Nothing warms me up like a bowl of comforting, creamy sweet potato soup! With fresh garlic, ginger, smoky paprika, and cumin, this soup is creamy, silky, and so delicious. Best of all, enjoying a bowl doesn’t require hours standing over the stove. Just chop the vegetables, sauté them, and simmer — the blender purees them into silky soup perfection!
This delicious comfort food makes great meal prep, too! The flavors get better as they sit in the fridge, so it’s a great recipe to quickly reheat for lunch or an easy weeknight dinner. For more creamy soups, check out my carrot soup, cream of mushroom soup, and potato soup recipes.
Ingredients
Sweet Potatoes — naturally sweet and starchy, these potatoes boast a satisfying flavor and silky texture when cooked and pureed. Choose potatoes with smooth, deep tan-colored skin that are heavy for their size. Orange sweet potatoes are the best variety of sweet potatoes for this recipe.
Onion & Garlic — a yellow onion’s mild flavor and the nutty, savory flavor of fresh garlic complement the sweet potato and spices for a delicious, savory soup. You can also use a white or sweet onion if needed, or replace the fresh garlic cloves with 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.
Ginger — grated fresh ginger adds a warm and zesty flavor, complementing the sweet potatoes like a dream. Microplane zesters make grating ginger root easy, but you can also finely mince the ginger if needed. Use a spoon to peel off the skin of the ginger root before grating it.
Vegetable Stock — use homemade or store-bought vegetable stock for the base of the soup; you can also substitute vegetable broth or chicken broth.
Spices — Ground cumin and smoked paprika give the creamy sweet potato soup recipe a hint of smoked flavor. Always use spices with a good expiration date for the best results. For a pleasant heat, swap coriander and Aleppo pepper or add 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes.
Heavy Cream — heavy whipping cream adds richness and a silky texture to the soup. You can substitute half-and-half or whole milk if necessary, though the texture and flavor won’t be as velvety and rich.
How To Make Sweet Potato Soup
1. In a large Dutch oven or large pot, heat the oil and butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes until softened.
2. Add the ginger, cumin, paprika, and garlic and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
3. Add the sweet potatoes, vegetable stock, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the flame to medium-low heat, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the sweet potatoes are very tender.
4. Ladle half of the soup into a blender. Place the lid on top, but remove the center insert to allow the steam to vent. Cover the opening loosely with a paper towel or clean dish towel and blend at medium speed for about 1 minute or smooth. Transfer the soup to a clean bowl and repeat with the remaining soup.
5. Return the soup to the pot and place over medium-low heat.
6. Stir in the heavy cream. Rewarm for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Garnish the soup with cream, olive oil, and freshly cracked black pepper before serving hot!
Can I Make This With Frozen Sweet Potatoes?
Yes, you can use frozen sweet potato chunks in a pinch. Add them to the pot frozen– there is no need to defrost them first– and follow the recipe instructions. Add additional cooking time if needed, simmering them until the potatoes are fork-tender. While I don’t always love substituting fresh vegetables with frozen ones because the texture can be much softer once defrosted, they work very well in the soup since it is pureed until smooth.
Topping And Serving Suggestions
Serve hot soup drizzled with cream and olive oil and garnished with freshly cracked pepper. Or, swirl in sour cream instead and sprinkle the bowls with freshly chopped parsley, chives, or cilantro and homemade croutons if desired. A slice of warm crusty bread, like Artisan Bread or Sourdough Bread, goes very well with this soup. For a heartier meal, serve this soup with a hot Grilled Cheese Sandwich.
How To Store
Cool the soup to room temperature before transferring it to an airtight container and refrigerating it for up to 5 days. Reheat the soup in a saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed through. Add a splash of broth to thin the soup if necessary.
Recipe Tips
- Cut the sweet potatoes into similar-sized pieces. For the most even cooking, chop the potatoes into uniformly sized pieces, about ½ to 1-inch cubes. Cutting them on the smaller side will also speed up the cooking process.
- Use fresh garlic and ginger. Fresh spices add superior flavor, so use them if possible. The extra work of prepping fresh ginger and garlic pays off in the final soup.
- Vent the blender lid. The hot soup will let off steam as it blends, putting pressure on the lid. To prevent splatters, remove the vent in the blender lid and place a clean dish towel or paper towel on top. If your blender does not have a vent, leave the lid slightly ajar as you blend and drape a dish towel over the gap.
- Optional blending variation. A high-powered blender is the best option for an ultra-smooth and creamy texture, but you can puree it in the Dutch oven with an immersion blender or stick blender if desired. They will puree it nicely, but the soup won’t be quite as silky.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can swap coconut milk or coconut cream for the heavy cream. Doing so makes this recipe dairy-free and vegan. If using coconut milk, shake it well before adding.
Yep, this soup is very freezer-friendly! Cool the soup to room temperature before transferring it to a freezer-safe container and freezing it for up to 4 months. Defrost the soup overnight in the refrigerator or in a large saucepan over low heat until warmed through.
This recipe is perfect for a crockpot or slow cooker. Follow the recipe directions as listed, cooking the onions and spices on the stovetop. Add them to the pot of the slow cooker along with the sweet potatoes, stock, salt, and pepper. Cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3 hours before pureeing it as directed. Return the soup to the slow cooker, stir in the cream, and heat it on low for 10-15 minutes until warmed through.
If you’ve tried this Sweet Potato Soup recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Sweet Potato Soup Recipe
Equipment
- Large Dutch oven
- Blender or immersion (or stick) blender
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 yellow onion chopped (222g)
- 2 teaspoons grated ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 3 medium sweet potatoes peeled and cubed (908g)
- 4 cups vegetable stock (960mL)
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ cup heavy cream (120mL)
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil and butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes until softened. Add the ginger, cumin, paprika, and garlic and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the sweet potatoes, stock, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the sweet potatoes are very tender.
- Ladle half of the soup into a blender canister. Place the lid on top, but remove the center insert to create a vent. Cover the opening loosely with a paper towel or clean dish towel so steam can exit. Puree at medium speed for about 1 minute or until you reach your desired consistency. Transfer the soup to a clean bowl and repeat with the remaining soup. (You can also use an immersion blender to puree the soup in the Dutch oven.)
- Return all of the soup to the pot and stir in the cream. Rewarm over medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve the soup garnished with more cream, olive oil, and black pepper.
Notes
- Cut the sweet potatoes into similar-sized pieces. For the most even cooking, chop the potatoes into uniformly sized pieces, about ½ to 1-inch cubes. Cutting them on the smaller side will also speed up the cooking process.
- Use fresh garlic and ginger. Fresh spices add superior flavor, so use them if possible. The extra work of prepping fresh ginger and garlic pays off in the final soup.
- Vent the blender lid. The hot soup will let off steam as it blends, putting pressure on the lid. To prevent splatters, remove the vent in the blender lid and place a clean dish towel or paper towel on top. If your blender does not have a vent, leave the lid slightly ajar as you blend and drape a dish towel over the gap.
- Optional blending variation. A high-powered blender is the best option for an ultra-smooth and creamy texture, but you can puree it in the Dutch oven with an immersion blender or stick blender if desired. They will puree it nicely, but the soup won’t be quite as silky.
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