Our creamy sweet potato soup is a tasty and convenient one-pot recipe you can make in 30 minutes with simple ingredients.
The sweet potatoes cooked with ginger, garlic, apple, and a splash of vinegar make the soup creamy, sweet, tangy, and aromatic.
The soup is nutritious, comforting, and soul-warming. It’s excellent for fall and winter weeknight dinners, holiday meals, and meal prep alike.
Table of Contents
- Sweet potato soup video
- How to make sweet potato soup
- Serving Suggestions
- Variations
- Storage
- Questions
- More Sweet Potato Recipes
- More Soup Recipes
- Sweet Potato Soup Recipe
Dietary Note: This recipe is suitable for a vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free diet.
Soups are a great way of incorporating more veggies into one’s diet.
However, did you know most store-bought soups are considered ultra-processed food packed with too much salt, sugar, and other hidden ingredients that are not good for us?
The good news is that making soup at home is very easy. In this blog post, we’ll show you how to make a restaurant-worthy sweet potato soup in 30 minutes, in one pot, and with simple ingredients.
You can serve it for Thanksgiving or Christmas or as a cozy and nutritious family dinner.
Sweet potato soup video
Ingredients & Substitutions
Quantities are in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.
Flavor base
Onion, carrot, garlic, and ginger make up the flavor base of sweet potato soup. We fry them gently in extra virgin olive oil.
Substitute avocado oil or olive oil for extra virgin olive oil.
Substitute a thinly sliced leek for the onion.
Sweet potatoes
We use orange-fleshed sweet potatoes to make a vibrant and bright sweet potato soup.
You can find them in most supermarkets. White sweet potatoes also work, although the soup won’t look as colorful.
In the US, sweet potatoes are sometimes called yams, so that you might find them under that name in some stores.
Apple
Apple is delicious in sweet potato soup, and you should totally add it in. It adds a naturally sweet and fruity flavor that makes the soup delicious.
You can use any apple variety here; it’s best if peeled.
Cumin
A touch of ground cumin perfectly fits the sweet potato’s earthy sweetness and nuttiness, adding a warm and citrusy aroma.
If you don’t like cumin, you can leave it out.
Vegetable broth
We use vegetable broth instead of chicken stock to keep the recipe meat-free so that your vegan or vegetarian guests or family members can enjoy this recipe, too.
Switching from meat-based stocks to veg-based ones is an easy way to reduce meat consumption without realizing it.
However, if you prefer, you can use chicken stock here.
Coconut milk
Sweet potato soup needs some “creamer” for a rich, velvety consistency that pleases the mouth.
You can use some full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream for a creamier texture or a low-fat one for fewer calories. Either way, coconut milk and sweet potatoes are perfect together!
Add Greek yogurt, heavy cream, half-half, sour cream, or cream cheese if you dislike coconut.
If you are vegan or lactose intolerant, there is a dairy-free version for all these products.
Salt and pepper
You’ll need sea salt or kosher salt to bring out the taste of the veggies and freshly ground black pepper for aroma.
Garnish
You can garnish the soup with reserved coconut milk, sesame seeds, grated lime zest, red pepper flakes, chili oil, olive oil, and pepitas or pumpkin seeds.
Alternatively, you can top the soup with homemade oven-baked croutons, air-fried croutons, and a sprinkle of chopped cilantro or parsley.
A final option is roasted chickpeas or crispy air-fried chickpeas instead of the bread croutons. This way, you’ll add some healthy plant protein to this delicious soup.
How to make sweet potato soup
Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add chopped onion and carrot, and fry for 3 minutes, then add grated garlic, ginger, cumin, and red pepper flakes and fry one more minute.
Now add the vegetable broth, peeled and diced sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped apple, and season with salt and black pepper.
Cover with a lid, bring to a boil on high heat, then crack the top open and let simmer on medium heat for 20 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are fork tender.
Turn the heat off and blend the soup with an immersion blender until smooth.
