This sweet potato soup recipe is one of my favorite healthy comfort foods. Made with veggies, coconut milk, and spices, it's rich, creamy, and delicious.
Jack and I spent the first official week of fall eating bowl after bowl of this sweet potato soup. I don’t know what it is about creamy orange soup, but for some reason, it just seems like the perfect meal on a chilly day. Its vibrant color brightens up gray, dreary weather, and its velvety broth warms you from the inside out.
Most years, I make my butternut squash soup or pumpkin soup on repeat at the start of fall, but right now, I’m still stuck on this sweet potato soup. It has a rich, sweet, and smoky flavor, with a tangy finish from apple cider vinegar. The texture is wonderfully smooth and creamy, which makes a single bowl feel really substantial.
If you find yourself craving cozy comfort food in the next couple of weeks, this sweet potato soup recipe is exactly what you should make. It’s simple, nourishing, and deliciously unexpected. Crusty bread for serving is optional, but highly recommended.
Sweet Potato Soup Recipe Ingredients
Another thing I love about this sweet potato soup recipe? To make it, you only need a handful of ingredients:
- Sweet potatoes, of course! They give the soup its sweet flavor, vibrant color, and luscious texture.
- An apple – It brings out the sweetness of the sweet potatoes.
- Onion and garlic – For savory depth of flavor.
- Coriander and ginger – They add warm, aromatic flavor to the soup.
- Smoked paprika – It gives the soup its delicious smokiness.
- Extra-virgin olive oil and coconut milk – For richness.
- Vegetable broth – Use store-bought, or make your own.
- Apple cider vinegar – For tang.
- And sea salt – To make all the flavors pop!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make This Sweet Potato Soup
This sweet potato soup recipe is soup-er (I had to!) simple to make. Here’s how it goes:
First, sauté the veggies. In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook the onion until it softens, for about 5 minutes. Then, add the sweet potatoes and apple and cook until they start to soften, for another 8 to 10 minutes.
Next, stir in the seasonings. Add the garlic, ginger, coriander, and smoked paprika and stir until they’re fragrant. Then, mix in the apple cider vinegar, followed by the broth and the coconut milk. (Tip: I like to reserve 1/4 cup of my coconut milk for garnish. It creates such a pretty white swirl on the orange soup!)
Then, simmer. Bring the soup to a boil, cover the pot, and simmer until the sweet potatoes are tender.
Finally, puree the soup! Allow the soup to cool slightly before transferring it to a large blender and pureeing until smooth. (Alternatively, you could use an immersion blender for this step.) If the soup is too thick, blend in a little more broth. When it reaches your desired consistency, season to taste and serve.
That’s it!
Sweet Potato Soup Serving Suggestions
When you’re ready to eat, portion the creamy sweet potato soup into bowls. Garnish it with a swirl of coconut milk, fresh cilantro, Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes, and pepitas for crunch.
I often eat the soup as a meal on its own (with a thick slice of crusty bread, of course!), but it’s also fantastic with a salad or roasted vegetables on the side. Try pairing it with any of these recipes:
- Kale Salad with Carrot-Ginger Dressing
- Pear Salad with Balsamic and Walnuts
- Roasted Vegetables
- Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad
- Roasted Beets with Citrus
Enjoy!
More Favorite Soup Recipes
If you love this sweet potato soup recipe, try one of these delicious soups next:
- Potato Leek Soup
- Cauliflower Soup
- Carrot Ginger Soup
- Black Bean Soup
- Best Lentil Soup
- Wild Rice Soup
- Creamy Tomato Soup
- Or any of these 33 Best Soup Recipes!
Sweet Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 heaping teaspoon sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 3 medium sweet potatoes (1½ pounds), peeled and cubed
- 1 apple, peeled and chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 3 to 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 (14-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk, reserve 1/4 cup for garnish
Serving Options
- Pepitas, for garnish
- Fresh cilantro, for garnish
- Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes, for garnish
- Crusty bread, for serving
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, salt, and several grinds of fresh pepper and sauté until soft, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes and the apple and cook until they begin to soften, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add the garlic, ginger, coriander, and smoked paprika, and stir. Stir in the apple cider vinegar and then 3 cups of the broth and the coconut milk. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until the potatoes are tender, 20 to 30 minutes.
