Sweet Potato Soup with Carrots, Apples, and Ginger

My birthday week was a definite success! The only downside was gaining five pounds in a week. It wasn't because I was eating in excess, it was because we were eating restaurant food! My stomach hasn't been feeling great from the lack of fiber, and I am definitely retaining water. My solution is to eat as clean as possible and see if a few of the pounds will come off. I've been wanting soup lately. Something creamy and rich, even though it's been beach weather this whole week. Who says you can't make soup when it's 82 degrees out!? I went to the store and picked up all organic ingredients for this meal, and I absolutely love the way it turned out.

Sweet Potato Soup with Carrots, Apples, and Ginger

     makes 8 servings

• 3 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter
• 4 cups low sodium Chicken Broth
• 1 cup Water
• 1 cup chopped Yellow Onion
• 1 1/2 lbs. peeled & chopped Sweet Potatoes
• 1 lb. peeled & chopped Carrots
• 1 peeled, cored & chopped Red Apple
• 2 tsp. minced Ginger
• 1/4 cup Half & Half
• 1/4 tsp. Cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. Ground Black Pepper, or more!
• dash of Cayenne Pepper
• 8 tsp. Sour Cream or Greek Yogurt, optional
• Fresh Parsley for garnish

In a large pot over medium heat add 1 tbsp. of butter and the onion. Saute until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the additional 2 tbsp. of butter and let melt, you can brown it a little if you'd like for extra flavor. Stir in the ginger and cinnamon, saute for a minute; then add the broth, water, sweet potatoes, apples, and carrots. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 30-35 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

In small batches, use a blender to make the soup smooth and creamy. This is easiest with an immersion stick blender, but I don't have one of those. I just use my Vitamix to cream the soup. Return to the pot and stir in the half and half, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. It makes the soup extra creamy to garnish with sour cream, but this step is optional. Top with chopped parsley and enjoy with a hunk of rustic bread!

Now here's the best part: Your home will smell like Fall while this cooks. Then you'll eat a giant bowl, and for a second you might feel guilty. Here's the even better part: for a bowl of this soup topped with sour cream it's only 160 calories, 21 grams of carbs, 10 grams of sugar, 3 grams of protein, and 6 grams of fat. Plus only 119 mg of sodium, 195 mg of potassium, 343% of your vitamin A, and 26% of your vitamin C! It's not only extremely tasty and satisfying, it's really good for you.