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Creamy Sweet Potato Soup

Creamy sweet potato soup made with a smooth immersion-blender blend, simmered until the cubes are very tender. Finished with coconut milk, orange juice, and warm spices plus toasted pepitas and a cream swirl.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 360
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

sweet potatoes
  • 3 lb sweet potatoes peeled and cubed
onion
  • 1 onion diced
garlic
  • 4 clove garlic minced
fresh ginger
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger grated
vegetable or chicken broth
  • 4 cup vegetable or chicken broth
coconut milk
  • 1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk
olive oil
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
cinnamon
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
nutmeg
  • 0.5 tsp nutmeg
cayenne
  • 0.25 tsp cayenne
orange juice
  • 1 orange juice juice of 1 orange
salt and pepper
  • 1 salt and pepper to taste
toasted pepitas
  • 1 toasted pepitas for serving
cream
  • 1 cream for serving

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Sauté the aromatics
  1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, then sauté the diced onion for 5 minutes until softened and translucent. Keep the heat steady so the onion steams rather than browns.
  2. Add the minced garlic and grated ginger and cook for 2 minutes. Stir constantly until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
  3. Stir in cinnamon, nutmeg, and cayenne, and cook for 1 minute to bloom the spices. The mixture should look darker and smell toasted.
Simmer and blend
  1. Add the broth and the peeled, cubed sweet potatoes, then bring to a simmer. Simmer for 25-30 minutes until the sweet potatoes are very tender.
  2. Blend completely smooth with an immersion blender. Blend until no chunks remain and the texture looks velvety.
Finish and serve
  1. Stir in coconut milk, maple syrup, and orange juice, then return the soup to a gentle simmer. Keep it at a gentle simmer for just 1-2 minutes so it stays creamy.
  2. Season generously with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust until the flavors pop.
  3. Serve hot, topped with toasted pepitas and a swirl of cream. Add the toppings right before eating for the best crunch.

Notes

For extra-silky texture, blend until perfectly smooth while the soup is still hot, then taste again after simmering with the coconut milk. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days in a covered container; reheat gently over medium-low heat. Freezing is yes: cool completely, freeze up to 3 months, and thaw overnight before reheating. For a dairy-free finish, skip the cream swirl or use a coconut-based crema instead.