- Let cool slightly and pour the soup into a blender, working in batches if necessary, and blend until smooth. If your soup is too thick, add up to 1 cup more broth and blend. Season to taste and top with a swirl of coconut milk, pepitas, cilantro, and Aleppo pepper, if desired. Serve with crusty bread.
Delicious recipe! I added 1 tsp. cumin, a dash of cayenne, substituted chicken stock (low salt) and used reduced fat coconut milk. I am making a second batch as the first was so good!
Hi Mary, so great to hear! I’m glad you loved the soup.
I just made this for the first time, and it is absolutely delicious!! I did double the recipe, but not the salt. It was perfect. I assumed I might have to tweak it, like I usually do a new recipe, but it was perfect as is. Thank you so much!
Hi Maria, I’m so glad you loved the soup!
I just made this for the first time and I often struggle with new meals/combinations outside my comfort zone and I’d just like to say it is ABSOLUTELY SCRUMPTIOUS! Thank you 🙂
Hi Amy, amazing! I’m so glad you loved the soup.
I am just preparing the sweet potato soup. Smells wonderful
Hi Sherry, amazing, I hope you love it!
After being stuck at work in a snowstorm, I finally made it home tonight with not much in the fridge to feed 3 hungry adults. I found this soup recipe that we actually had everything on hand to make. Two thumbs up from all of us. Very warming and comforting. I didn’t have any of the suggested toppers so I wilted some spinach on it before serving.
I’m so glad you had everything on hand!
Just made this recipe. Could not stop eating it! So comforting and rich in flavor. Husband is not a huge fan of soups and thought it was delicious.
I followed the recipe exactly, and it is excellent! Do you have the nutritional information? Thank you.
In a word, Amazing! Rave reviews from my “testers”. It hits all the notes. Can’t wait to try some of the other soups.
Hi Rick, I’m so glad the soup was a hit!
This sounds fabulous –
and coconut is a bit too high in fat for
me given my acid reflux.
Any recommendations for a good substitute?
Almond milk??
Thks,
Barbara
Hi Barbara, you could use unsweetened almond milk. Or check out our butternut squash soup that doesn’t have coconut milk or any milk: https://www.loveandlemons.com/butternut-squash-soup/
Best soup I’ve made in a long time. I added a little extra of the spices. My husband’s response, wow, this is so good is this hard to make? Love Love and Lemons, thank you.
I’m so glad it was such a hit!
I’d personally recommend roasting the sweet potatoes first to get them a little bit browned
Great idea!
Just made it again. Absolutely delish!
Hi Lynda, so glad you love the soup!
Loved the soup. Used an immersion blender. Had some Aleppo pepper as suggested which I used. Will be doing it again!@
Hi Gloria, I’m so glad you loved it!
Simple and very delicious
Hi Tessa, I’m so glad you loved the soup!
Can you freeze this soup?
Hi Julia, yes! This soup freezes well.
Hi! How can I make this in an instapot? Can’t wait to try! 🙂
Hi Taylor, I haven’t tried, but I would put all of the ingredients in and pressure cook on high for 20 minutes. Let it naturally release, then blend.
I only have 1.5 sweet potatoes and a half bag of frozen butternut squash…I am thinking I could combine…ie add the butternut squash to this recipe?
I think that would be great!
I forgot the paprika and apple cider vinegar. I used a pear instead of an apple. I have a friend allergic to apples. The core of this recipe was fantastic that I could make those adjustments. I was originally planning on making roasted butternut squash soup with pear but my butternut squash wasn’t good. I had sweet potatoes and found this recipe. And, I actually had coconut milk in the pantry. Wow. The pot was emptied. So I thank you very much and the next time I’ll make it with the apple and smoked paprika..
I’m so glad this recipe fit well with your ingredients!
Absolutely delicious! I use powdered ginger instead of grated and it turned out fine!
I’m so glad you loved it!
I didn’t care for this recipe. Maybe it was the 5 star rating from so many people or perhaps the comment about enjoying more that squash or pumpkin soup that gave me too high of expectation. I felt like it was lacking a lot
Recipe looks great. Going to give it a try. Is there calorie/nutritional description and details available?
Hi Mike, I’m sorry, we don’t post nutrition facts.