This nourishing Spiced Sweet Potato Soup with coconut milk is a simple, comforting, and healthy meal made with pantry basics! It's vegan, gluten-free, and low-fat.
This sweet potato soup is one of the best vegetarian dinner (and vegan), just like my mushroom stroganoff, pumpkin curry, sweet potato stew and chickpea cauliflower curry.
It's easy to make and uses a handful of ingredients.
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Ingredients
- Sweet potato - regular potatoes work well too, but they don't match the sweetness and tender texture of sweet potatoes.
- White beans - just like in my white bean chicken chili I use meaty Cannellini beans - they are perfect for soups, chilis, and sauces. Great Northern, Navy, Garbanzo (chickpeas), Pinto, and Red Kidney beans work too.
- Coconut milk - finding coconut milk at the grocery store can be tricky. Look for shelf-stable cans, not milk cartons, in the international aisle with Latin or Asian products. Don't forget to shake the can before adding to the soup.
- Lime juice + cilantro - freshly chopped cilantro provides freshness, while a squeeze of lime juice adds necessary acidity.
- Turmeric - or use curry powder, these spices are what makes this soup special!
📋 You can find the full ingredient list in the Recipe Card below the article.
How To Make Sweet Potato Soup Step by Step Photos
- In a Dutch oven over medium heat, sauté onion in oil for 2 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for an additional 30 seconds.
- Stir in thyme, turmeric, salt, pepper, and paprika. Add sweet potatoes and broth, simmer until tender, about 10 minutes.
- Then, add beans, coconut milk. Simmer for another 5 minutes before adding baby spinach. Drizzle with lime juice and serve with cilantro!
- If you want this soup to be thicker, use coconut cream instead and less broth. You can make a cornstarch slurry and add it in the end, simmer until thickened.
Tips
- Carefully chop the vegetables into small, uniform pieces. It's crucial to ensure there are no large chunks of potatoes or onion, so invest time in finely dicing them.
- Season at each stage. Salt and pepper enhance flavors throughout. Follow the suggested amounts but adjust to taste. If the soup lacks depth, add more salt and pepper. Keep in mind that different salts vary in potency; adjust accordingly.
- Coconut milk adds color and sweetness without making the soup super creamy or thick. For an ultra-creamy and hearty soup, try my Tuscan white bean potato soup instead.
- Pro cooking hack: Chop onions in bulk, freeze them, and use them straight from the freezer in recipes like soups and sauces.
Roasted Sweet Potato Soup Variation
To save time, make this 1-2 days in advance. Here's how to roast sweet potatoes:
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F/218 degrees C.
- Place cubed sweet potatoes on a large sheet pan lined with a silicone mat, parchment paper, or greased foil.
- Drizzle oil over the vegetables and season with fresh sea salt and ground black pepper. Massage the seasonings and oil into the vegetables, then spread them out evenly. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, turning halfway through, until the sweet potatoes are cooked through.
Freezing And Storing Instructions
- To Store. Sweet potato soup tastes better the next day! Refrigerate for 2-3 days.
- To Freeze, it's best to do it right after cooking. Let the soup cool, then transfer to airtight containers and freeze for 2-3 months. When reheating soup after thawing, you may need to add more liquid.
More Vegetarian Soup Recipes
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Recipe Card
Spiced Sweet Potato Soup (With Coconut Lime and White Beans)
Ingredients
Method
- In a Dutch oven over medium heat, sauté onion in oil for 2 minutes.¾ cup onion, 2 teaspoon olive oil
- Add garlic and sauté for an additional 30 seconds.2 teaspoon fresh garlic clove
- Stir in thyme, turmeric, salt, pepper, and paprika.½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon regular or smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon turmeric, ⅛ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- Add sweet potatoes and broth, simmer until tender, about 10 minutes.½ pound sweet potato, 5 cups vegetable broth
- Then, add beans, coconut milk, and simmer for another 5 minutes before adding baby spinach. Drizzle with lime juice and serve with cilantro.1 can white beans, ⅔ cup coconut milk, 2 cups baby spinach, Fresh cilantro for garnish, ½ teaspoon lime juice
Nutrition
Notes
-
- To Store. Sweet potato soup tastes better the next day! Refrigerate for 2-3 days.
- To Freeze, it's best to do it right after cooking. Let the soup cool, then transfer to airtight containers and freeze for 2-3 months. When reheating soup after thawing, you may need to add more liquid.
- If you want this soup to be thicker, use coconut cream instead and less broth. You can make a cornstarch slurry and add it in the end, simmer until thickened.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on the products used.
Full Nutrition Disclaimer can be found here.
FAQ
Coconut milk is commonly used in soups and stews to make them creamy and add a hint of coconut taste. It pairs well with spices and acidity, making it a key ingredient in Thai and Indian cooking.
Coconut cream is thicker and has more fat compared to coconut milk, and it can be scooped. In recipes like curries and soups, you can generally use either coconut milk or cream interchangeably. Buy coconut milk that is in a can and shake it before use (it is actually a combination of milk and cream).
When using coconut milk, don't cook it to a rolling boil. Always cook it on low heat, bring it to a gentle boil, and simmer. Otherwise, your milk will curdle and split.
You can leave the skin on sweet potatoes if you like. The skin helps the potatoes keep their shape and prevents them from getting too mushy.
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Jenna
do I drain the beans?
Julia
Hi Jenna, yes it is a good idea to drain them!
Zelda West
I,m confused about cans of coconut milk (CocoLopez for instance) is this for the soup recipe? What should the label look like. Pardon my ignorance.
Julia
just a regular canned coconut milk, similar to this: https://amzn.to/4cAkeJ5
Barb
Do I use one or two sweet potatoes not sure how much a half a pound is
Julia
Hi Barb, I recommend getting a food scale for your kitchen. In most grocery stores it is also available and you can weight your produce there. Here's what i found using simple internet search: ½ pound of sweet potato is about:
1 medium sweet potato, or
225 grams, or
about 1 cup of mashed sweet potato,
1½ cups of cubed sweet potato, or
2 small sweet potatoes (if they’re on the smaller side).
Hope this helps!
Zelda
Thanks so much…the picture helped! Hope to make the soup this week.
Julia
you'll love this super healthy and easy weeknight soup, ready in just 30 minutes!