A rich and velvety sweet potato soup that hits all the right notes! It’s comforting yet not heavy, and with the addition of sautéed (almost caramelised) garlic and toasted pine nuts, this soup is deceptively simple but delivers complex flavours that’ll have everyone guessing. This is an older recipe that has been updated with new photos and how-to video.
Jump to: ℹ️ Overview | 🛒 Ingredients | 📷 How To Make | 📹 Watch The Video | 👩🍳 Recipe Tips | 🥖 Serving Suggestions | 📝 Full Recipe Card | 🍠 More Sweet Potato Recipes
This sweet potato soup with garlic and pine nuts is a masterclass in simplicity and flavour. By combining sweet, earthy potatoes with nearly caramelized, sauteed garlic, fragrant cumin, toasted nutty pine nuts and a zesty brightness of lemon, this soup achieves a rich, satisfying depth.
There is no cream blended into the soup and the velvety texture comes from the sweet potatoes whipped with broth, garlic and some pine nuts; it’s hearty but not heavy.
This comforting soup is gluten-free, and vegan-friendly, and suits the Paleo and Whole30 diets (just skip the croutons and sour cream). I’ve made this soup countless times, and it’s always a crowd-pleaser, perfect for a cosy dinner or lunch.
👩🍳 For more hearty soup recipes, check out my healthy broccoli soup with nut and olive peso, Greek chickpea soup, nourishing golden chicken and potato soup, creamy spinach tomato florentine soup, or cold Gazpacho soup for summer.
What You’ll Need
Here is what you’ll need for this sweet potato soup recipe. Find the full measurements in the recipe card below.
- Base: Sweet potatoes and vegetable stock (or water with stock cubes)
- Aromatics: Garlic and cumin seeds
- Spices: Salt, chili flakes, lemon zest, black pepper
- Nuts: Pine nuts (toasted for extra flavour). No pine nuts? Toasted almonds or sunflower seeds work too.
- Garnish: Chopped chives, lemon juice, croutons, and a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt (optional). For vegan/dairy-free, serve with a dollop of coconut cream.
How To Make Sweet Potato Soup
I’ve included for you the full recipe and nutritional information below. Here are some handy step-by-step photos.
- Toast pine nuts: Heat a small pan and toast the pine nuts, stirring every 10 seconds until golden.
- Prep: Peel and cube the sweet potatoes, smash the garlic cloves.
- Sauté garlic: Heat olive oil in a large pot, sauté garlic for 3-4 minutes, then add cumin seeds and cook until fragrant.
- Cook soup: Add sweet potatoes, salt, chili flakes, lemon zest, and stock. Bring to a boil, then simmer until sweet potatoes are tender.
- Blend: Stir in toasted pine nuts and puree the soup until smooth. Adjust seasoning with lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
- Serve: Garnish with chives, the remaining pine nuts, croutons, and a dollop of sour cream if desired.
Watch The Video
Recipe Tips
- For an extra creamy texture, blend in some cream or coconut cream. I like a little sour cream when serving but you can use it to blend with the soup.
If you find sweet potatoes too sweet on their own, you can do a mix of sweet and white potatoes. - Add a pinch of smoked paprika or ground coriander for a smoky twist, or some mild curry powder for an Asian touch.
- For extra texture, keep a few sweet potato chunks aside before blending and add them back in after pureeing.
Serving Suggestions
This soup is perfect on its own, but it pairs beautifully with a simple green salad, a slice of crusty bread, or some roasted vegetables on the side. You could whip up some of my spinach cheese bread or savory zucchini muffins for a high-protein side.
For a heartier meal, serve it alongside a grain like quinoa or a protein such as grilled tofu.
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Ingredients
- ⅓ cup pine nuts 1.6 oz / 45 grams, almonds can also be used
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 garlic cloves peeled
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1.5 lbs sweet potatoes 700 grams, peeled and cubed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon chili flakes
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 3 cups vegetable stock or water with stock cubes, about 750ml
After Cooking
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives for garnish
To Serve
- ½ cup sour cream or coconut cream for dairy-free
- ½ cup croutons optional
Instructions
- Toast the Pine Nuts: Heat a small pan over medium. Toast the pine nuts for 1-2 minutes, stirring every 10 seconds to prevent burning.
- Prep the Veggies: Peel and cube the sweet potatoes. Smash the garlic cloves (leaving them whole or halved if large).
- Sauté the Garlic: In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium. Add the garlic and sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring often. Toss in the cumin seeds and stir for another 20-30 seconds until fragrant.
- Cook the Soup: Add the sweet potatoes, salt, chili flakes, lemon zest, and vegetable stock to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender.
- Blend: Stir in 2 tablespoons of the toasted pine nuts. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. Add lemon juice and pepper, adjusting salt to taste.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and top with chives, remaining toasted pine nuts, and croutons. For an extra creamy touch, add a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt—skip it if you're keeping things dairy-free.
I think you mean freezer for two months.
That’s the one 😉
This looks amazing! Perfect for the first part of the fall season.
Looks amazing!
I am eating this right now as I type this and it is DELICIOUS! Had to add more water to the mix and used ground cumin instead but this is sooo divine and perfect for cold winter days. Def. one to double the ingredients and make enough to save for a rainy day.
btw, would not recommend heating olive oil, it’s not good for us. Better to use coconut oil 🙂
Agree with not heating extra-virgin olive oil but you can safely sautee in virgin olive oil as long as the temperature is not too high. It’s a lot less fragile and doesn’t oxidise at lower cooking temperatures. I wouldn’t fry in it though. Coconut oil would taste pretty good I think or ghee too.
Would it be okay to use chicken stock instead of vegetable stock in this recipe?
Yes, it would be even tastier 😉
Ad the red peppers from the spice pumpkin soup to make this soup taste even better!!
It looks beautiful! do you mind sharing with me how did you make the swirl marks?
I love to try this recipe