Creamy Vegan Sweet Potato Soup is gluten-free and ready in just 30 minutes. Made with minimal ingredients and warming spices for a spicy sweet soup.
The humble sweet potato.
This favorite vegetable is inherently suited to both savory applications like this chicken and sweet potato soup and sweet applications like these delicious vegan sweet potato brownies, this healthy sweet potato soup below is a delightful way to get in more veggies!
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Why you'll love this recipe
- A perfect recipe for busy nights
- Made with simple ingredients and whole foods
- Creamy hot soup without the dairy!
Ingredients and substitutions
Here are a few quick notes about the main ingredients in this recipe. You can see a complete ingredient list and instructions in the recipe card below.
Sweet potatoes - The starchiness of the cooked sweet potatoes naturally lends itself to making a creamy soup.
But to ensure you have a thick and creamy sweet potato soup, you don't want to add too much vegetable broth or almond milk. No flour or cornstarch is needed.
Onion and garlic - Fresh garlic and onion are best, but you can always substitute with garlic powder and minced dried onion. My go-to in this butternut and red pepper soup!
Maple syrup - A little bit of this natural sweetener enhances the natural sweetness of the potatoes. Coconut sugar or honey (not vegan) are good substitutes.
Vegetable broth - Check to ensure you purchase a gluten-free broth if needed.
Ginger, cinnamon, ginger, and cayenne pepper - Just the right amount of spice gives maximum flavor. Don't have cayenne powder? You can sub in red pepper flakes. For a stronger ginger flavor, substitute ginger paste.
Unsweetened almond milk - This adds to the creaminess. Substitute almond milk with a swirl of coconut milk, soy milk, or other plant-based milk.
Step-by-step instructions
Before you start: Cook the potatoes and chop the onions.
Step 1: Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the diced onions and cook, then the garlic and cooked potatoes, followed by the maple syrup, ginger, cinnamon, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
Step 2: Add the vegetable broth and bring it to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 5-8 minutes.
Step 3: Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth.
Step 4: Stir in almond milk and heat for 1 to 2 more minutes.
Recipe tips
- Use frozen chopped sweet potatoes or canned puree to cut down on prep time.
- For a thinner soup consistency, add a little more almond milk until desired consistency is reached. Too much liquid will give it more of a broth texture.
Serving suggestions
Drizzle this easy soup recipe with a little olive oil. Sprinkle with chopped pistachios, hazelnuts, or pumpkin seeds.
Pair cups of soup with gluten-free focaccia, salad, grilled cheese sandwiches, vegan Brazilian cheese bread, spinach tofu quiche, or top with croutons.
Equipment
- Large soup pot or Dutch oven
- Immersion blender (or stick blender) - If you don't have an immersion blender, you can use a regular blender or food processor by carefully blending in batches.
FAQs
Adding plant-based milk like full-fat coconut milk or unsweetened almond milk can add richness without the dairy.
Yes! Sweet potatoes are a type of root vegetable that is rich in nutrients like fiber, vitamins, and minerals. They are a great source of complex carbohydrates and are naturally free from animal products.
Not all soups are gluten-free, but this recipe for creamy vegan sweet potato soup is completely gluten-free as it does not use any gluten-containing ingredients.
If you're looking for more warming gluten-free recipes, check out Katie's chicken coconut curry. And for a hearty but broth-based soup, this spaghetti squash soup is sure to please!
More soup recipes
Love this recipe? Please consider leaving a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating on the recipe card below and let me know what you think in the comments!
📖 Recipe
Creamy Vegan Sweet Potato Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 medium sweet potatoes cooked
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk (or other non-dairy milk)
Optional toppings
- ¼ cup raw hazelnuts toasted and chopped
- ¼ cup raw pistachios toasted and chopped
- drizzle of maple syrup or olive oil
Instructions
- Prepare your sweet potatoes first. Pierce your sweet potatoes with a fork and cook on the appropriate potato setting for your microwave. You'll want the potatoes cooked soft enough for them to be easily mashed with a fork.While the potatoes are cooking, chop your onions and prep your other ingredients.
- In a Dutch oven or large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and tender, about 6-8 minutes. Add your garlic and cook for 1 minute. Scoop out your cooked sweet potatoes and add them to the pot, followed by the maple syrup, ginger, cinnamon, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Add the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 5-8 minutes.
- Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth. If you don't have an immersion blender, carefully transfer mixture to a blender, blend until smooth, and return to pot.
- Stir in almond milk and allow to heat for 1 to 2 more minutes. If you want a thinner consistency, just add a little more almond milk until desired consistency is reached.Serve hot and top with nuts, olive oil, or maple syrup if desired.
Notes
- Use frozen chopped sweet potatoes or canned sweet potato puree to cut down on prep time.
Sarah
I adapted this recipe to use carrots instead of sweet potatoes. I didn't add sweetener and uses coconut milk instead of almond. It turned out well.
Tessa
That's great! Thanks, Sarah!
NANCY
I made it pretty much as the recipe said but I had some mushrooms I had cooked for an omelette so I added those. It's delicious and I would not change a thing.
Tessa
Thanks, Nancy! Mushrooms are a delicious addition!
Mags
Made this a few days ago, with some chopped mushrooms, no sweetener, and with paprika instead of cayenne pepper... Amazing recipe! Making it again tonight it was so good!
Tessa
Thank you, Mags! That sounds great!
Cherylyn Minto
I made this today with 2 small adjustments. I didn’t have sweet potatoes so 8 used about 30 oz of pumpkin purée, and I didn’t have almond milk on hand, so I added a drained and rinsed can of Cannellini beans, then used the immersion blender. Made the soup creamy and added a bit of protein.
I LOVE this soup and will definitely make it again soon!
Tessa
I'm so glad you like it! Sounds like wonderful additions too!
Richard Orpen
I made as described and only added maple syrup as a garnish. It was just enough sweetness for me and had plenty of kick. I’ll definitely make this again.
Tessa
Wonderful! Thank you. I'm so glad you enjoyed them!
Nancy
Being strictly a recipe cook, how many ounces/pounds sweet potatoes?