Sweet Potato Soup is a creamy, comforting vegan dish, dairy and gluten-free, featuring curry seasonings and thickened with coconut milk.

Pair this hearty and thick soup with a light crunchy salad like this Costco Kale Salad or this Winter Fruit Salad.

Creamy sweet potato soup in a bowl, sprinkled with crunchy pepitas, showcasing a vibrant and inviting dish ready to be enjoyed.

Sweet Potato Soup

This carrot soup has been one of my favorites during this cold spell of weather, so I decided to tweak it a bit to make a creamy, luscious, thick, and robustly flavored sweet potato soup.

This soup is total comfort food, and best of all — it’s made with really great ingredients. No cream mixture or heavy cream in this soup (like this Chicken Vegetable Soup)! We let the sweet potatoes, veggies, and the coconut milk do all the thickening.

Brown the carrot, ginger, garlic, red pepper and onion in coconut oil; add sugar and sauté; Add seasonings and curry paste; add sweet potatoes and sauté; add chicken stock and coconut milk.

Ingredients

  • Coconut Oil: Used for sautéing, adds coconut flavor.
  • Onion, Carrots, Red Pepper, Garlic, Ginger: Form the flavor base with sweetness and spice.
  • White Sugar: Enhances vegetable caramelization.
  • Spices: Create complex, warm curry flavors in this sweet potato soup.
  • Sweet Potatoes: Main ingredient, adds creaminess and sweetness.
  • Coconut Milk & Vegetable Stock: Provide creaminess and the liquid soup base.
  • Optional Pepita Seeds: Add crunch and flavor as garnish.

Simmering the sweet potato soup until flavors meld; transferring to a blender and processing until smooth; returning the creamy mixture to the pot; ready to serve.

How To Make Sweet Potato Soup

  1. Sauté: Cook onion, carrots, pepper, garlic, and ginger in coconut oil.
  2. Season: Add sugar, curry paste, spices, and season.
  3. Add Potatoes: Mix in sweet potatoes, cook until soft.
  4. Simmer: Pour in stock and coconut milk, simmer.
  5. Blend: Puree the soup until smooth.
  6. Garnish & Serve: Adjust seasoning, garnish with pepitas if desired.

Quick Tip

When blending hot soup, ensure the blender lid is tightly secured and gradually increase the speed on the “soup” or “hot” setting. Open the lid carefully to release steam.

Creamy sweet potato soup in a bowl with a topping of pepitas.

Storage

  • Cool: Let the sweet potato soup cool to room temperature.
  • Refrigerate: Store in airtight containers, lasts up to 5 days.
  • Freeze: Freeze in suitable containers or bags for up to 3 months.
  • Reheat: Thaw if frozen, then reheat on the stove or in a microwave.

Serve This Alongside Some

5 from 3 votes

Sweet Potato Soup

Creamy, comforting Sweet Potato Soup is packed with good-for-you ingredients, seasoned with a comforting blend of curry-inspired seasonings, and thickened with coconut milk. This naturally vegan recipe is dairy and gluten free.
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 4 -6 servings

Ingredients  

  • 1/4 cup 947g) coconut oil (measured when solid)
  • 1 cup (130g) finely diced yellow onion (~1 large onion)
  • 1 cup (135g) finely diced carrots (~2-3 large carrots)
  • 1 red pepper diced
  • 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic (~3-4 cloves)
  • 1/2 tablespoon finely minced ginger (~1-inch piece of ginger)
  • 1 tablespoon white granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons red curry paste (I use Thai Kitchen)
  • 1 tablespoon yellow curry powder (I use Simple Truth Organic)
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon EACH: ground cumin and ground coriander
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional (omit if sensitive to spice)
  • Fine sea salt and freshly cracked pepper
  • 5 cups (681g) chopped sweet potatoes into 1/2-inch pieces (~2-3 large potatoes)
  • 2 cans (13.5 oz.; 400mL EACH) regular (full-fat) coconut milk
  • 2 cups (493g) vegetable stock (I recommend Swanson)
  • Optional: garnish with roasted and lightly salted pepita seeds

Instructions 

  • SAUTEย AROMATICS: Heat 1/4 cup coconut oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add finely diced onion, carrots, pepper, minced garlic and ginger. Season with 1/8 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, and sautรฉ, stirring occasionally until onion is translucent and veggies begin to soften, 7-8 minutes.
  • SEASONINGS: Add in 1 tablespoon sugar; stir for 3-4 more minutes to slightly caramelize veggies. Add in the 2 tablespoons red curry paste and seasonings: 1 tablespoon yellow curry powder, 1 teaspoon turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander, 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste (I add 1/4 teaspoon of each). Sautรฉ for 2-3 minutes, or until very fragrant, stirring constantly.
  • SWEET POTATO: Add the diced sweet potatoes and season again with salt and pepper (I add 1/4 teaspoon each). Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 8 to 10 minutes.
  • FINISHย SOUP: Pour in vegetable stock and coconut milk; season once again with salt and pepper (I add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper, season to personal preference).
  • SIMMER: Bring to a boil over high heat and scrape up any bits that have formed on the bottom of the pot. Reduce the heat to medium or until the soup is at a rapid simmer (bubbling at edges) but not boiling. Cook, stirring occasionally until soup has reduced and thickened and sweet potatoes are tender, about 18-25 minutes.
  • BLEND: Once sweet potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork, carefully transfer the soup (in batches if needed) to a blender or food processor. Puree the soupย (See Note 2)ย and then return the smooth soup to the pot over medium-low heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I add in another 1/4 teaspoon of each here). Serve, garnished with pepita seeds if desired.

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Use full-fat coconut milk for the best flavor and thickness. Lite coconut milk wonโ€™t thicken and give you the rich full flavor that regular coconut milk will (we found the flavor lacking a lot with the lite). Be sure to pick shelf-stable cans of coconut milk, not refrigerated coconut milk. Typically, canned coconut milk can be found on the international aisle, with the Latin or Asian products. In this soup, I've tested it with Imperial Kitchen'sยฎ coconut milk.
Note 2: When blending, make sure to secure the blender lid tightly and then select the โ€œsoupโ€ or โ€œhotโ€ cycle. Increase speed slowly and watch it carefully to avoid soup exploding out or over. Remove the lid carefully as it will likely release a burst of steam. If your blender doesnโ€™t have a hot/soup setting, you can compensate by replacing the blender lid with a folded towel and holding it in place with your hands. This will help reduce steam pressure. While an immersion blender can be used, I highly recommend a high powered blender for the ultimate smooth and creamy carrot soup!

Nutrition

Calories: 476kcal | Carbohydrates: 80g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Sodium: 684mg | Potassium: 1386mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 54254IU | Vitamin C: 54mg | Calcium: 140mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Meet Chelsea


Hi there! Iโ€™m Chelseaโ€“the recipe developer, photographer, writer, and taste tester behind Chelseaโ€™s Messy Apron (although my little ones help me out quite a bit with the taste testing part!). I LOVE getting creative in the kitchen and then posting my creations here for you to enjoy.

Thanks again for stopping by!

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3 Comments

  1. Cherie Laiche says:

    5 stars
    I was looking for a healthy soup to make with some fresh sweet potatoes. This was it! Thanks.

    1. Chelsea says:

      I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks Cherie! ๐Ÿ™‚

  2. Becca says:

    5 stars
    very tasty – I did use an immersion blender and it worked just fine. the soup was very delicious. Makes a lot and my family isnโ€™t as adventurous in their eating as I am; wondering if I can freeze it? And for how long?