Vegan Sweet Potato Soup with Spicy Chickpea Croutons

Vegan Sweet Potato Soup Recipe

It’s official – the holidays are upon us.

Since Thanksgiving is less than a week away and before you know it, Christmas and New Year’s will be here, simple and heartwarming dishes bring a sense of calm in the kitchen during the hectic holiday season. And that is exactly what this sweet potato soup is all about.

It is so easy to make by simply boiling sweet potatoes in vegetable stock and pureeing in a blender, it has become a flavor-packed soup I like to make over and over again. And it just so happens to check all the right boxes – vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, low-fat, and low-calorie.

The real secret is the addition of spices, ginger, and carrots. These few simple ingredients transform an ordinary sweet potato soup into something extraordinary!

I love to serve it as a warm appetizer on Thanksgiving and Christmas, but this soup is so hearty and delicious, it makes an incredible weeknight meal. No one will ever know it happens to be good-for-you, too!

How to make sweet potato soup from scratch

This recipe for basic sweet potato soup with carrots and ginger comes together in 3 folds.

First, make the chickpea croutons. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and thoroughly dry the drained and rinsed chickpeas with a few paper towels. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, mix the oil and spices in a small bowl, then toss with chickpeas, making sure all they are all evenly coated. Roast for 20-25 minutes, tossing a few times to ensure they cook evenly, until golden brown and crispy. Set aside to cool.

A quick note on the spices I used to make these croutons: The beauty of these healthier “chickpea” croutons is that they are endlessly customizable. As you can see in the recipe below, I used garlic powder, ground cumin, salt and pepper, and ground cinnamon. However, you can change it up based on your personal preference.

Second, make the soup. In a large pot (any dutch oven or heavy-bottomed saucepan would also work), heat the vegetable oil (I used olive oil) over medium heat. Add the ground cumin and coriander and stir for 30-35 seconds – this helps to bloom the spices. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 7-8 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, salt and pepper and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Then, add sweet potatoes and carrots and stir until coated with the oil and spices, 2-3 minutes. Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to boil. Reduce to simmer and cook for 20 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are soft.

Lastly, once the vegetables in the sweet potato carrot soup are tender, blend in a blender or food processor. However, I recommend being very careful, as the soup will be very hot! Return the soup back to the pot and heat until warm. Ladle into bowls, top with crispy chickpea croutons, fresh cilantro or parsley, and enjoy!

If you feel as if your yam and carrot soup is a bit on the thick side, simply add water to reach your desired consistency. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary.

As you can see, with a little bit of advance prep, you can have a light and delicious plant-based soup in just around 30 minutes.

How to make sweet potato soup healthy

The little trick – crispy chickpea croutons! Since we are replacing the bread croutons with lighter and good-for-you chickpeas, this is truly a healthy sweet potato soup recipe.

This plant-based soup is also one made without cream. Vegan, dairy-free sweet potato soup is easy since sweet potatoes pack so much flavor and starch. It is this starch that helps create a luscious and smooth texture when blended to the right consistency.

What else to add to this soup

A sweet potato soup by itself can be boring, but a sweet potato carrot ginger soup takes it up a notch. The addition of freshly ground spices (more on this later!), fresh ginger and carrots make this sweet potato bisque vegan and super flavorful. Your tastebuds will never know what hit them!

Vegan Sweet Potato Soup with Spicy Chickpea Croutons

By Aysegul Sanford

Yields: 6 servings

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 30 mins

Total Time: 40 mins

This light and creamy vegan sweet potato soup is also gluten-free, dairy-free, low-fat, and low-calorie. Topped off with spicy chickpea croutons, it is ready in just 30 minutes.

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe

Ingredients

For the Chickpea Croutons:

• ▢ 2 cans each 15.5 ounces of cooked garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas), drained and rinsed
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

For The Sweet Potato Soup:

• ▢ 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ▢ 2 medium-sized onions chopped
• ▢ 2 cloves of garlic minced
• ▢ 1 teaspoon of grated ginger from 1 inch fresh ginger
• ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ 2 medium-sized Sweet Potatoes peeled and cut into small cubes (appr. 5-6 cups)
• ▢ 2 carrots peeled and sliced (appr. 1 cup)
• ▢ 6 cups vegetable stock
• ▢ 1/4 cup fresh cilantro or parsley for garnish chopped

Instructions

Start with roasting the chickpea croutons:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
• Lay two layers of paper towels on a kitchen counter. Spread the rinsed garbanzo beans (chickpeas) to dry. With the help of another piece of paper towel, dry the beans as much as possible. Once dried, transfer them to a mixing bowl.
• Mix the oil, spices, and hot sauce (if using) in a small bowl. Drizzle it over the chickpeas, making sure that they are coated with the oil and spice mixture.
• Spread the chickpeas on the baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, until crisp and golden, tossing a couple of times during the baking to ensure even cooking.
• Take them out of the oven and set aside to cool.

To make the soup:

• Heat the oil in a Dutch oven (or any other heavy bottom pan) in medium heat. Add in the ground cumin and coriander. Add the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat, until translucent, 7-8 minutes.
• Stir in the garlic and ginger, salt and pepper, and sautee, stirring constantly, for 45 seconds.
• Stir in the sweet potatoes and carrot and mix until coated with the spices and onions, 1-2 minutes.
• Pour in the vegetable stock and bring it to a boil. Once boiled, turn down the heat to low and let it simmer for 20 minutes or until sweet potatoes are soft.
• Puree the soup in a blender or a food processor in batches. Return it back to the pot and heat until warm.
• If you feel that it is too thick, you can add in a little bit of water and bring it to a boil.
• When ready to serve, garnish the soup with a handful of chickpea croutons and fresh herbs.

Nutrition

Calories: 217kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 1721mg | Potassium: 494mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 14828IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 2mg

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

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Seasoning I used in this light soup recipe

This creamy sweet potato soup is made with the perfect ratio of seasoning:

• 1 tsp Ground Coriander
• ½ tsp Ground Cumin
• 2 Onions
• 2 Garlic Cloves
• 1 tsp Grated Ginger
• 1 tsp Kosher Salt
• ½ tsp Black Pepper

This will season 4 cups of sweet potatoes and 2 cups of carrots appropriately. If serving a large crowd, simply double or triple the recipe!

Variations

• Sweet Potato Chowder Soup: Add 1 cup frozen corn with the sweet potatoes and carrots for a subtle, sweet flavor.
• Sweet Potato Ginger Soup: Omit the carrots and replace them with another 2 cups sweet potatoes.
• Sweet Potato Vegetable Soup: Replace 1 cup carrots with 1 cup celery for more vegetable variety.
• Sweet Potato Soup with Coconut Milk: Replace 1 cup vegetable stock with 1 cup full-fat coconut milk for an ultra-creamy yam soup recipe.
• Indian Vegetable Curry Soup: Add 1-2 Tbsp curry powder when you add the coriander and cumin.

Other sweet potato recipes you might also like:

• Mashed Sweet Potatoes
• Sweet Potato Noodles
• Sweet Potato Souffle Recipe
• Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Sweet Potatoes
• Mashed Potatoes Casserole

Other fall soup recipes you might also like:

• Vegetarian Butternut Squash Soup
• Carrot Ginger Soup recipe
• Lentil Soup Recipe
• Best Vegan Chili Recipe
• Turkish Lentil Soup
• Butternut Squash Lentil Stew
• Roasted Kabocha Squash Soup
• Need more inspiration? Check out all our healthy soup recipes