Description
This comforting Sweet Potato Soup combines the natural sweetness of sweet potatoes and apples with warm spices and creamy coconut milk, making for a luscious, velvety soup that’s perfect for a cozy meal. Enhanced with fresh ginger, coriander, and smoked paprika, and garnished with crunchy pepitas and fresh cilantro, this recipe offers both depth and freshness in every spoonful.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 heaping teaspoon sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 medium sweet potatoes (about 1½ pounds), peeled and cubed
- 1 apple, peeled and chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 3 to 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 (14-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk, reserve ¼ cup for garnish
Garnish
- Pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
- Fresh cilantro leaves
- Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes
Serving
- Crusty bread, for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the base: Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, sea salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Sauté the onion until it becomes soft and translucent, about 5 to 8 minutes.
- Add sweet potatoes and apple: Stir in the peeled and cubed sweet potatoes along with the peeled and chopped apple. Cook until these begin to soften, stirring occasionally, for about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add spices and liquids: Add the grated garlic, fresh ginger, ground coriander, and smoked paprika to the pot, stirring well to combine. Then stir in the apple cider vinegar, followed by 3 cups of vegetable broth and the full can of coconut milk (reserve ¼ cup for garnish).
- Simmer the soup: Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Let the soup cook until the sweet potatoes are very tender, about 20 to 30 minutes.
- Blend until smooth: Allow the soup to cool slightly, then transfer it in batches to a blender. Blend until completely smooth. If the soup is too thick, gradually add up to 1 cup more vegetable broth and blend again to achieve your desired consistency.
- Season and garnish: Taste the soup and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. Serve warm, drizzled with the reserved coconut milk, sprinkled with pepitas, fresh cilantro, and a pinch of Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes.
- Serve: Accompany the soup with crusty bread for dipping to complete this hearty and flavorful meal.
Notes
- For a spicier version, add extra Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes to the soup during cooking.
- To make this soup gluten-free, ensure that the vegetable broth and bread are gluten-free or substitute the bread with gluten-free options.
- Leftover soup can be stored refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month.
- For a vegan and dairy-free version, this recipe is already suitable due to the use of coconut milk instead of cream.
- Use a good quality blender or an immersion blender for a smooth texture.
- If you prefer, roasted sweet potatoes can be used to add a deeper roasted flavor before adding them to the soup.
