This Sweet Potato Soup is easy, nutritious, absolutely delicious, and has been a family favorite for years. It’s silky smooth and the addition of bacon and coconut milk makes it so comforting.

Sweet Potato Soup garnished with bacon bits and coconut milk

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Creamy Sweet Potato Soup Recipe

As soon as the weather cools, soups like Corn Chowder, our famous Beef Stew, and of course this Sweet Potato Soup are on the regular rotation.

Creamy Sweet Potato Soup is major comfort. It is a blended soup that doesn’t need any cream! The surprising addition of coconut milk adds a silky sweet nuttiness to the soup.

Close-up of Sweet Potato Soup garnished with bacon bits and coconut milk

Sweet Potato Soup Ingredients:

This soup is so delicious and creamy you will have a hard time believing there isn’t any cream!

  • Sweet Potatoes: peeled and diced. Get organic sweet potatoes if you can get your hands on them.
  • Bacon: cooked and diced for the perfect garnish. Thin or thick-sliced work well.
  • Chicken Broth: We love using our Homemade Chicken Broth, but any chicken stock or broth will work. You can even use a vegetable broth.
  • Coconut Milk: I like to use original coconut milk in the refrigerated section of the grocery store (unflavored and unsweetened). The nuttiness of coconut milk pairs perfectly with the sweetness of the yams
  • Onion and Celery: this pair of ingredients make the perfect soup base
  • Garlic: an easy way to infuse flavor into the soup base
  • Dried Thyme: wonderful seasoning with sweet potatoes. A little bit goes a long way so be sure to measure it correctly.

Peeled and diced sweet potatoes for Sweet Potato Soup

Yams vs. Sweet Potatoes

Decades of debate over sweet potatoes and yams can be blamed on Louisiana farmers from the 1930s trying to market their crops. The farmers began calling their sweet potato crops “Louisiana Yams” and the name stuck. 99% of the yams and sweet potatoes in a grocery store are the exact same thing!

  • Sweet Potatoes –  have an orange or reddish peel and sweet orange flesh. Look for ones that are medium-sized as the larger ones are starchier. They should have tight and unwrinkled skins without blemishes. They are nutritious* and very high in Vitamin A and a good source of Vitamin C and Manganese. You’ll feel better about eating Sweet Potato Casserole.
  • Real Yams – much harder to find in a typical grocery store and less nutritious than the vegetables we typically refer to as sweet potatoes. They have a darker brown skin that looks like tree bark, are more fibrous, and less sweet.

Creamy Sweet Potato Soup ready to serve from the stock pot for a cool evening

How to Make Sweet Potato Soup:

  1. Cook bacon in a large pot or French Oven, cook the bacon until crisp and remove from pot. Reserve about 3 tablespoons of bacon grease in the pan.
  2. Sautee vegetables – add onion, celery and saute 4 minutes then add garlic.
  3. Add sweet potatoes, along with thyme, and salt. Add the chicken stock, partially cover, and simmer until sweet potatoes are soft.
  4. Puree soup until smooth (see “How to Puree Soup” below) then stir in coconut milk. Serve in warm bowls garnished with bacon and fresh parsley.

Cooking the bacon, sautéing celery and onions, and adding the diced sweet potatoes and broth to make Creamy Yam Soup.

Pro Tip: If you want to avoid kitchen messes while cooking soup, place a wooden mixing spoon across one side of your pot and place your lid over it. This way the lid won’t hang over the edge and drip onto the stove and you are more likely to avoid the mixture boiling over from a lid that accidentally covers the top.

Cooking trick: stock pot with wooden spoon propping up the lid to prevent the soup from boiling over 

How to Puree a Creamy Soup:

We love creamy soups in the fall and winter! This Sweet Potato Soup along, with our Creamy Carrot Soup, and our Creamy Cauliflower Soup, are some of our favorites. Getting ultra-smooth restaurant-quality soup can be tricky. Here are some of our favorite methods to make a creamy soup.

