This creamy sweet potato soup recipe is a hearty, easy main dish perfect for chilly weather. Made with sweet potatoes and warming spices, this delicious vegetarian recipe is comforting and irresistible.
Other creamy soups we can’t get enough of this time of year include creamy pumpkin soup, butternut squash soup recipe and potato leek soup!
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Perfect Fall Comfort Soup
I just love this time of year because I enjoy cooking and eating a warm bowl of soup. As soon as the weather gets cooler, this recipe is one of the first on my list, along with vegetable beef soup, minestrone and creamy tomato basil soup.
I have a new found love for sweet potatoes beyond just sweet potato casserole! I’ve been baking sweet potato, making roasted sweet potatoes in the oven and even tried this baked sweet potato fries recipe, but had never used them in a soup.
The end result was so delicious! The sweet potato soup recipe is loaded with flavorful veggies and has a warm, creamy taste plus it can be made in one pot. It’s an amazing comfort food meal on it’s own, or serve it with this fall salad.
Why This Recipe Works
- Quick and easy: Wholesome ingredients come together in one pot in 45 minutes! Simple saute, simmer, and blend into a velvety soup.
- Warm spices: Cinnamon and nutmeg are balanced with savory onion and garlic to transform ordinary soup into a memorable rave worthy meal.
- Rich and creamy: This fall soup is made with both heavy cream and milk for the creamiest texture!
- Holiday worthy: Serve as a warm appetizer on Thanksgiving or Christmas or make it for a weeknight meal. It’s incredible either way!
Creamy Sweet Potato Recipe Ingredients
A simple mix of fresh veggies, spices and liquids are all that’s needed to make this creamy sweet potato soup out of this word delicious. The flavors and textures are spot on!
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Sweet potatoes: The star of the show in this delicious soup. Look for sweet potatoes that are large and firm, with an orange flesh. I recommend peeling them before adding to the soup as the skin can be quite tough and fibrous.
- Aromatics: Chopped onion, celery and garlic (also known as a mirepoix) are sauteed in butter until fragrant and tender to give this sweet potato soup an extra depth of flavor.
- Stock: The base of this soup is made with a simple vegetable stock or vegetable broth. The potatoes cook in the stock and will get perfectly tender and delicious.
- Cream and milk: A combination of heavy whipping cream and milk are added for richness and a creamy texture. I recommend using the full fat versions for the best consistency.
- Spices: Adding in a cinnamon stick and a pinch of nutmeg is the perfect finishing touch to this sweet potato soup and gives it the perfect touch of fall!
Substitutions and Variations
There’s nothing stopping you from playing around with the spices in this recipe to enhance the flavor even more. A sprinkle of curry powder, fresh ginger or paprika would add a fun boost of flavor to the soup. I sometimes add another clove of garlic or some fresh leeks too.
With a few simple swaps, you can also easily turn this vegetarian dish into a dairy-free vegan recipe if preferred. Simply sauté the veggies with olive oil instead of butter and use full fat coconut milk in place of the milk and heavy cream.
How to Make Sweet Potato Soup
This recipe for sweet potato soup is made in one pot in just about an hour. It only requires 15 minutes of prep, with the rest being simmering time on the stove. Super easy!
- Cook the veggies. First, I started by chopping up a white onion, celery stocks, and fresh garlic. Then the prepared vegetables are softened in a large pot with melted butter over medium-high heat.
- Add sweet potatoes and spices. Next, you add the star of the soup, diced sweet potatoes, along with the vegetable stock, ground nutmeg and a cinnamon stick.
- Simmer. Bring the ingredients to a boil over high heat, then let simmer until the sweet potatoes are fork tender, which is about 20 minutes.
- Blend and add cream. Once all the vegetables are cooked and tender, you can use an immersion blender to puree the mixture. I worked in small batches in my high speed blender. After the mixture is pureed, stir in the whipping cream, milk, salt, and pepper to taste. Heat the soup back up on the stove and then ladle into bowls!
Favorite Toppings
You can’t forget the toppings! I like to add a drizzle of cream and garnish with chopped chives and some pepitas (pumpkin seeds) for an added crunch. This soup would also taste delicious topped with cornbread croutons!
