This easy creamy sweet potato soup makes a simple and delicious addition to any meal. Everyone will love the super rich flavor of this cream of sweet potato. It's the ultimate comfort food to keep you warm this fall and winter season!
My late friend Marcel showed me the right way to make this cream of sweet potato soup recipe! I couldn't believe her method but she was right. This recipe is considered the perfect sweet potato cream soup for a reason!
While I haven't been a huge fan of sweet potatoes historically, I find that we make them more and more these days. It's a healthier alternative to regular potatoes and their flavor has started to grow on me!
You can make this creamy sweet potato soup as thick or as thin as you want, and it's delicious with or without cream. This recipe has definitely become a family favorite and I am sure it will in your household too.
If you love creamy vegetable soups, you might also enjoy old-fashioned cream of broccoli soup or cream of potato and leek soup.
Add on a simple side of air fryer biscuits or homemade cornbread to any one of these vegetable soups for a hearty and delicious meal.
Why You Will Love this Recipe
- It's the perfect combination of sweet and savory.
- This soup is so rich and creamy.
- It's incredibly easy to make using simple, easy ingredients.
- A hearty bowl soup that's the perfect cold-weather comfort food.
Top Tip:
While you could puree this soup in a blender, an immersion blender really is the way to go. If you don't have one, I highly recommend investing in one for this and tons of other recipes.
Ingredients
This easy soup recipe only uses a few simple ingredients. You'll find them all easily at your local grocery.
I've included the ingredients that make this recipe taste as wonderful as it does, but you'll find the complete ingredient list along with amounts in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Sweet potatoes: Fresh sweet potatoes are the budget-friendly star of the show in this soup.
- Onion: Chopped onion is cooked to give this soup more depth of flavor.
- Broth: For a vegetarian or vegan version of this soup use vegetable broth or if that makes no difference to you chicken stock or chicken broth work fine!
- Thyme: To keep things simple use dried thyme. If you prefer fresh, add one tablespoon instead of a teaspoon.
- Brown Sugar: For an additional touch of sweetness in this soup recipe.
- Apple cider vinegar: Adding a touch of acid works well to balance the sweetness.
- Cream: You don't need much so feel free to use what's available. Such as whipping cream, heavy cream, sour cream, or coconut milk.
- Green onions: For a splash of color on top!
Substitutions and Variations
- No cream? Whipping cream, heavy cream, sour cream, or coconut milk will work. I don't always add cream right before serving. Sometimes I don't add it at all.
- Sweet Potato Chicken or Lentil Soup: For a heartier soup add a drained can of lentils or shredded chicken to your soup. At towards the end, and then cook until it's heated through.
- Sweet Potato Kale Soup: Add a few handfuls of kale to the soup right before serving. It should quickly wilt into the soup.
- Apple Sweet Potato Soup: Add chopped apple to the pot towards the end of cooking the sweet potatoes. They will quickly cook into the other ingredients in the soup. Apples add such a nice flavor to your soup with sweet potatoes and is definitely worth a try!
- Sweet Potato and Carrot Soup: Add chopped carrot to cook with the onions right at the start.
- Want it less sweet? Try making it with half sweet potato and half butternut squash. Cook the butternut squash along with the sweet potatoes.
Spice Variations
- Curry Sweet Potato Soup: Curry paste or curry powder adds great flavor to this recipe. Always remember that a little curry paste or powder goes a long way so add it slowly, a little at a time.
- Make it Spicy: Add chili pepper flakes, smoked paprika, hot sauce, jalapeno powder, or chipotle powder while cooking to imbue heat into the dish. You can also add some diced jalapeno or serrano peppers or even diced chipotle in adobo while the soup cooks.
- No Thyme? If you aren't a fan of thyme try oregano, basil, marjoram, coriander or even poultry or Italian seasoning instead.
- Warming Fall Flavors: Add a few dashes of cinnamon, ginger and allspice or pumpkin pie spice to taste to the soup towards the end of cooking.
How to Make Creamy Sweet Potato Soup
This cream of sweet potato soup only takes a few simple steps to make. I'm covering the highlights below. You'll find the complete instructions in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Chop the onions and sweet potatoes.
2. Saute the onions in butter in a large saucepan until tender.
- Add the broth to the pan and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat and cook.
- Add the sweet potatoes to the pot with the onions. Cover with a lid and let it stand off of the heat.
- Add the brown sugar, thyme, vinegar, salt, and pepper, and bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce the heat and cook until the potatoes are very soft.