  • Immersion Blender: Our favorite method allows you to blend your soup right in the pot! Use an immersion blender to save on dishes and get the right consistency directly in your soup pot. Be sure to wear an oven mitt and apron in case of splatters!
  • High Powered Blender: A high-powered blender will do the best job. We love this one with openings in the lid to allow heat to escape so you don’t end up with a vacuum. You will need to transfer your soup in batches and be sure to never fill a blender more than half full with a hot liquid to avoid explosions and burns.
  • A Food Processor is our least favorite option. It is better for processing thicker sauces and soups but can work in a pinch. Just realize it won’t give you the same smoothness as the other two options.

Freshly pureed yam soup in stock pot

What to Serve with Yam Soup?

Soup is a meal in itself and often all you need are a batch of warm Dinner Rolls with Honey Butter. Soup and salad is a classic meal combination. Our favorite salads to pair with Sweet Potato Soup are:

Creamy Sweet Potato Soup with coconut milk, bacon, and fresh parsley

More Comforting Soup Recipes:

Just as soon as the leaves start to turn, this Creamy Sweet Potato Soup is a staple dinner at our house. I hope it becomes a favorite for you as well! Be sure to try some of our other delicious soups.

*Read more about the health benefits of sweet potatoes here.

Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook

Creamy Sweet Potato Soup Recipe

4.94 from 105 votes
Author: Natasha Kravchuk
Sweet Potato Soup garnished with bacon bits, fresh parsley, and coconut milk
Sweet Potato Soup is comfort in a bowl. It’s creamy without using cream and an easy, cozy soup recipe you’ll enjoy in the cooler months. 
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 6
  • 8 oz 1/2 lb or about 6 strips bacon, diced
  • 1 medium onion, diced (about 1 cup)
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 large celery rib, diced (1 "stick" of celery)
  • 2 lbs 3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
  • 4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
  • 1 cup coconut milk, I used "original" from the refrigerated section of the grocery store
  • 2 tsp Salt and 1/8 tsp ground black pepper, or to taste
  • 2 Tbsp parsley to garnish, optional

Instructions

  • In a large pot, or French Oven, over medium heat, cook bacon in it's own fat until crisp (8-10 min). Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate. Leave 3 Tbsp oil in the pot; discard excess or leave it in there for a more flavorful soup.
  • Add chopped onion, and celery and cook 4 min or until soft, stirring occasionally, then add 2 pressed garlic cloves and saute another minute.
  • Stir in diced sweet potatoes, 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves and 2 tsp salt. Now pour in 4 cups chicken broth, partially cover and simmer 20 min or until sweet potatoes are easily pierced with a fork.
  • Puree soup until smooth. I accomplished this in two batches in my Blender. Return soup to pot and stir in 1 cup coconut milk, or add it to reach desired consistency then season with more salt and pepper to taste if desired. Serve in warm bowls. Sprinkle the tops with bacon and garnish with chopped parsley, if using.

Notes

Great tip from my husband Vadim: To partially cover with lid, place a wooden mixing spoon across one side of your pot and place your lid over it. This way the lid won't hang over the edge and drip onto the stove and the lid is less likely to shut closed unexpectedly and cause your pot to boil over.

Nutrition Per Serving

418kcal Calories36g Carbs20g Protein22g Fat12g Saturated Fat37mg Cholesterol1566mg Sodium970mg Potassium5g Fiber7g Sugar21607IU Vitamin A8mg Vitamin C74mg Calcium3mg Iron
Nutrition Facts
Creamy Sweet Potato Soup Recipe
Amount per Serving
Calories
418
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
22
g
34
%
Saturated Fat
 
12
g
75
%
Cholesterol
 
37
mg
12
%
Sodium
 
1566
mg
68
%
Potassium
 
970
mg
28
%
Carbohydrates
 
36
g
12
%
Fiber
 
5
g
21
%
Sugar
 
7
g
8
%
Protein
 
20
g
40
%
Vitamin A
 
21607
IU
432
%
Vitamin C
 
8
mg
10
%
Calcium
 
74
mg
7
%
Iron
 
3
mg
17
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: creamy, sweet potato soup
Skill Level: Easy
Cost to Make: $$
Calories: 418

If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen

Natasha Kravchuk

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.

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Comments

  • Gina
    February 8, 2024

    Loved this. It was perfectly smooth and sweet. We used canned coconut milk instead of beverage (the beverage is more watered down). I actually had mouth surgery and couldn’t chew by dr’s orders and this was so nice to eat for dinner. My husband admittedly doesn’t love soup and said he didn’t love it, but my teen daughter and I both did. Neither of us added bacon (she doesn’t like it, I can’t chew) so he ate ALL the bacon in his bowl.

