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
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Made this last night and it was so good! Rich and creamy. Changes — I forgot to buy bacon, so I skipped it, and added in 3 apples to cook with the sweet potato. Yum! Also I plan to add curry next time I eat it, I think it will go really well with these flavors.
I never would have thought to use apples! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
I used white sweet potatoes. Have you made the soup with those and yams? How do the flavors compare? Do you have a preference?
Hi Kira, we only make them with sweet potatoes, although, keep in mind most “yams” that are marketed in grocery stores are actually sweet potatoes. True yams are starchy and dry and are rare unless you’re in an ethnic supermarket. Here’s a good read on that subject.
Do you think I can use regular milk?
Hi Tanya, we have always made it with coconut milk because it’s richer, smoother and gives better flavor, but I do think regular milk would work.
Does this soup freeze well?
Hi Carrie, I haven’t tried freezing it but I think that would work fine 🙂
I just stumbled onto natashaskitchen.com while searching for a soup receipe.
I just made the soup and it was delicious.
I didn’t have bacon but I made enough to freeze.
Cooking is fun and relaxing for me as well so I minimally tweaked your reciepe by adding a small amount of nutmeg and brown sugar.
The bonus about me finding your site is our shared motherland.
Welcome to the site Time and thank you for the nice review 😁. I hope you’ll find more favorites on the site!
Question– did you use refrigerated “original” coconut milk? Or did you use canned coconut milk? I always use canned coconut milk unless it is in a smoothie, but I hadn’t considered I could try this in a soup. I look forward to hearing your response.
Thank you.
Hi Tricia, we usually use the refrigerated one 🙂
This soup was amazing! Loved by all! Thank you so much!!
Anjie, you are very welcome, thank you for sharing that with us 😀.
i made this soup to my boss family and they love it… thanks a lot… i luv it too
You are welcome Cyril and thank you for the nice review 😁.
I’m really looking forward to making this but my husband hates celery, can you really taste it in the soup? Or should I skip it?
Thanks.
You really can’t taste it in the soup and once it’s pureed I’ve never been able to sense it in the soup 🙂
Delicious! Thank you! All our kids and even my husband who is not fond of soups wanted more and were disappointed when it was all eaten. I will definitely make it again soon. Many thanks.
Jitka, that’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
Have you ever switched the soup up a bit by using butternut squash in place of sweet potatoes?
Hi Helyn, we haven’t only because we love the sweetness from sweet potatoes. If you test it out, let me know how you liked it 🙂
Well, Haven’t had the chance yet…but craving sweet potatoes now.. so will be doing this one real soon dear lady! You rock!
but have frozen butternut squash too… so.. sky’s the limit.
This soup is very creamy an yummy! Will make it again.☺🍲
Thank you Elizabeth, I’m glad you like it 😁.
Do you think you can use white sweet potatos?
I think it could work but the color and the taste would be different.
Okay. Thx
I made this soup several times and it is my favourite cream soup. A delight! I also add some croutons because I like them in soups. Many thanks for the recipe.
Elizabeth, thank you for such a nice review. We make this soup all the time. I also like the idea of adding croutons, will be trying that next time.
Could you so this with pumpkin? If so how much kg and would it to well with coconut milk? thanks
Hi Ana, to be honest I haven’t tried adding pumpkin for pumpkins soup. I would probably try the same proportions of pumpkin as sweet potato.
Is it possible to freeze the leftover s on this soup? Thanks in advance. Martha
I haven’t had any leftover to freeze but yes I do think it would freeze well.
I made this soup tonight & it was wonderful!! My husband absolutely loved it. Thank you for such a great & easy recipe
I’m so happy to hear that!! My husband absolutely loves it too and makes it often. I bet they could be friends 😉
I’m looking forward to making this. So that I’ll know how much to make (cooking for 9), how much is a serving?
Each serving is about 1 cup.
How many calories
This soup is amazing! Thank you so much for sharing. This is my new favorite way to eat sweet potatoes….and soup!
That’s so great! Thank you for sharing your awesome review!
Oh. My. Word. This is good soup! I made this for a church luncheon…but it might not make it there…I was a bit concerned about bacon and garlic paired with sweet potato, But now I’m sold! I am a sweet potato lover and a soup lover, and after tasting this, I’m a sweet potato soup lover. I will most definitely be hanging on to this recipe, but I will be doubling it when I make it again. I’m glad to have discovered it just as fall soup season is getting started.
Thank you for sharing your awesome review! I’m so glad you liked it 🙂
Hi Natasha,
My family loved your soup. I decided to make it as an appetizer for a big bbq I’m throwing. Should be about 60 people. Do you have a multiplier you use when you increase recipes? I don’t want to just multiply the ingredients by 10…I don’t believe I’ll need 80 oz of bacon!!
I don’t really use any special multiplier – I just multiply it up. With that much bacon, you might just get pre-cooked crumbled bacon (they have a pretty good bagged product at Costco).
Thanks, Natasha! Good idea…I’ll have a lot of peeling to do, might as well take a short-cut if I can.
This soup is awesome! I used bacon grease that I had in the fridge and it’s a must for a more flavorful soup! I followed everything else except I used soup base instead of broth and the soup turned out saltier than I’d like but I don’t use much salt, so others will love it! I would recommend holding off on the 2 tsp of salt and add at the end for your taste preference…absolutely love it~
I’m so glad you liked it! We use reduced sodium broth so that definitely makes a difference when adding salt at the end. I love the bacon grease suggestion! yum!
Hi Natasha! I’d love to include your sweet potato coconut soup recipe in a soup roundup Im doing for Parade Magazine.
If you’re fine with that, could I use one of your photos with a link to your original post (https://natashaskitchen.com/2014/12/01/creamy-sweet-potato-coconut-soup-recipe/)?
Let me know, thanks!
That would be awesome! Thank you Felicia! 🙂