Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup with Indian Spices

This was sort of cobbled together using a few different recipes - I had consumed lots of curry dishes lately, and wanted to try some new flavours - the heat from the spices was a nice contrast to the sweetness of the soup. Gorgeous, and I could feel my liver applauding my healthy efforts. That's like, 2 blended soups in a month - cue the 'babyfood for olds' jokes.

2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 shallots, chopped
1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbsp ginger root, chopped
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp cardamom (split the pods, then crush w/ mortar and pestle)
¼ tsp turmeric
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp red pepper flakes, plus some cayenne
1 ½ lbs (about 5 large) carrots, chopped
4 cups veggie broth
Sea salt

Heat oil - add onion, sweet potato & garlic, ginger, and spices - cook 2-3 mins. Add carrots & broth, and 2 large pinches of sea salt. Bring to boil, reduce heat, & simmer 30 mins, until carrots are very tender. Remove soup from heat, cool slightly, then puree.