This velvety smooth vegan sweet potato soup is creamy without the cream, and rich with spices and nutrients. It will warm you to your toes on a chilly evening!
The aroma of this creamy vegan sweet potato soup is enough to bring the family running to the dinner table. There's something about the scent of warm spices, such as coriander and curry powder, that evokes a feeling of contentment. Really, is there anything better than a bowl of hot soup on a cold day?!
For a little added crunch and nuttiness, lightly toast some pepitas. Sprinkle them over top of each serving of soup, along with some minced cilantro or parsley.
While many creamy vegan soups are thickened with coconut milk (like my white bean soup), I used the same trick in this recipe that I did in my Moroccan Carrot Soup.
Chickpeas! That's right - chickpeas are blended with the other vegetables to achieve a rich, velvety texture. Without a drop of cream.
What you need for this vegan sweet potato soup recipe:
See recipe card below for full ingredients list & recipe directions.
These are the main ingredients for this recipe (affiliate links included):
- Sweet potatoes: Look for red-skinned (orange flesh) sweet potatoes, which are sometimes labeled as yams. Peel and cut into ¾-inch pieces.
- Olive oil: Two teaspoons are used to sauté the onions, and the remaining teaspoon is added along with the sweet potatoes, ginger and garlic.
- Aromatics: Onion, garlic and fresh ginger root (not ground ginger) form the flavor base of this soup.
- Spices: Curry powder and ground coriander can be found in the spice aisle of most grocery stores. If you like a little heat, add a sprinkle of cayenne pepper for a spicy sweet potato soup that hits all of the taste buds. And don't forget the salt!
- Broth: Use your favorite homemade or store-bought vegetable broth.
- Chickpeas: I use canned chickpeas for ease and convenience. Drain the chickpeas into a fine-mesh sieve and rinse well.
- Garnish: If you'd like, garnish the soup with some pepitas. Toast them for a few minutes in a dry skillet set over medium heat to bring out the nutty flavor. Sprinkle some minced cilantro or parsley onto each serving.
💙What's to love about this sweet potato soup recipe:
▪️Warm & comforting: Warm spices, such as curry powder and ground coriander, lend a rich, warm flavor to this soup. I have dreams of wrapping my hands around a bowl of this soup while sitting wrapped in a blanket, sitting in front of a fire. Cue the snowstorm!
▪️Whole food plant-based: Vegan soup recipes are an easy way to work a plant-based meal into your menu. This recipe is packed with healthy whole foods, such as sweet potatoes and chickpeas. This soup also happens to be gluten-free.
▪️Easy: This recipe is a breeze to make! Sauté the aromatics and spices, boil the sweet potatoes, add the chickpeas, then blend it all together. Simple!
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HOW TO MAKE SWEET POTATO SOUP (VEGAN):
- Start by sautéing chopped onion in a little olive oil in a large saucepan.
- Once the veggies are tender, stir in the cubes of sweet potato, along with some fresh garlic, ginger, curry powder and ground coriander. The amount of spices used gives the soup a subtle curry flavor, which I thought was the perfect balance and didn't overpower the sweet potato. However, if you prefer more curry flavor, feel free to increase the amount of curry powder.
- Add the broth and chickpeas to the pot, and bring the mixture to a boil. Cook at a lively simmer until the sweet potato cubes are tender. That should take about 30 minutes.
- This is key! Allow the soup to cool for about 10 minutes before pureeing it in batches in a blender. If you put blazing hot soup into a blender, it's likely to blow the top off of the blender. Hot sweet potato soup on the ceiling (and possibly on you) is no fun. Trust me - I speak from experience! Alternatively, use an immersion blender to blend the soup.
Frequently Asked Questions:
While regular potato soups tend to have an unappetizing mushy texture when frozen and defrosted, blended sweet potato soups are typically free from this phenomenon. I have frozen this vegan sweet potato soup several times and it has always defrosted and reheated well.
To freeze, cool the soup completely, then transfer to freezer containers like these ones. Leave about ½ to ¾-inch of room to allow the soup to expand as it freezes.
The short answer is yes. Most of the time. The longer answer is that it all depends on what ingredients are added to make the soup "creamy". In this recipe, I used chickpeas to thicken the soup, which not only keeps things dairy free, but also adds a portion of plant-based protein.
Sweet potatoes themselves are packed with nutrients. According to Harvard School of Public Health, they contain both soluble and insoluble fiber, which not only helps to fill you up, but keeps things moving like should. They are also rich sources of antioxidants, vitamin A, potassium and beta carotene. Healthy gut, healthy eyes and healthy brains!
Printable Recipe
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Vegan Sweet Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 3 teaspoons olive oil divided
- ½ yellow onion chopped
- 1 ¾ pounds sweet potato peeled & chopped (about 5 cups)
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 1 ½ teaspoon curry powder
- ¾ teaspoon ground coriander
- ⅛ teaspoons cayenne pepper (optional)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1 (14 oz.) can chickpeas drained & rinsed
- Minced cilantro & toasted pepitas for garnish if desired
Instructions
- Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large nonstick saucepan set over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until tender, 5 to 6 minutes.
- Add the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil, then stir in the sweet potatoes, garlic and ginger. Cook for 3 minutes.
- Stir in the curry powder, ground coriander, cayenne pepper (optional) and salt. Cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in the vegetable broth and chickpeas. Bring to a boil, then lower heat slightly and cook at a lively simmer until the sweet potatoes are very tender, about 30 minutes.
- Allow the soup to cool for about 10 minutes. In batches, puree the soup in a blender until smooth. Return to the saucepan to reheat.
- Serve with cilantro and toasted pepitas, if desired.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published on January 13, 2020. It was updated with new tips and text on November 9, 2021.
Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
geraldine
in your intro paragraph, you say start with onions carrots and celery....
but ingredient list and instructions only include onion and say sauté onion....
Which is correct? Thank you
Dara
I apologize for the confusion! The opening paragraph was incorrect (now corrected), but the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post is correct. I hope you enjoy the soup. I'm making a batch today, too.
Julia G
Good evening Dara! Thank you for this wonderful Vegan option, I'm sure my kids will love it! I just wanted to take the time to say that I've been a 'lurker' for quite some time, but decided it's time to pay you some thanks and share my story. We had planned for a baby shower for one of my co-workers some time back, but I was NOT in good shape, not even in the least. But every time that I attempted to gather my resolve and eat healthy, do the right exercise, make proper quantities of food (etc), the insecurity and uncertainty lead me in a circle, right back to my original habits which actually had a reverse impact of what I desired in the first place! But, after a distant relative referred me to your blog in combination with a wonderful quick-acting program, I was able to meet my goal of weight loss with time to spare before the baby shower. I just wanted to take the time to finally comment my success, happiness, and appreciation for your work, the wonderful programs available, and in general everyone's support throughout my journey! Thank you and god bless you all!