Sweet Potato Bisque

Sweet Potato Bisque is savory, smooth and flavorful. Made with simple ingredients and warming spices, this sweet potato soup recipe is the perfect cozy dinner. This vegetarian soup can be made vegan and Whole30-friendly, too! Makes 4 servings.

Looking for a cozy recipe to pair with this sweet potato soup? Try Vegan Sweet Potato Sage Olive Oil BiscuitsHatch Chile Mini Cornbread Muffins and Whole Wheat Italian Beer Bread.

Two bowls of Sweet Potato Soup on a blue background with cornbread biscotti

 This Sweet Potato Bisque recipe was originally published on January 16, 2013. It was updated in February 2016.

Notes to self…

Don’t sweat the small stuff. Take deep breaths when this becomes overwhelming, as it certainly will at some point in time.

Enjoy the random wintery bouts Dallas received because it isn’t normal. More than likely, you’ll go a long period of time without seeing it after this bout is through.

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    And finally, don’t sing out loud while chopping onions. Not only will you breathe in the tear-inducing scent, but you’ll also taste it through your mouth, which makes the onion even more overpowering than normal. It WILL make you cry.

    You’ll never guess which one I did while making this savory soup, which was adapted from a recipe I photographed a bajillion years ago for 225 Magazine.

    Why I love this recipe:

    Sweet Potato Bisque is an all-time favorite comfort food of ours, chock full of sweet potatoes!

    And I’m updating this old recipe for y’all today, giving you some WHOLE30, PALEO and VEGAN options for this flavorful vegetarian entree.

    Also, did I mention it’s crazy comforting and highly requested at our house, even though none of us eat a strict Whole30, Paleo, Vegan OR Vegetarian diet?

    YEP. It’s that good! Flavor for the win!

    Other comforting soups for the winter months: Slow Cooker Chicken Tortellini Soup | Vegan Potato Leek Soup | Chicken Spaetzle Soup | Instant Pot Gumbo

    Looking for an entree, but don’t know where to start? Check out my Dinner Recipe Index for recipe inspiration!

    Roasted sweet potatoes and other ingredients sit on a blue striped towel on a marble countertop

    What you need to make this Sweet Potato Soup

    The Speckled Palate participates in affiliate programs. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Please refer to my disclosure page for more information about these affiliate programs.

    In addition to these tools, you’ll need a few ingredients to make this recipe, too.

    • 2 sweet potatoes—about 2 ½ lbs. total. Sweet potatoes vary in size so greatly that I wanted to put a poundage on here to help you out, too.
    • Kosher salt
    • Curry powder—I really love this blend from Penzey’s
    • Cumin
    • Black pepper
    • Extra virgin olive oil
    • White onion—but you could also use a yellow onion if that’s what you’ve got on hand
    • Fresh or dried thyme
    • Vegetable broth
    • Milk—you can use cow’s milk or go a non-dairy route, like canned coconut milk or any unsweetened nut milk you have on hand

    A note on making this sweet potato soup vegan (and Whole30!)

    We’ve made this recipe with cow’s milk, as well as non-dairy milk. It works both ways and is utterly delicious! The color will possibly be different, depending on the type of non-dairy milk you add. If you’d like it to be creamier, you can also add a dollop or two more of the non-dairy milk.

    Canned coconut milk is excellent here. I’ve also used unsweetened cashew milk and unsweetened almond milk, too, with delicious results.

    The bottom line is to use the ingredients that work for you!

    Collage of eight images showing the process of making Sweet Potato Bisque

    How to make Sweet Potato Soup

    Bake the Sweet Potatoes and Make the Sweet Potato Puree

    First and foremost, preheat the oven, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

    Scrub the sweet potatoes and use a fork to poke through the skin a few times. Why? So they don’t explode in the oven. 

    Place the sweet potatoes the prepared baking sheet and transfer to the oven. Bake for an hour or until soft.

    Please know this time could greatly vary, depending on how large your sweet potatoes are. Be prepared to bake them for longer if they’re not soft. It’ll be impossible to puree them if they’re still hard.

    When the sweet potatoes are baked through and soft, remove from the oven, and cool. Then slice them in half, and scoop out the sweet potato from the skins into a blender or a food processor.

    Puree the sweet potatoes until smooth. There should be about 4 cups of the puree when said and done.

    Season with curry powder, cumin, black pepper and salt. Set aside.