- Puree the soup using an immersion blender until smooth. Add more broth to reach desired consistency and season again with salt and pepper to taste. .
- Serve this creamy soup with sour cream, heavy cream, or whipping cream and chopped green onions if desired
If you love recipes like this, you may also enjoy this butternut squash soup. It's absolutely delicious.
Storage
- Refrigerator: Store this soup in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Store it in a well sealed, freezer-safe container for up to 6 months.
- Reheat: Place the soup in a saucepan over medium-low heat until heated through.
- Make Ahead: This soup is easy to reheat and freezes well, so you can make it as far in advance as you'd like.
What To Serve With Sweet Potato Soup
This delicious, creamy soup pairs well with a variety of sides. Some great options include:
- Salad: Serve it up with a this Strawberry spinach salad or Mustard vinaigrette asparagus salad for a light meal.
- Bread: As the star of the show, this soup is great with a homemade bread such as broccoli cornbread, Italian cheese bread, or garlic bread.
- For a heartier lunch or dinner: It goes great with a slice of quiche or a half a sandwich. I love this provolone grilled cheese or a turkey apple brie sandwich!
- For more ideas, take a look at this list of soup sides and this recipe for wonton crisps that will blow you away! If you're not looking to serve your soup with bread check out our What to Serve with Soup Besides Bread post. Lots of great ideas there.
Tips
- Cook the sweet potatoes until extremely soft so they puree easily.
- To save time chop the sweet potatoes into small chunks so they cook faster.
- An immersion blender is your best friend for this and many other recipes.
FAQ
No. Potatoes are considered tubers, while sweet potatoes are considered root vegetables.
It's very healthy, especially if you serve it without the cream.
No. Yams and sweet potatoes are very different. Yams are tougher, starchier, and not sweet. Sweet potatoes are softer and naturally sweet.
How It's Made Video
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You must use the category name, not a URL, in the category field.Easy Creamy Sweet Potato Soup
Equipment
- immersion blender or stand mixer
Ingredients
- 2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled, ¼ inch thick slices approximately
- 1 small onion chopped
- ¼ cup butter
- 4 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon thyme, dried, ground or leaves
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream (35 %) or sour cream or coconut milk if desired
- 1 green onion. thinly sliced
Instructions
- Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat.
- Add onions and sauté until they are tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add broth, increase heat to high, and simmer.
- Remove pot from heat, add sweet potatoes, and let stand covered for 20 minutes.
- Add brown sugar, thyme, vinegar, 1 teaspoons salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper.
- Stir to combine.
- Bring to simmer over high heat.
- Reduce heat to medium low, cover, and cook until potatoes are very soft, about 10 minutes.
- Using an immersion blender or working in batches with a stand mixer, puree soup until smooth. If needed, return soup right back into your pot.
- Bring your pureed soup to a simmer over medium heat.
- Add more broth if necessary to reach your desired consistency.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve with a tablespoon of sour cream of whipping cream and green onions if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
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- Cook the sweet potatoes until extremely soft so they puree easily.
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- To save time chop the sweet potatoes into small chunks so they cook faster.
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- An immersion blender is your best friend for this and many others
Diana says
I love sweet potatoes! They are considered a superfood. This such a creamy beautiful recipe. I love it. I make a couple slices of buttered pumpernickel bread and dip it in. ❤️
Karin and Ken says
We enjoy this soup too. Bet it’s nice with pumpernickel. Thank you for letting me know. I hope you find some other recipes on this site that you enjoy just as much. All the best. Karin
Susan says
This soup was not difficult to make and is a delicious change to the usual soups I make. I will be making this again!!
Karin and Ken says
I’m so glad to hear it! You made my day. I love this soup. Thank you for taking the time to comment and let me know. Hopefully you find some other recipes on this site that you enjoy just as much! All the best. Karin
DeAnn says
Absolutely delicious followed the recipe using my homemade chicken bone broth no cream needed! Thanks!
Karin and Ken says
Thank you for letting me know. Glad you used homemade broth. It always tastes a bit better! You made my day. We love this soup. With or without the cream. Take care and enjoy your day. Karin
Sarah says
So yummy I used Basil and maple syrup instead of thyme and briwn sugar !! Yum yum and more yum!
Karin and Ken says
That sounds wonderful I’m going to try that myself! I love this soup and appreciate the suggestions! You made my day. All the best. Karin