Keep in mind light recipes for Thanksgiving dinner plans

For the next four weeks leading up to Thanksgiving I will be offering recipes that I feel would be good to serve on the holiday. But instead of the regular heavy, calorie-laden dishes we often associate with this day of feasting, I will be printing light recipes that I hope some of you will consider trying out. This week I’m starting with a soup and a salad.

Creamy Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup

3 tablespoons butter, divided
1 cup chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 3/4 cups cubed peeled sweet potatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs.)
3 1/2 cups water
3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
3 cups chopped carrot (about 1 lb.)
1/4 cup half-and-half
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion to pan; cook 4 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in cinnamon and nutmeg; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Move onion mixture to side of pan; add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to open space in pan. Increase heat to medium-high; cook 1 minute or until butter begins to brown. Add sweet potatoes, 3 1/2 cups water, broth, and carrot; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 35 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Place half of soup mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining soup mixture. Stir in half-and-half, salt and pepper. Ladle about 1 cup soup into each of 8 bowls; top each serving with about 2 teaspoons sour cream and 3/4 teaspoon parsley.