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October 1, 2020

Creamy Sweet Potato Soup Recipe

Name: Creamy Sweet Potato Soup Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 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)

This Sweet Potato Soup is easy, healthy, 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.

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:

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.
Sautee vegetables – add onion, celery and saute 4 minutes then add garlic.
Add sweet potatoes, along with thyme, and salt. Add the chicken stock, partially cover, and simmer until sweet potatoes are soft.
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.

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:

Autumn Chicken Salad: a fall favorite!
Beet Salad with Arugula: show-stopping and flavorful
Kale Salad with Honey Lemon Dressing: gets better with time!

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.

Loaded Potato Soup – cheesy, creamy base with bacon
Clam Chowder Recipe – tender clams and silky potatoes
Easy Chicken Noodle Soup – juicy chicken and tender noodles
Chicken and Wild Rice Soup – packed with flavor
Taco Soup – hearty 30-minute soup!
Borscht – hearty beet soup

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

Creamy Sweet Potato Soup Recipe

4.94 from 90 votes

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

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.

Author: Natasha Kravchuk

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: creamy, sweet potato soup

Skill Level: Easy

Cost to Make: $9-$10

Calories: 418

Servings: 6

Ingredients

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

US Customary - Metric

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.

Recipe 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 Facts

Creamy Sweet Potato Soup Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 418 Calories from Fat 198

% Daily Value*

Fat 22g34%

Saturated Fat 12g75%

Cholesterol 37mg12%

Sodium 1566mg68%

Potassium 970mg28%

Carbohydrates 36g12%

Fiber 5g21%

Sugar 7g8%

Protein 20g40%

Vitamin A 21607IU432%

Vitamin C 8mg10%

Calcium 74mg7%

Iron 3mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition Disclosure

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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.