body that is already spending everything it has. Chop, simmer, blend. That is most of it, and on a night when managing your health has taken the whole day, that simplicity earns its keep.

The flavor swap is the real story here. Curry powder is out on AIP elimination, since most blends lean on cumin, coriander, and fenugreek, seed spices the protocol excludes. Turmeric, ginger, and a little cinnamon step in instead, and the result is warmer and rounder rather than complex. Turmeric's curcumin has been studied for a calming effect on inflammation, and it works even harder dissolved into the fat in coconut milk. By the time this is blended smooth, the sweet potato and carrot have turned the whole pot a genuine orange, and that color is not just for looks. The body reads it as raw material for vitamin A, tied to how well the gut lining and the mucous membranes hold up under stress.

Blend it smooth, pour it into a bowl you like, and let yourself have a few slow minutes with it. Some evenings this is the whole meal, and that is enough.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• Half a large yellow or white onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 large (or 3 small) orange sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 4 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 cups chicken broth, plus additional as needed to cover the vegetables
• One 13.5-ounce can full-fat coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon turmeric (AIP swap: replaces the curry powder called for in the original)
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger (AIP swap: replaces the curry powder)
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (AIP swap: rounds out the warmth of the turmeric and ginger)
• Salt to taste

AIP notes: Yellow curry powder is excluded on AIP elimination - it contains seed spices (cumin, coriander, fenugreek) and usually black pepper. Replaced here with turmeric, ginger, and cinnamon, which are all AIP-compliant. Black pepper is omitted. The spice quantities above are starting points; taste and adjust to your preference.

Method

Stovetop

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium-to-large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent.
2. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring so it does not brown.
3. Add the sweet potato and carrot. Stir to coat everything in the aromatics.
4. Pour in the chicken broth, adding enough to just cover the vegetables. Stir in the turmeric, ginger, and cinnamon. Season with salt.
5. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a steady simmer. Cover and cook for 20 to 25 minutes until the sweet potatoes and carrots are completely tender when pierced with a fork.
6. Remove from heat. Add the coconut milk.
7. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup completely smooth directly in the pot. Alternatively, carefully transfer in batches to a stand blender and blend until smooth, then return to the pot.
8. Taste and adjust salt. If the soup is thicker than you like, stir in a little additional warm broth. Reheat gently if needed and serve.

Instant Pot Variation

1. Set the Instant Pot to Saute. Add the olive oil and onion. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until softened.
2. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
3. Add the sweet potato, carrot, broth (enough to cover), turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, and salt. Stir to combine.
4. Lock the lid and set to Manual High Pressure for 10 minutes.
5. Natural release for 10 minutes, then carefully release remaining pressure.
6. Add the coconut milk and blend smooth with an immersion blender. Taste and adjust salt before serving.

Slow Cooker Variation

1. Add the onion, garlic, sweet potato, carrot, broth, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, and salt to the slow cooker.
2. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours until the vegetables are completely tender.
3. Add the coconut milk and blend smooth with an immersion blender directly in the slow cooker insert. Taste and adjust salt before serving.

*Adapted from thecuriouscoconut.com*