By Shanta Nimbark Sacharoff

The summer can be chilly in the San Francisco Bay Area. I aways turn to a soup for the evening supper. The easier soup to make is a creamy vegetable soup without using any cream.

My favorite is a mixture of carrots, sweet potato and butternut squash. All three vegetables are available in their free form year-round in Northern California.

I am attracted to the orange color of the finished soup. The sweetness of the soup is also very good, but it may need to be balanced by adding some freshly squeezed lemon juice for some people. This is a healthy, delicious and attractive soup.

Carrots, sweet potatoes and butternut squash are nutritional powerhouses with high concentrations of beta -carotene (which converts into vitamin A), an excellent amount of vegetable fiber and a significant amounts of vitamin C and potassium. These nutrients support eye health, immunity and digestive health. In addition, all three vegetables are low in fat and sodium. The simple and quick to prepare soup is my go -to supper when I am not very hungry and only need a salad and a soup for dinner. You can add another entree (or two) to accompany the soup for a more substantial meal.

The electric blender is very useful to make this soup very creamy without having to add any cream. A food processor will work, but the blender is a better tool for this recipe.

Ingredients:
6 to 8 cups of water or vegetable stock
2 to 3 carrots (about 2 cups when cut into big chunks)
2 sweet potatoes (about 2 cups when cut into chunks)
Portion of a butternut squash (to obtain about 2 cups of big chunks)
1 teaspoon or to taste salt
Freshly ground black pepper or cayenne powder to taste
2 to 3 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil (optional)
2 to 3 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh herbs such as parsley and oregano

Place the water or stock in a large pot and allow it to boil. Using water instead of vegetable stock is fine as the vegetables will make the stock as the soup cooks.

While the water is boiling, prepare the vegetables by cleaning, peeling and cutting them into chunks. First cut the butternut squash into manageable small round pieces. Remove the seeds and fibers. (Some variety of butternut squash does not contain seeds or fibers.) Take one piece of squash at a time and peel it using a sharp, small knife. (The vegetable peeler will not work for this task). Then, cut the pieces into chunks. The somewhat difficult task of peeling butternut squash can be simplified if you boil the squash pieces first and then peel them. If you wish to peel the squash this way, first boil the round pieces in a separate pot of water for ten minutes. Then cool the squash pieces, peel them and then cut them into chunks.

Next, scrape clean the carrots and cut them into large chunks or circles. Peel the sweet potato and cut them into big chunks.

Now, add all the vegetables into the boiling water and cook them for approximately 20 minutes until they are very soft. To test for doneness, take one chunk out of the water using a slotted spoon and rest it in a plate. Then push this chunk using the back of a tablespoon. It should crush easily if it is done. Add the salt and pepper (or cayenne) to the pot. Then, transfer the content of the pot into the jar of an electric blender. Blend the mixture at a high speed for a few minutes, adding more water if needed to achieve a fine puree. Pour the soup back in the pot and cook for a few more minutes adjusting the consistency of the soup.

Add the lemon or lime juice which will enhance the color and balance the flavors, in my opinion. Add the optional oil if you desire. Taste and correct the seasoning by adding more salt, pepper or lemon juice.

Garnish the soup with a tablespoon of (or less) chopped herbs. Put the rest of the herbs in a bowl to place it on the table for the diners to add later, as they wish. Serve the soup hot with slices of bread, croutons or a bowl of rice, and/or a salad.

Variation: The soup is creamy enough if you follow this recipe. However, for a creamier soup, you can add (1) one or two peeled and cubed golden potatoes; or (2) 1 cup of fresh or frozen corn kernels (which may require additional lemon juice to balance flavors) or (3) 1 cup of vegan or dairy yogurt (in which case do not add the lemon/lime juice.)

Flavor Variation: You can flavor this soup with various spice and herb mixtures. Some examples are: finely grated ginger blended with jalapeño pepper for a spicy soup; or minced garlic crushed with cilantro leaves; or a teaspoon of spiced sesame oil.

Recipe by Shanta Nimbark Sacharoff, copyright 2026. Shanta is a Sunset District resident and the author of “Cooking Together” and “Flavors of India,” available at Other Avenues Food Store at 3930 Judah St. Shanta writes recipes and articles on food and nutrition. She teaches vegetarian and vegan cooking classes at her home and gives cooking demonstrations for the public at SFPL branches frequently which you can find by viewing San Francisco Public Library’s event page. You can also view her recipes via videos on YouTube by searching Shanta Nimbark Sacharoff’s YouTube videos.