Carrot and Potato Soup Two Ways - Yellow and Purple

Blended soups are my absolute favourite. Fast, easy and minimum clean up.
Carrot and potato soup uses staple ingredients most people have in their pantry at all times. I made a second version using purple potatoes and purple carrots since they just recently became available in my local supermarket. When I served it, purple version made a lot of adults a bit suspicious, but kids absolutely loved it and didn't even complain it was full of veggies. I will serve it again for Halloween since purple-orange combination is a famous colour scheme for that occasion.

Just to clarify-purple potatoes I'm using are savoury, not the sweet variety. They are sometimes called 'blue potatoes' and are smaller in size than regular potatoes.

Enough for 4 portions:

1) 560-600 g carrots (just under 1.5 lbs) - orange or purple variety

2) 560-600 g potatoes (just under 1.5 lbs) - white or purple variety

3) 1 leek

4) 1 large onion - brown or red variety

5) 2 tbs oil

6) 2 garlic cloves

7) 2 chicken cubes or 1.5l stock

8) Spices: smoked paprika, chilli powder, powdered ginger, cumin, thyme

9) Salt, pepper

10) Croutons, ham pieces - optional

This recipe works the same way, no matter which vegetable colour you go with. Purple carrots taste just as regular ones do, but they stain fingers and surfaces like blueberries. Purple vegetables can have white spots inside them, it's normal and doesn't affect the taste.

Chop onions, leeks and garlic cloves, no need to be exact here, just chop them roughly.
Fry them in a large saucepan with oil and a pinch of salt until onions turn translucent (5 min on medium heat).
If you are using chicken cubes, dissolve them in 1.5l hot water.

Peel potatoes and carrots and chop them into small cubes- smaller pieces will cook faster.
Add vegetables to the saucepan with onions and leeks, pour stock and bring to a boil.
Cover with a lid and cook for 25-35 min on medium heat.

Spear a fork through the potatoes to make sure they are cooked.
Take the soup off the heat and transfer to a blender.
Pulse the soup until smooth and lump free, taste and add spices.

For an extra heat kick, add ginger and chilli powder, for a milder version, add paprika and thyme.

Serve with croutons and/or ham pieces. Use cream or yogurt to create decorative swirls, you can sprinkle thyme leaves, pumpkin seeds or lemon zest.