Creamy Sweet Potato Soup

There’s nothing I love more than a cozy soup. …Except maybe a cozy soup that is also inexpensive. ;) For this Creamy Sweet Potato Soup I amped up the natural flavor and sweetness of sweet potatoes through roasting, added a few warm spices, then finished it off with a dose of luxurious heavy cream. The combo is just perfection. And don’t worry, if you can’t do heavy cream there are definitely options!

Roasted Sweet Potatoes for Extra Flavor

There are a lot of ways you can cook sweet potatoes before turning them into soup (steaming, boiling, sautéing, etc.) but I chose to roast the sweet potatoes for this soup because roasting significantly enhances their flavor. The natural sugars in the sweet potatoes begin to caramelize and the flavors in the potatoes intensify as they roast in the dry oven. It might take a little longer than simply boiling them, but the flavor payoff is worth it!

Heavy Cream Alternatives

I finished off my soup with a dose of heavy cream because I had it on hand, but I have some no-cream options. You can either substitute with full-fat coconut milk (the kind in the can, not the kind meant as a dairy milk substitute) or drizzle over some sour cream to finish, like in my pumpkin soup recipe. Or you can leave out the cream altogether. Truth be told, this soup was extremely delicious even before I added the cream!

Garnish Options

I garnished my soup with a little extra heavy cream and freshly cracked pepper, but those are totally optional. You could also add something green like chopped cilantro or chives. Or you could even drizzle a little flavored olive oil on there! I wouldn’t say no to adding a few croutons on top, either.

What to Serve with Sweet Potato Soup

This sweet potato soup makes the perfect “soup and salad” or “soup and sandwich” lunch. You could serve it with a salad like Autumn Kale and Apple Salad, or my Roasted Vegetable Salad. As for sandwiches, this would go great with a classic Veggie Sandwich or a Curry Chicken Salad sandwich.

How to Make Sweet Potato Soup – Step by Step Photos

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise, then prick the skins a few times with a fork. Drizzle one tablespoon olive oil over the sweet potatoes and then rub them to coat all surfaces. Place the sweet potatoes cut sides down on the baking sheet.

Roast the sweet potatoes in the oven for 30 minutes. Check to make sure the potatoes are tender all the way through (pierce with a fork). If not cooked through, return the potatoes to the oven for another 10 minutes and check again. Total roasting time will depend on the size of the potatoes. (I flipped the potatoes in the photo above so you can see how caramelized they get on the bottom.) Let the sweet potatoes cool slightly.

While the sweet potatoes are cooling, dice one yellow onion and mince four cloves of garlic. Add the onion and garlic to a skillet along with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Sauté over medium heat until the onions have softened.

Add ½ tsp cumin, ¼ tsp smoked paprika, ¼ tsp freshly cracked pepper, ⅛ tsp cayenne, ⅛ tsp cinnamon to the onions and garlic. Continue to sauté for one minute more, then remove the skillet from the heat.

Scoop the roasted sweet potatoes out of their skins and into a blender (6-cup capacity).

Add the sautéed onion, garlic, and spices to the blender, along with 2 cups chicken broth. Swirl a little of the broth in the skillet first to pick up all those spices.

Blend the sweet potatoes, onion, garlic, and broth until smooth.

Transfer the puréed sweet potato mixture to a soup pot and add an additional 2 cups chicken broth (if you want your soup extra thick, just add one cup of broth).

Heat the soup through over medium heat, then stir in ½ cup heavy cream. Give the soup a taste and add salt or extra pepper as needed (I added ¼ tsp salt). Enjoy hot!