    Make the Sweet Potato Soup

    First, you’ve got to chop the onion and garlic. While you’re prepping the ingredients, pull the leaves from the fresh thyme, too.

    When your ingredients are prepped and the sweet potato is pureed, heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat.

    Add the onion and thyme. Saute until soft, then add the garlic, and cook until fragrant.

    Pour in the veggie broth slowly. Be sure to use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan to pull up any browned bits from it because this will add flavor. Bring the mixture to a boil.

    Add in the sweet potato puree, and stir until incorporated. Let it come to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, if needed.

    Right before serving, remove from the heat and stir in the milk. We do this at this time so it doesn’t curdle.

    Enjoy the sweet potato bisque warm with a garnish of additional fresh thyme!

    A saucepan holding Sweet Potato Bisque with a wooden spoon on it sits on a blue striped towel on a marble counter

    Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips

    Can you entertain with soup? Heck yes, you can! This is one of those comforting meals that I love to share with friends because it’s not fancy, but it’s cozy.

    Here’s how you can be hospitable using this sweet potato soup recipe:

    • Depending on how many people you’re planning to feed, double the recipe. This recipe typically feeds our family of four with minimal leftovers.
    • Make ahead tip: Bake the sweet potatoes in advance, and have them ready to puree when the time is right to make the soup! The sweet potato baking inevitably takes the longest amount of time out of anything in this bisque, and it can be frustrating if you’re hungry, so do yourself a solid and prep ahead of time.
    • Serve with a bread-centric side, like Coconut Oil Vegan Biscuits or Honey Jalapeño Cornbread Muffins. This soup is perfect for dipping!
    Two bowls of Sweet Potato Bisque on a blue background with cornbread biscotti

    Tips and Tricks to Making the BEST Sweet Potato Bisque

    • Give your soup the time it needs to come together! You can technically skip the last simmer, which adds 30 minutes to the recipe, but it’s really worth it if you’ve got the time.
    • Puree. The. Sweet Potatoes. (You want this soup to be smooth!)
    • Substitutions: We’ve made this recipe with whole milk, skim milk, unsweetened cashew milk and unsweetened almond milk. (I also think that coconut cream would make this ridiculously decadent, but I’ve yet to try it!) While the milks will change the color and texture, we haven’t noticed a huge difference and have enjoyed this soup every way! Also, we’re not vegetarians, so we’ve made this using chicken stock in a pinch. So if you’re not a vegetarian, feel free to make this substitution.

    Interested in making this sweet potato soup recipe for yourself sometime this week?

    Scroll on down to get the recipe and Whole30, vegan and paleo substitutions!

    Two bowls of Sweet Potato Bisque on a blue background with cornbread biscotti
    Yield: 6 servings

    Sweet Potato Bisque

    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
    Total Time: 2 hours

    Savory, smooth and flavorful, Sweet Potato Bisque is chock full of sweet potato goodness. Made with simple ingredients and warming spices, this vegetarian soup is bound to wow your guests, no matter if it's served as a weeknight dinner or a party entree. In addition, this recipe can be tweaked to feed someone on the Whole30 or a paleo eater! Sweet Potato Bisque is perfect comforting meal for a cold winter's evening.

    Ingredients

    • 2 large sweet potatoes (2½ lbs.)
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • ¼ teaspoon curry powder
    • ¼ teaspoon cumin
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
    • 1 medium white onion, finely diced (1 ¼ cups when diced)
    • 1 clove garlic, minced
    • 1 ½ teaspoons fresh thyme or ¾ teaspoon dried thyme
    • 3 ½ cups vegetable broth
    • 1 cup milk (cow's milk or unsweetened non-dairy milk both OK)

    Instructions

    Bake the Sweet Potatoes + Make the Puree

    1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside.
    2. Scrub the sweet potatoes and poke a few times through the skin with a fork so they don't explode in the oven. 
    3. Place the sweet potatoes the prepared baking sheet and transfer to the oven. Bake for an hour or until soft. (This time could greatly vary, depending on how large your sweet potatoes are. Be prepared to bake them for longer if they're not soft.)
    4. When the sweet potatoes are baked through and soft, remove from the oven, and cool for 30 minutes.
    5. Once the potatoes have cooled, cut in half, and scoop the sweet potato out of the skins. 
    6. Puree the sweet potatoes in a blender or a food processor until smooth. There should be about 4 cups of the puree when said and done.
    7. Season with curry powder, cumin, black pepper and salt. Set aside.

