This Sweet Potato Soup is easy, nutritious, absolutely delicious, and has been a family favorite for years. It’s silky smooth with creamy coconut milk, and the bacon on top adds a nice salty bite, but you can easily make it a vegetarian sweet potato soup (see notes below).
This soup is perfect for meal prep because it keeps well in the refrigerator or freezer and reheats like a dream. It’s a keeper!
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As soon as the weather cools, soups like Corn Chowder, our famous Zuppa Toscana, and this Sweet Potato Soup are on the regular rotation.
Sweet Potato Soup Video
Watch the video tutorial, and you’ll see how easy it is to make this creamy sweet potato soup.
Creamy Sweet Potato Soup Recipe
Our kids are pretty selective about their soups, so I am happy they love this soup. I think the crispy bacon topping draws them to this soup, but it works, and I’m ok with that. When I tell them what we’re having for dinner, I always add, ‘it’s the soup with bacon,’ and all resistance melts away.
Creamy Sweet Potato Soup is a comfort food that will warm you up and give you cozy vibes. The surprising addition of coconut milk adds a silky, sweet nuttiness to the soup.
Sweet Potato Soup Ingredients
This soup is so delicious, creamy (without needing heavy cream), and full of flavor, especially when you cook the bacon in the soup and use the bacon grease to cook the veggies.
- 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. For a vegetarian sweet potato soup, you can cook the soup in olive oil and garnish with parmesan cheese, croutons, or toasted pumpkin seeds like we did in our Pumpkin Soup.
- 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: Canned coconut milk is best for soups to create a creamier texture and makes it a dairy-free sweet potato soup. You can also use the refrigerated “original” or unflavored coconut milk that comes in a carton, giving you a lower-calorie soup. The nuttiness of coconut milk pairs perfectly with the sweetness of the yams.
- Onion and Celery: these aromatic ingredients create the perfect soup base.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic infuses the soup with great flavor.
- Thyme: an excellent seasoning with sweet potatoes. You can use a few sprigs of fresh thyme and add them in whole (no need to strip the leaves). You’ll remove the stems later. If using dried thyme, add it to taste as it has a more robust flavor profile, and a little bit goes a long way.
Are Yams and Sweet Potatoes the Same?
There have been decades of debate over sweet potatoes and yams and 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 medium-sized ones, as the larger ones are starchier. They should have tight and unwrinkled skins without blemishes. You’ll feel better eating Sweet Potato Casserole, Baked Sweet Potatoes and Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries.
- Real Yams are 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.
How to Make Sweet Potato Soup
- Cook bacon in a large pot or Dutch 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, salt and pepper. Add the chicken stock, partially cover, and simmer until sweet potatoes are soft.
- Puree soup with an immersion blender or blend in batches in a blender until smooth (see “How to Puree Soup” below), then stir in 12 oz of coconut milk and return to a boil. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve in warm bowls garnished with a drizzle of the remaining coconut milk, bacon, and fresh parsley.
Pro Tip:
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 blender 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.
Make-Ahead
Allow the soup to cool completely before storage. You can speed up the cooling process by setting the pot over an ice bath or transferring the soup to smaller containers.
- To Refrigerate: Store in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezing: Transfer individual portions to freezer-safe zip-top bags or containers, leaving a little room for expansion at the top. Remove excess air and freeze for up to 4 months.
- To Reheat: Thaw frozen soup in the refrigerator overnight, or you can speed-thaw ziptop bags in a cold water bath. Transfer the soup to a saucepan and reheat over medium/low heat, stirring frequently.
What to Serve with Sweet Potato Soup?
Soup is a meal in itself; often, all you need is a batch of warm Dinner Rolls with Honey Butter. The spongy texture of Sourdough Bread is also perfect for soaking up the soup.
To make this soup the main course, pair it with a soup. Afterall, soup and salad are a classic meal combination. Our favorite salads to pair with Sweet Potato Soup are:
- Autumn Chicken Salad
- Beet Salad with Arugula
- Kale Salad with Honey Lemon Dressing
- Roasted Sweet Potato Salad
- Chicken Salad
- Broccoli Apple Salad
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
- Clam Chowder Recipe
- Chicken Noodle Soup
- Chicken Wild Rice Soup
- Taco Soup
- Borscht
- Beef Stew
- Tomato Soup
Sweet Potato Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 oz bacon (about 6 strips), chopped into 1/2-inch strips, *see notes for vegetarian soup
- 1 medium onion, diced (about 1 cup)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 large celery rib, diced (1 “stick” of celery)
- 2 lbs sweet potatoes (3 medium), peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme 3, or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
- 14 oz canned coconut milk*, (shake well before opening), divided
- 1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt, or more to taste
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- 2 Tbsp parsley to garnish, optional
Instructions
- In a large pot, or Dutch 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, thyme,* salt and pepper. Now pour in 4 cups chicken broth, partially cover, and simmer for 20 min or until sweet potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. Remove and discard the thyme stems.
- Puree soup until smooth using an immersion blender or use a high-powered blender and blend in batches. Return soup to pot and stir in 12 oz coconut milk, reserving a bit for garnish, then season with more salt and pepper to taste if desired. Return to a boil, then remove from heat. Serve garnished with a drizzle of coconut milk, crispy bacon and parsley.
Notes
*For Vegetarian Soup – omit the bacon and use olive oil to sautee the veggies.
*For a lower-fat soup, you can also use “original” coconut milk in refrigerated cartons.
*Thyme Sprigs can be added whole with the stem – there’s no need to strip the leaves off. Remove the stems before blending the soup. If using dried thyme, add it to taste since it can have a more robust flavor profile.
Nutrition Per Serving
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
I loved the soup
I will use less salt next time
I used turkey bacon
Can I use cream instead of coconut milk. Daughter does not like it. Thanks
Hi Kathy! Yes, cream will work too.
Can I use 35% cream instead of coconut milk?
Hi Marisa! Cream works well too.
Hey there! Can I freeze the soup with the coconut in it? Thanks tali
Yes you can freeze this. I recommend checking the Make Ahead instructions in the recipe for some freezing tips.
Sharkie snatched a sweet potato off the counter
Good catch, Chris! Thanks for watching.
Could I substitute whipping cream for the coconut milk. I’ve never tried coconut milk because I don’t like coconut. Does it taste like coconut?
Hi Judy! Yes, you can. we prefer coconut milk because the nuttiness pairs perfectly with the sweetness of the yams.
My kids really asked me to write about sharky;) so they spotted it creeping out (from the right side from you) and stealing a sweet potato )
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.
That’s for sharing, Gina! So glad it was enjoyed.
We just made it on this rainy night and we’re obsessed 🤩
This recipe is perfect for that type of weather. Glad you enjoyed it!
On the sweet potato soup, can I use almond milk in stead of coconut milk ?
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.
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?
Hi Steve! We love this warm, but either way will work! I hope you love the recipe.
Could I use dried Italian herbs instead? I don’t have any thyme on hand!
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.
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?
Each serving is about 1 cup and the serving size for the whole recipe 6.
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 !
Thanks for sharing, Lydia. I hope you’ll love it!
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.
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.
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!!**
Hi Anne! Thank you for the wonderful information. So glad it was enjoyed. 🙂
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.
Hi Laura! Thank you for sharing. I’m glad you loved it. 🙂
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.
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.
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!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!