Spicy Purple Sweet Potato Soup (Vegan, 9 Ingredients)
Baked purple sweet potato blends with sautéed red onion, ginger, garlic, and warm spices into a creamy, mauve-colored soup with a cayenne kick. It’s vegan, gluten-free, Whole30-friendly, and made with 9 ingredients.
Good to know before you start
- Time: About 40 minutes, most of it while the sweet potato bakes or boils. Cook the sweet potato ahead to make it even quicker.
- Heat: With 1 teaspoon of cayenne, it’s spicy. Use less, or leave it out, for a mild soup.
- Thickness: Add a little more almond milk or vegetable stock to thin it.
- Blending: If you use a countertop blender, let the soup cool slightly and vent the lid so steam can escape.
- Servings: Makes 2 bowls – easy to double.
Ever since I came across purple sweet potatoes, I have been enamored by them. I mean – they are purple, which, in my opinion, just makes them fun to eat.
Over the years, I have mashed them, smashed them, air-fried them, baked them into cupcakes (that turned blue ~ all in the name of science), and enjoyed them in delicious fritters. So, one chilly January, with temperatures hovering in the low 30s here in our little town of Covington, Georgia, it was only fitting that I soupify them.
And, this Spicy Purple Sweet Potato Soup turned out all sorts of delicious. It is so creamy and comforting. Like a hug in a bowl. And-gosh darn – it is a funky shade of mauve! Did I already say that?
What are the ingredients needed to make this purple sweet potato soup?
This soup is made with just 9 ingredients, that are quite easy to find, and they are:
- Purple sweet potato
- Red onion
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Coriander
- Turmeric
- Smoked Paprika
- Cayenne
- Almond/coconut Milk
In addition to the above 9 ingredients, you will also need olive oil to sauté the onion, salt and pepper to taste, and parsley to garnish.
If you haven’t experienced a purple sweet potato before, they are a tad bit milder and less sweet than orange sweet potatoes. They are also a bit drier as well. Properties that make them ideal for sweet and savory dishes alike.
How to make this soup?
This Spicy Purple Sweet Potato Soup is so easy to make.
Start off by baking or boiling a purple sweet potato. While it is baking/boiling, sauté red onion, some ginger, and some fresh garlic with some oil. When they are tender, add in the aromatic spices and turn the heat off.
Then, add in the baked/boiled sweet potato, the spiced onion + ginger + garlic mix, as well as some almond milk, and blend until smooth and creamy. If the soup is too thick, you can add in a little more almond milk to thin it, or you could also add in some vegetable stock. If almond milk gives you the heebie-jeebies, then use vegetable stock instead. Just make sure to adjust the amount of salt you use.
If you do not like your soup spicy, then lessen the amount of cayenne used, or leave it out completely.
This is a fun and versatile soup. I am sharing this recipe on here in hopes that you either recreate it as is or have fun and experiment with it and make it your own.
Storage
Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 3–4 days, or freeze it for up to 3 months. Reheat it on the stove, adding a splash of almond milk or stock if it has thickened.
Tips from readers
- Luci usually just roasts purple sweet potatoes and said the seasoning mix in this soup was perfect.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp oil of your choice
- 1 large purple sweet potato
- 1 large red onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 inch knob of ginger
- 3 tsp coriander
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp cayenne use less for a milder soup
- 1 cup almond milk or vegetable stock
- 1 small bunch parsley for garnish
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the purple sweet potato by either boiling it, submerged in water in a large pan, for 35 minutes or so over medium heat. Or, wrap it in foil and bake it for 35 minutes or so at 400°F.
- While the purple sweet potato is cooking, peel and chop up the red onion, ginger, and garlic.
- Add oil to a frying pan and add in the red onion, ginger, and garlic and sauté for about 10 minutes, stirring so they do not burn.
- Add in the coriander, turmeric, smoked paprika, and cayenne and stir well.
- Turn the heat off and empty the contents into a blender or a large bowl if using an immersion blender.
- Also to that blender or bowl, add in the cooked purple sweet potato and the almond milk.
- Blend until creamy and smooth.
- Then, season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve garnished with parsley and any other fixings.
Notes
- For a milder soup, use less cayenne or leave it out.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for 3–4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Love the color of this! Bet the flavor is marvelous, too. Thanks!
So beautifully presented, I tried purple sweet potatoes for the first time in November and loved it,.
This is such a warm and comforting soup, perfect for the colder months and spiced perfectly.
Such a fantastic soup recipe. A perfect vegan energy booster. Thanks for sharing
I love all the colors and ingredients on this soup!
I’m always looking for more ways to enjoy purple sweet potatoes; I usually just cut and roast them. The seasoning mix in this soup was perfectly yummy!!