This Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup combines the deep flavors of caramelized sweet potatoes with sautéed red peppers, onions, and garlic. It’s a quick and easy meal that delivers velvety texture and rich flavor, perfect for busy weeknights.
This Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup is a comforting, flavor-packed dish that’s perfect for busy parents who need a quick, wholesome meal. The caramelized sweet potatoes bring a natural sweetness, enhanced by the slight smokiness of sautéed red peppers. With onions and garlic adding savory depth, the result is a well-balanced soup that’s both rich and satisfying. Every spoonful delivers velvety smooth texture, thanks to the creamy sweet potatoes and the silky peppers, without needing any added cream.
Best of all, it’s super easy to make! You can sear the sweet potatoes to caramelized perfection while the peppers, onions, and garlic sauté alongside. Minimal prep, minimal cleanup, and ready in 35 minutes, it’s a simple yet flavorful weeknight dinner that you can feel good about serving your family.
Do you meal plan your dinners? It makes weeknights so much easier! Check out my Meal Planning Theme Night Recipes and then add this one to your Meatless Mondays meal planning calendar!
Jump to:
- You Will Love this Creamy Sweet Potato Soup
- Simple Ingredients and Substitutes
- Simple Equipment
- Time Saving Prep-Ahead Steps
- Cook your Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup
- Soup Substitutions
- Variations on Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup
- Soup Storage
- Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup FAQs
- Want More Recipes like this?
- Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup
- Comments
You Will Love this Creamy Sweet Potato Soup
This is truly one of the most delicious soup recipes. But, here are some additional reasons busy parents will love this recipe:
- Kid-friendly flavors – A balance of sweet and savory that appeals to all ages.
- Quick to make – Homemade soups are so easy to make! This one is ready in under 30 minutes.
- Minimal prep – It’s such a simple recipe with simple ingredients and little preparation.
- Wholesome ingredients – Soups are a great way to get nutritious ingredients into dinner in a satisfying way for the whole family.
- Make-ahead friendly – Can be prepared in advance and reheated easily.
Simple Ingredients and Substitutes
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- Extra-virgin olive oil – The oil is for cooking the vegetables or potatoes. You can use vegetable oil
- Red bell peppers – You can also use green bell pepper, though sweet peppers, like red, yellow, or orange bell peppers lend a sweeter flavor. Drained roasted red peppers can be used as well.
- Raw sweet potato – The starch in this potato holds up well and helps to provide a thick, rich soup.
- Yellow onion -I used yellow onion, but you can use white onion, red onion, shallots, or even scallions. If you don’t have fresh onion, you can also use a tablespoon of onion flakes or onion powder.
- Garlic cloves – Fresh is best in this recipe, but you can buy the pre-minced garlic sold in a small jar or use dried garlic flakes or garlic powder.
- Fresh Oregano – Fresh oregano is best; you can get by with dried oregano in a pinch. You can substitute in other fresh herbs, such as basil or parsley.
- Vegetable stock or broth – You can also use chicken broth or stock or beef broth or stock. You can also use water mixed with a beef or chicken bouillon cube or beef base or chicken base.
- Half and Half – You can also use heavy cream for a rich creamy addition to the soup or get by with milk too. You could also substitute coconut milk or coconut cream.
- Salt/Ground Black Pepper – Salt and pepper is all you need to add as there is already so much flavor in this soup. However, if you want to add other seasonings, such as chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, or even cayenne pepper for a kick, you can certainly do so.
See recipe card for quantities.
Simple Equipment
For this Sweet Potato Soup recipe, you will need a small-medium pot with lid for the red peppers and a large skillet/frying pan for sauteing the sweet potatoes. I use my absolute favorite 12″ Ceramic Pan, which is great because food really does slide right off with minimal oil and I don’t have to worry about food sticking and burning.
Once the vegetables are cooked, using a blender is the perfect way for blending the ingredients into a smooth and creamy soup. You can use an Immersion blender or regular standing a blender.
Time Saving Prep-Ahead Steps
We are all extremely busy and making dinner during the week can be overwhelming. Here are steps you can prepare ahead to save time on busy nights! (See the full recipe below)
Prepping the veggies ahead and storing them separately in sealed bags or containers can save you time during the week.
Peel and dice the sweet potatoes.
Dice the red bell pepper and onion, then mince the garlic.
Cook your Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup
Add the diced sweet potato in large frying pan preheated over medium high heat, spreading it out into a single layer to get browned. Add the red peppers and onions into the second pan.
Once the potatoes are fork tender, pour in enough of the broth or stock to the pan to just about cover the potatoes. Turn the heat to medium, cover and let simmer for 15 minutes until fork tender.
Once the peppers are glistening and the onions start to get translucent, add the remaining broth/stock. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and also cook for 15 minutes.
Add the cooked sweet potatoes to the blender, leaving the seasoned stock in the pan.
Using a slotted spoon, scoop the red pepper and onions into the blender with the sweet potatoes.
