Smoky sweet potato soup features a perfect blend of sweet and savory flavors ~ serve this delicious fall soup as a Thanksgiving starter or in a steamy mug for a cozy lunch.
sweet potato soup is a welcome variation on a classic butternut squash soup
This sweet potato soup has all the cozy vibes of a classic butternut squash soup, but with a slightly different flavor profile. There’s plenty of creaminess without the need for dairy or thickeners, thanks to the starchy sweet potatoes. My main complaint about a lot of sweet potato recipes is that they can be just too sweet, so I balanced all that natural sweetness with plenty of smoked paprika and other earthy spices. The lime and greek yogurt sauce drizzled over the top at the end brings the perfect tangy finish.
blended vegetable soups are simple to make in one pot
I love to make soups like this with my immersion blender, because the process is so straightforward and there’s not a lot of clean up. Here’s the basic order of operations, and you can use it for all sorts of veggie soups!
- Sautee your veggies in a little butter for just a few minutes until they loose their raw edge and create a little browning on the bottom of the pan for extra flavor
- Add your stock, and bring everything to a simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until your veggies are completely tender.
- Remove from the heat and allow the soup to cool down a bit so you aren’t blending a scalding hot liquid, and then use your immersion blender to puree until smooth. (No immersion blender? You can also use a regular blender, just remember to allow your soup to cool down enough first!)
- Return the soup to the stovetop and heat it up again before serving.
consider this sweet potato soup recipe a delicious starting point
The combination of stock, sweet potatoes, and onions makes a soup base that can be dressed up in so many different ways
- lean into the sweet flavor notes and add in some apple, or some fall spices like cinnamon and nutmeg.
- sautรฉ a chopped apple along with the onion and sweet potatoes.
- add minced garlic and grated ginger.
- make it vegan by using veggie stock instead of chicken stock, olive oil instead of butter, and swapping out the greek yogurt drizzle for some cashew cream.
- make a creamier, bisque-style soup by adding in some heavy cream or coconut milk after you’ve pureed the veggies and stock.
- experiment with different blends of root veggies and starchy winter veggies like carrots, squash, beets, and parsnips for new flavors.
- garnish with a little crispy bacon or fried shallots.
it’s soup season!
- Broccoli Stilton Soup
- Wild Rice and Carrot Soup
- Smoky Pumpkin Chipotle Bisque
- Mushroom and Brie Soup
- Roasted Winter Vegetable Soup
Smoky Sweet Potato Soup
Equipment
- Immersion blender, blender, or food processor
Ingredients
for the soup
- 2 Tbsp butter (or substitute olive oil)
- 1.7 lbs sweet potatoes (or about 2 medium-large sweet potatoes), chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion, roughly diced
- 4 cups chicken stock (32 ounces), or substitute vegetable stock
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp ground coriander
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
for the lime yogurt drizzle
- 1/2 cup greek yogurt
- zest of 1 lime
- juice of 1/2 lime
- small pinch salt
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large stockpot, and simmer the chopped sweet potatoes and onions for about 5 minutes over medium heat.
- Add the stock, salt, and spices, and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the vegetables are completely tender.
- Allow the soup to cool slightly, and blend until smooth using an immersion blender, or regular blender. Blend in batches if needed.
- Return the soup to the stockpot and heat until hot, adjusting the seasoning if necessary.
- To make the sauce, whisk together all of the ingredients until smooth, adding just enough water to make it pourable. Serve drizzled over the finished soup.
Notes
- A little goes a long way with sweet potatoes, and I like to ladle this into small bowls, or mugs, for the perfect serving size.
- This soup is a healthy, low calorie choice. Sweet potatoes have a lower GI and more fiber than regular potatoes, along with plenty of beta carotene.
- The soup will freeze well, just don’t add the yogurt drizzle until you’re ready to enjoy.