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.
I usually don’t leave comments on recipes but boy oh boy was it tasty. As a person who lives alone, using up vegetables is the daily struggle, and this recipe not only saved all the vegies but also left me with amazing sweet potato soup!! Definitely recommend this recipe and I realized that I forgot about the apple cider but you know what? It’s still scrumptious. Thank you so much for your recipe❤️❤️
I’m so glad you loved it!
Looks delicious! Have you ever made it in the slow cooker?
Hi Rebecca, I haven’t, but I’m sure it would be fine.
followed this to a T. perfection
I’m glad you loved it!
Super recipe and very easy to make. I got sweet potatoes from my farmers market and wanted to make soup out of it. I looked online for recipes and decided to rry your recipe. And, it turned out so so yum. I have Lunch for the next 3 or 4 days with the sweet potato soup!
P.S.: i didn’t have coconut milk so added about 1/3 cup of coconut cream and another of cup of water.
I’m so glad you loved it! And welcome!
Can you use regular milk instead of coconut milk?
This recipe is a total hit ! I made it for my family yesterday and I have been hearing praises all day today! Thank you for sharing !
The only changes I made was using heavy cream instead of coconut milk because I didn’t have any.
Hi Sondes, I’m so glad everyone loved it!
I made this yesterday and it was magnificent. I used carrots instead of apples (didn’t have any), used peanut butter instead of coconut milk and topped it with a dollop of non dairy creamy cashew yogurt.
This variation sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing.
I made this yesterday and it was magnificent. I topped it with a dollop of non dairy creamy cashew yogurt.
Hi Syreeta, I’m so glad you loved the soup!
Really like the flavour but it’s to sweet for me, is there anything I can change or omit from the ingredients to help?
Really enjoyed this! Will definitely be making again
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I made this soup for an elderly friend who was having trouble with her stomach. She absolutely loved it, and it was easy on her digestive system. I’m getting ready to make a second pot full for her! Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe.
Loved this delicious soup. I used half n half, 1/4 tsp Powdered garlic for ea garlic cloves, 1/4 tsp Powdered ginger for 1 tbsp grated garlic. Great with warm crusty Baguette and salad. Also, is absolutely great cold!!
Hi Carol, I’m so glad you loved the soup!
The soup is delicious! It is a must try.
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
that was delicious, thank you!
Hi Rosalinda, I’m so glad you loved it!
I LOVED IT!!!! I even gave some to a friend and offered to make some more for another friend! The addition of the crunchy bacon bits really seals all the flavors perfectly!
Some adjustments:
– For the coconut milk, I had an organic can that has a strong taste so I added about 1/3 to 1/2 of the can at the end since I had forgotten to add it to the pot to simmer with the rest 🙁
– I didn’t have any celery so I used a carrot instead.
– I used chicken broth instead of vegetable.
– It was good even if I was missing the ginger, the apple, and coriander. Next time I will have them because I’m sure they bring lots of richness.
– I had normal paprika and it turned out great.
– My stove is really slow, so next time I’ll bring the pot to a boil and then let it simmer for 20-25 minutes – until tender.
**It’s definitely gonna be a regular recipe for me. Thank you!!**
I’m so glad you loved the soup!
This was ok – I think it would be way better with dairy free creamer and just a dash of coconut milk – it was way too coconuty for me and I love coconut!
Hi Wendy, you could substitute unsweetened almond milk next time for a milder coconut flavor.
This was amazing. I used evaporated milk instead of coconut and cumin instead of corriander as that’s just what I had. Still amazing. Also this recipe would be easy to change up to your personal preferences. I added a tablespoon of applesauce as well as cinnamon. Great recipe. Thank you
Hi Vanessa, I’m glad you loved the soup!
This recipe made a perfect St. Patrick’s Day lenten supper, especially with the green pepitas for garnish. I happened to have on hand a 2-lb sweet potato that needed to be consumed. The only thing I substituted was ground ginger because I didn’t have fresh on hand. I will make this again! Delicious!
I’m so glad you loved it!
I’m making right now this for the 2nd time in a week, it was that good. The first time I didn’t have coriander so I used tarragon and parsley and it was delicious. Now we have coriander and it’s even better if that is possible. I might even like this more than butternut soup and it has a creamier texture than regular potato soup. Thank you!
I’m so happy to hear how much you’ve loved it!
Can you sub vegetable broth with chicken broth?
Hi Jessica, that would work fine!
I have been sick this week and need something full of vitamins and warmth. This was perfect! Absolutely full of flavor. I used Bone broth instead of vegetable and heavy cream instead of coconut. Will, make again and again.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the soup! Hope you’re feeling better too!