Add 1 cup of the liquid to the blender and blend until smooth.
Then add the soup back to the pot over medium heat and stir in the half and half to combine.
Once warmed through, turn off the heat, taste and add more salt and pepper, if desired. Ladle into bowls, garnish with fresh cilantro and a dollop of sour cream. Enjoy!
Soup Substitutions
If you know how to make the recipe fit a certain diet, let the reader know here. Don’t fake it – only provide guidance on topics you have actual experience with.
- Butternut Squash or Pumpkin – Sweet potatoes can be substituted for one of these for a similar creamy consistency.
- Roasted Tomatoes – While less sweet than the peppers, they are still giving a good tang and color to the sweet potatoes.
- Carrots – Add carrots or extra, if you’re out of red peppers, as they bring a similar sweetness and work well in a soup when roasted to fork tender.
Even if your reader doesn’t follow a specific diet (eg. gluten free), they may have friends or family that they’re cooking for that could use this. This is also a great idea to link out to another blogger with a similar recipe that fits a different diet.
Variations on Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup
Here are some fun and flavorful variations to a Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup recipe, allowing you to customize it based on taste preferences or dietary needs:
- Fall Flavors – the addition of cinnamon, cloves, ginger and nutmeg can boost this soup to feel like a bowlful of comfort food as the seasons change.
- Indian Flavors – add turmeric and curry powder to boost the soup
- Spicy – Incorporate a diced jalapeño, a pinch of cayenne pepper, or red pepper flakes for a spicy kick. You can also add a dash of hot sauce or harissa.
If you love red bell peppers, check out this popular Creamy Red Pepper and Lentil Soup on my website!
Soup Storage
Store the soup in an airtight container. Good for 2-3 days. This soup does freeze well and can be stored in the freezer 3 months.
Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup FAQs
Can this soup be prepared vegan and dairy free?
Of course. To make this soup vegan and dairy free, simply eliminate or replace the half and half that is added at the end. A good substitute is coconut milk.
How can more protein be added to this meal?
For added protein, you can add either cooked cannellini beans or chickpeas into the blender with the sweet potatoes. This will provide more protein and fiber too.
Can the vegetables and potatoes be baked instead of sauteed?
Roast the sweet potatoes and tomatoes with the onions at 425 for about 30-40 minutes. This will let you prepare something else to accompany this meal. It also reduces the clean up to one dish for roasting.
Can I cook everything in 1 pot vs. 2?
Yes, you can cook everything in one large soup pot. Start by browning the sweet potatoes. Then add in the onions and red peppers to cook for 3-5 minutes. Finally, add all of the liquid and remaining ingredients as per the instructions.
What can I serve with this soup?
The simplest sides for this delicious Sweet Potato Soup are crusty bread and a mixed greens salad. However, You could serve this alongside a decadent Pulled Brisket Sandwich or how about this Crispy Chicken Kale Caesar Salad? Or just a grilled cheese would be perfect.
Want More Recipes like this?
If you like to enjoy healthy, filling soups this fall or winter, be sure to check out these meals that can be served as a main or side dish.
Have you tried this recipe? If so, please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating in the recipe below! I love to hear your feedback and your rating helps others to find this recipe. Thanks so much!
Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons Extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 Red bell peppers chopped
- 5 cups Raw sweet potato cubed
- ½ cup Yellow onion finely diced
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Fresh Oregano, finely chopped
- 4 cups Vegetable stock or broth 32 ounce carton
- ½ cup Half and Half
- 1 teaspoon Salt, to taste
- 1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper, to taste
Instructions
Prep-Ahead Steps
- Peel and dice the sweet potatoes and onions. Dice the red pepper. Mince the garlic.
Cooking Steps
- Preheat a frying pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Preheat a medium-sized pot or saucepan over medium heat. To each, add a teaspoon or so of olive oil. To the frying pan, add the diced sweet potato and spread out into an even layer to get browned. Into the pot add the red pepper, onions, garlic. Sprinkle both the sweet potato and the red pepper mix with salt and pepper.
- For the sweet potatoes – cook for about 2-3 minutes and then stir so the all sides can get browned, about 2-3 minutes more. Then pour in enough of the broth or stock to the pan to just about cover the potatoes. Turn the heat to medium, cover and let simmer for 15 minutes until fork tender.
- For the red peppers, onions, and garlic – once they are glistening and the onions start to get translucent, add the remaining broth/stock. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and also cook for 15 minutes.
Blending & Finish
- Using a slotted spoon, scoop the red pepper and onions into the blender and then scoop all of the sweet potatoes into the blender. Pour the sweet potato liquid into the red pepper pot to combine all remaining liquid. Add 1 cup of the liquid to the blender and blend until smooth. Add another ½ cup liquid if the soup is too thick. Then add back to the pot over medium heat and stir in the half and half to combine.
- Once warmed through, turn off the heat, taste and add more salt and pepper, if desired. Ladle into bowls, garnish with fresh cilantro and a dollop of sour cream. Enjoy!
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