Note: you can also blend the sweet potato soup in a standing blender, but in this case, let the soup cool down for 10 minutes before doing so.
Stir in the coconut milk and the vinegar, and simmer for five more minutes.
Taste and adjust for salt before serving.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve sweet potato soup in small portions as an appetizer or side dish or a larger portion in a bowl and have it as a main.
You can also have leftovers for lunch, next to a wrap or sandwich.
Remember to add a squeeze of lime juice on top. The acidity makes the flavor of the soup pop! Chili oil and cilantro are also delicious on it.
Alternatively, you can top it with our homemade croutons (also air-fried) for some crunch and a drizzle of olive oil.
Or add some pepitas, red pepper flakes, and reserved coconut milk in the center and swirl it with a toothpick. Finally, a pinch of sesame seeds and grated lime zest works too.
Add a handful of roasted chickpeas or crispy air fryer chickpeas spiced with paprika or curry powder to add some extra protein.
Tips for a delicious, quick, and nutritious plant-based lunch with leftover soup! Try it with:
- Easy tofu salad in a sandwich with creamy dressing.
- Vegan burrito with tofu, black beans, and avocado.
- Tofu scramble with avocado, mushrooms, or spinach.
- Air-fried tofu cubes or fried tofu cubes.
Tofu
Fried Tofu
Tofu
Tofu Salad
Sauces
Roasted Chickpeas
Breads
Homemade Croutons
Variations
Roasted Sweet potato soup
Ingredients
- Sweet potatoes: 1 1/2 pounds or 700 grams
- Carrots: 1/2 pound or 230 grams
- Onion: 1 medium
- Garlic: 3 cloves
- Olive oil: 1 1/2 tablespoons
- Salt: 1/2 teaspoon
- Black pepper: 2 twists
- Ginger: 1 inch or 2 cm
- Ground cumin: 1 teaspoon
- Vegetable broth: 5 to 7 cups or 1 to 1.75 liters
- Coconut milk: 1/2 can or 200 grams
Preheat the oven to 400°F or 200°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Peel and chop the sweet potatoes, carrots, and onion into chunks and add them to the baking sheet. Add peeled and crushed garlic, olive oil, salt, and black pepper.
Toss with your hands, arrange the veggies on a single layer, and roast for 30 minutes.
Add the baked veggies to a large pot, including roasted garlic and onion. Next, add grated ginger, ground cumin, and half the vegetable broth.
Bring to a boil, then light simmer on medium-low heat. Add the coconut milk, stir, and cook for 5 minutes until the milk is incorporated into the soup.
Blend with an immersion blender until you reach a smooth texture.
Add more broth, based on your preference, until you reach your desired consistency.
Storage
Make ahead: sweet potato soup is excellent for meal prep as it keeps well for days. It will thicken as it sits in the fridge, so you might need to add some water when reheating it.
Refrigerator: let the soup cool down, then transfer it into an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freezer: let the soup cool down completely, transfer to a freezer-friendly container, and freeze for up to 3 months.
Thaw & Reheat: let it thaw in the fridge over several hours. Alternatively, thaw in the microwave. Reheat in a saucepan with a dash of water or the microwave.
Questions
Can you substitute yams for sweet potatoes in soup?
Yams and sweet potatoes are different vegetables.
However, in the United States, sweet potatoes are sometimes called yams (it even happened on the TV Series Friends in a Thanksgiving episode), although those two veggies have nothing in common.
In some supermarkets, sweet potatoes are sold under the yams label. In this case, yes, you can use yams for sweet potatoes – since by purchasing yams, you’ll actually be getting sweet potatoes.
Is sweet potato soup gluten-free?
Yes, sweet potato soup is gluten-free as long as you serve it without bread or croutons.