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      February 8, 2024

      That’s for sharing, Gina! So glad it was enjoyed.

      Reply

  • Erica
    February 5, 2024

    We just made it on this rainy night and we’re obsessed 🤩

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      February 5, 2024

      This recipe is perfect for that type of weather. Glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply

  • SYLVIA A SHEPPARD
    January 13, 2024

    On the sweet potato soup, can I use almond milk in stead of coconut milk ?

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      January 14, 2024

      I haven’t tried that but one of our readers shared this comment “OMG this recipe was amazing!!!! We loved it!! I didn’t have any cocounut milk so I added some coconut oil after frying the bacon and then at the end I used a mixture of almond milk and natural yogurt and it worked well! I also added some shredded gouda cheese. Can’t wait to make this one again!” Hope that helps.

      Reply

  • Steve F
    November 16, 2023

    My wife and I were discussing whether this soup should be served hot or cold. My wife thinks it should be cold that doesn’t sound good to me but I love sweet potatoes. Which way do you make it?

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      November 16, 2023

      Hi Steve! We love this warm, but either way will work! I hope you love the recipe.

      Reply

  • Morgan
    November 4, 2023

    Could I use dried Italian herbs instead? I don’t have any thyme on hand!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      November 4, 2023

      Hi Morgan, we prefer it with fresh. I haven’t tested this with dry herbs, If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.

      Reply

  • rosebud
    October 15, 2023

    I just processed and froze some sweet potatoes but I don’t know how many pounds I had. Can you tell me about how many cups of sweet potato puree you end up with once you process it?

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      October 15, 2023

      Each serving is about 1 cup and the serving size for the whole recipe 6.

      Reply

  • Lydia
    August 4, 2023

    Hey Nat , this Sweet Potato soup looks so good!I love them but have never had them in soup. I am very excited to try it because I have also never used coconut milk so this is going to be fun. I have made pretty much all the other ones but this so thank you!
    Have a great day Nat !

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      August 4, 2023

      Thanks for sharing, Lydia. I hope you’ll love it!

      Reply

  • Linda
    May 12, 2023

    Hi ! I would love to make this recipe however I am a little concerned about the large amount of sodium , , if I omit the BACON and make my own CHICKEN STOCK, what else can I do to make this recipe have less sodium ? Thanks.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      May 12, 2023

      Hi Linda, I totally understand, it’s hard to alter it without sacrificing the flavor to be honest, but I bet that could work! If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.

      Reply

  • anne
    April 17, 2023

    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!!**

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      April 17, 2023

      Hi Anne! Thank you for the wonderful information. So glad it was enjoyed. 🙂

      Reply

  • Laura
    January 12, 2023

    Just made this for an ill neighbor and cut out the bacon and used half a can of coconut cream. Added a dash of ginger. So scrumptious and easy. Can see where the bacon would be even better.

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      January 12, 2023

      Hi Laura! Thank you for sharing. I’m glad you loved it. 🙂

      Reply

  • Vickie O.
    December 14, 2022

    I have made many of your recipes in the past that my husband and I loved, but this is the first recipe from you that I do not care for. I was very anxious to try it because I love sweet potatoes. I did not care for the bacon flavor or the coconut milk flavor. I may try this again using olive oil to saute the vegetables and whole milk.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      December 15, 2022

      Hi Vickie, you should not be able to sense the coconut milk flavor too much – it’s normally very mild and mellow in flavor. Did you possibly use a flavored coconut milk? I used “original” from the refrigerated section of the grocery store, also not the canned concentrated coconut milk which has a stronger coconut flavor. If it was flavored coconut milk, it probably wouldn’t meld well with bacon either.

      Reply

  • Sara
    November 17, 2022

    OMG this recipe was amazing!!!! We loved it!! I didn’t have any cocounut milk so I added some coconut oil after frying the bacon and then at the end I used a mixture of almond milk and natural yogurt and it worked well! I also added some shredded gouda cheese. Can’t wait to make this one again!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      November 17, 2022

      That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!

      Reply

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