    Make the Soup

    1. Chop the onion and garlic. Pull the leaves from the fresh thyme. Measure the rest of the ingredients before getting started on the soup.
    2. Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a medium-sized Dutch oven over medium heat.
    3. When the pan is hot, add the onion and thyme, sautéing until soft, 3-5 minutes.
    4. Add the garlic, and cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
    5. Pour in the vegetable broth slowly, and scrape the bottom of the pot to remove any overcooked bits. This adds flavor to the soup! Bring to a boil.
    6. Add the sweet potato puree, and stir until smooth, letting this come to a boil.
    7. Simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste if the soup needs it.
    8. Right before serving, remove from the heat and stir in the milk slowly. We do this at the very end when the soup has been removed from the heat so the milk doesn't curdle.
    9. Serve warm, garnish with additional fresh thyme and enjoy!

    Notes

    Adapted from a recipe, originally printed in 225 Magazine, my former employer, which I also happened to photograph.

    Please note the total time of this recipe includes the resting time for the sweet potatoes. The time to make this recipe might vary greatly, as your oven might cook the sweet potatoes faster or slower than mine. This is also greatly dependent on how large the sweet potato is.

    MAKE AHEAD TIP: Bake the sweet potatoes a few days in advance. When it's the night for the soup, blend the sweet potatoes to make the puree, then follow the instructions to make the soup.

    Whole30, Paleo and Vegan Option: Use unsweetened nut milk. Cashew milk is my personal favorite, as it's a little thicker than almond milk, though almond milk works here, too!

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    Nutrition Information:

    Yield:

    6 servings

    Serving Size:

    1 serving

    Amount Per Serving: Calories: 111Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 785mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gProtein: 3g

    Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate.

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    About the Author:

    Erin Parker is a Southern gal living in Texas with her husband and two daughters. She started The Speckled Palate to share what she was cooking as a newlywed… and over the years, it’s evolved to capture her love for hosting. Specifically, the EASIEST, lowest key entertaining because everyone deserves to see their people and connect over good food. Learn more about her

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    15 Comments

    1. Loving the soup lately! I usually put some sweet potato in soups of mine but have never made a sweet potato bisque! Looks fairy easy and full of flavour, perfect for these cold winter days i’m experiencing!

      1. You and me both, Natalie! It has been so cold that a big, warm bowl of soup any night makes me happy. This one is pretty awesome.

        What kind of soups have you used sweet potato in before?

    2. Not sweating the small stuff helps us see the fun and enjoyable side of life…I need to remind myself of this everyday! Your sweet potato bisque looks amazing! I’m a huge fan of sweet potatoes – they’re versatile, tasty and so nutritious! Great comforting soup recipe to keep you warm on a snowy day!

      1. Julia, you’ve got that right! I find that I’ve been stressing over the small things in life more recently, and I have to step back and realize what a blessing this life truly is so I can live it to the fullest. 🙂 Glad I’m not the only one who needs a reminder.

        Like you, I’m a huge fan of sweet potatoes, too, and there’s nothing better than a warm, comforting soup on a chilly winter day! Thanks for stopping by!

    3. I made this bisque from leftover cooked sweet potatoes and it was AMAZING. We all loved it and I am certainly making this again! 🙂

    4. so many beautiful reminders + comforting recipe. i use sweet potatoes mostly in chili but i will have to give this bisque a try!

      1. Thank you, friend! I’m all about the comfort food this time of year, and for whatever reason, sweet potatoes really do it for me. I love that you use them in chili–SO good! Enjoy this bisque!

    5. I just love your pictures! They’re gorgeous! This soup is just beautiful (and delicious, too!)

    6. Oh man, I ALWAYS cry when I am chopping onions!! This soup looks super tasty and such a pretty color too!

    7. I can’t wait to share this delicious recipe with all my friends who are always asking if I have any good Whole 30 recipes!!!!

    8. I made this last night. I am trying to incorporate more plant-based recipes into our diet. I used coconut milk instead of regular milk to make it vegan, and I added some jalapenos for more spice. It was delish. My carnivore husband raved. Thank you!

      1. Stephanie, your comment makes me SO happy! I’m thrilled that this recipe turned out for you and that your carnivore husband raved about it! I love that you added some jalapenos for heat–my husband would love that, too! You’re so welcome. I hope this recipe helps keep y’all warm and cozy throughout the wintertime.

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