More Sweet Potato Recipes
Are you looking for more sweet potato recipe ideas? Here are our favorites:
- Mashed sweet potatoes – sweet and savory recipes
- Sweet potato chips – deep-fried and oven-baked
- Easy homemade sweet potato gnocchi
- Delicious sweet potato muffins
- Air fryer sweet potato or roasted sweet potatoes
- Oven-baked sweet potato wedges
- Microwave sweet potato loaded with different toppings
- Mediterranean-inspired lentil sweet potato salad
- Sweet potato salad
- Black bean, corn, and sweet potato salad
Pasta
Sweet Potato Gnocchi
Salads
Black Bean Salad
Breakfast
Sweet Potato Muffins
More Soup Recipes
Or maybe you are looking for some more delicious soup recipes?
- Eggplant soup
- Zucchini soup
- Tofu soup
- Lentil soup
- Tuscan soup
- Butternut squash soup
Soups
Tofu Soup
Soups
Lentil Vegetable Soup
Soups
Tuscan White Bean Soup
Soups
Butternut Squash Soup
Sweet Potato Soup
By: Nico Pallotta
5 from 12 votes
Our creamy sweet potato soup is a tasty and convenient one-pot recipe you can make in 30 minutes with simple ingredients.
The sweet potatoes cooked with ginger, garlic, apple, and a splash of vinegar make the soup creamy, sweet, tangy, and aromatic.
Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
Cook Time: 20 minutes mins
Total Time: 30 minutes mins
Servings: 4 people
Course: Appetizer, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Pin Print
Equipment
Immersion blender or standing blender
Ingredients
- 1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 carrots chopped
- 2 cloves garlic grated
- 1 inch ginger grated
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 4 cups vegetable broth add more or less based you your desired consistency
- 2 pounds sweet potatoes peeled and chopped
- 1 large apple peeled and chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 twists black pepper
- ⅓ cup coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar + 4 lime wedges to squeeze on top and cilantro for garnish, optional.
Instructions
Heat 1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven.
Add 1 medium onion and 2 carrots (both chopped), and fry for 3 minutes, then add 2 cloves garlic, 1 inch ginger (both grated), 1 teaspoon ground cumin, and 1 pinch red pepper flakes and fry one more minute.
Now add 4 cups vegetable broth, 2 pounds sweet potatoes (peeled and diced), 1 large apple (peeled and diced), and season with 1 teaspoon salt and 2 twists black pepper.
Cover with a lid, bring to a boil, then crack the top open and let simmer on medium heat for 20 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are fork tender.
Turn the heat off and blend with an immersion blender until smooth.
Stir in ⅓ cup coconut milk and 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, and simmer for five more minutes.
Taste and adjust for salt before serving with squeezed lime juice on top, a pinch of cilantro, and a drizzle of chili oil.
Video
Creamy Sweet Potato Soup with apple
Notes
Nutrition information is an estimate for one portion of sweet potato soup out of four.
STORAGE
Make ahead: sweet potato soup is excellent for meal prep as it keeps well for days. It will thicken as it sits in the fridge, so you might need to add some water when reheating it.
Refrigerator: let the soup cool down, then transfer it into an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freezer: let the soup cool down completely, transfer to a freezer-friendly container, and freeze for up to 3 months.
Thaw & Reheat: let it thaw in the fridge over several hours. Alternatively, thaw in the microwave. Reheat in a saucepan with a dash of water or the microwave.
ALSO ON THIS PAGE
Nutrition
Calories: 354kcal, Carbohydrates: 64g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Potassium: 1034mg, Dietary Fiber: 11g, Sugar: 19g, Vitamin A: 37315IU, Vitamin B6: 1mg, Vitamin C: 13mg, Vitamin E: 2mg, Vitamin K: 13µg, Calcium: 100mg, Folate: 41µg, Iron: 3mg, Manganese: 1mg, Magnesium: 78mg, Zinc: 1mg
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30-Min Meals, Recipes, Soups
Hi! We are Nico & Louise
Welcome to The Plant-Based School, a food blog with easy, tasty, and wholesome recipes.
Our aim is to help you and your family eat more veggies through delicious recipes with simple ingredients.
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