- Chopped chives
- Sour cream
- Bacon
- Goat cheese
- Raw pepitas or roasted pumpkin seeds
- Sun dried tomatoes
- Chili flakes or red pepper flakes
- Cornbread croutons
Expert Tips
- Full fat dairy. Using full fat whipping cream and milk is what helps make this the most creamy sweet potato soup you’ll ever try with a deliciously rich flavor. For the best results, I don’t recommend using lower fat varieties.
- Consistency. If the soup still seems a little thick after blending, feel free to stir in a little more broth to thin it out to your desired consistency.
- Blending. Using an immersion blender is easiest in my opinion, since you can blend the soup together right in the pot without dirtying up any additional dishes. If you don’t have an immersion blender, a standing blender will absolutely work too – just make sure to work in batches.
Recipe FAQs
Let cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Yes, you can freeze this sweet potato soup. Soups that contain a cream or milk base can sometimes separate when freezing, so I would just add a little bit of fresh cream when reheating.
If planning on freezing the whole batch, you could also just make the soup without the milk/cream, freeze, then add it in when warming back up.
Sweet potato skin is a bit tough and fibrous with a slightly bitter flavor, which is why I prefer to peel them in this recipe.
You can definitely leave the skins on if you’d like, however it may change the consistency and flavor of the soup.
Looking for more veggie-packed recipes for fall? Try out my one pan chicken and apples recipe, crockpot cabbage soup or this hearty pumpkin chili.
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Sweet Potato Soup Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion , chopped
- 2 celery ribs , chopped
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic , or 2 cloves chopped
- 1 ½ pounds sweet potatoes (about 2 large orange-flesh sweet potatoes), peeled
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 1 cinnamon stick
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ cup whipping cream
- ¾ cup milk
- Kosher salt , to taste
- Ground black pepper , to taste
Instructions
- Cut the sweet potatoes into 1-inch cubes.
- In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the chopped onions and sauté 3 to 4 minutes. Add the celery and sauté 5 more minutes, or until softened. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Add sweet potatoes, stock, cinnamon stick, and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered 20 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork.
- Remove cinnamon stick. Purée the soup with an immersion blender or in batches in a standing blender. Return to the pot and add the cream and milk. Heat on medium until it's heated through. Season with salt and pepper.
- Ladle into bowls and drizzle a little more cream on top, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Recipe contributed by Katie from Purely Katie for I Heart Naptime.
Categorized as: American, Dinner, Freezer-Friendly, Freezer-Friendly, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, One Pot, One Pot, Soups, Stovetop, Stovetop, Vegan, Vegetarian, Vegetarian, Vegetarian
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
This is so creamy and delicious, I love this soup!
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it :)
using the sweet potato for soup is a great idea! So hearty and delicious!
Mmm, this soup looks so amazing. And it is super easy to make. Thanks so much! :)
I love how easy this is to make for a quick weeknight dinner. Such a great flavor added by the cinnamon and nutmeg. Brilliant!
Excellent!!
How many servings does this recipe make?
It serves 6-8 :)
Thank you for a beautiful recipe. Made this tonight for my family and the kitchen smells divine. It tastes even better.
I’m so glad this was a hit! Thanks for your comment and review Allison! :)
This is similar to my recipe but I use sherry instead of cinnamon. I shall certainly try this version. Can’t wait for it to cool off in the South! :)
Get in my belly! This looks so good.
I’ll have to give this a try, you make it sound so good.
It looks really comforting! Perfect for fall nights!
I love soup season for this! So creamy and so tasty! My kind of soup!
Mmmm the perfect fall soup!
For all the ways I love and have enjoyed sweet potatoes, I have never had it as a soup…can’t wait to change that.
Sounds so yummy, I love soup!
I’ll be making this for a cold fall night !!
I love it. Perfect for fall.
I love how colourful that soup is! That’s what you get when you cook with sweet potatoes, I guess… ;) Anyways, I think next time I’ve got some sweet potatoes I’ll have to try this recipe! Pinned :)