Vegan Sweet Potato Soup with White Beans
This vegan sweet potato soup with white beans is irresistibly delicious, blending the natural sweetness of sweet potatoes with the creamy texture of white beans. It’s a flavorful and satisfying plant-based soup that will warm you from the inside out.
Though we love soup when it’s cold outside, this one is a favorite at my house all year long. It pairs well with dishes that are either savory or sweet. Try it with our spinach citrus salad with oil-free dressing or this creamy vegan broccoli salad.
We have more hearty soup recipes on this website like this vegan Mexican tortilla soup, my creamy dairy-free potato soup, and our Instant Pot vegetable soup.
Reasons you will love this soup
- Deliciously Creamy and Flavorful: This vegan sweet potato soup with white beans offers a rich, creamy texture and a perfect blend of sweet and savory flavors that are sure to satisfy your taste buds.
- Nutrient-Dense and Healthy: Packed with nutrient-rich sweet potatoes and protein-filled white beans, this soup is both filling and beneficial for your health, providing essential vitamins, fiber, and protein.
- Easy to Prepare: With a simple recipe and minimal ingredients, this soup is quick and easy to make, making it an ideal option for busy weeknights or meal prepping.
Ingredients you will need
- Sweet potatoes- They provide a naturally creamy texture and a subtle sweetness that enhances the overall flavor. Additionally, their versatility allows them to pair well with a variety of other ingredients and seasonings, making them a popular choice for creating hearty, comforting soups.
- White beans- Navy, northern, or cannellini are excellent choices for sweet potato bean soup because they add a creamy texture and a mild, complementary flavor that enhances the soup.
- Onion & garlic-
- Seasonings- Nutritional yeast, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, and red pepper flakes add a warm robust flavor.
Tips & Suggestions
- Instant Pot- Though I’m sure this can be made in an Instant Pot, it’s just as fast to make it on the stovetop. Cooking time for an IP would likely be around 7 minutes, but it takes my IP approximately 15 minutes to come to pressure before the cooking time begins. Total cooking time in an IP would be 22 minutes (with a quick release), and stovetop about 25 minutes.
- Seasoning- I have a delicious Homemade Vegetable Bouillon Powder that is a wonderful addition to soups, beans, and so much more!
- Toppings- I love to add sliced avocado and fresh cilantro before serving to really through this soup over the top.
- Sides- Serve with crusty sourdough bread or my Country Dairy-Free Cornbread for a delicious complete meal!
How to make vegan sweet potato soup
The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.
STEP #1: In a large stockpot, saute onions and garlic in a few tablespoons of veggie broth for about 3-4 minutes until they become nice and brown. Add another tablespoon of broth or water and stir to incorporate that caramelized flavor.
STEP #2: Drain and rinse beans (if using canned) and dice the sweet potatoes. Some of the white beans I use in this recipe are navy or cannellini. Chickpeas don’t work well for this, in my opinion, because of their firmness even after being cooked.
If you’re a fan of white beans like the ones used in this recipe, check out this list of 16 Amazing White Bean Recipes.
STEP #3: Add the cooked beans, raw sweet potatoes, spices, and seasoning to a stockpot with onions and garlic. This will be all of the soup ingredients except cilantro and spinach. Stir and allow to cook for 2 minutes.
Add veggie broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and cook for approximately 20-25 minutes, uncovered, until potatoes are tender.
STEP #4: Using a cup or ladle, scoop out 2 cups of the sweet potato and white beans and set aside. Use an immersion blender to blend the remaining ingredients in the pot until smooth.
NOTE: If you don’t have an immersion blender, simply pour the contents of the stockpot into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth, then return it to the pot.
STEP #5: Return the 2 cups of sweet potatoes and white beans to the pot with blended soup. Add the fresh spinach and cook for approximately 2 minutes. You just want the spinach leaves to wilt a bit.
STEP #6: Ladle into bowls and serve warm fresh cilantro. Sometimes we even add a slice of avocado.
We have differing opinions when it comes to the bread to serve with this soup. I love crusty sourdough bread, and my husband prefers cornbread. Either way, you can’t go wrong.
Crockpot Instruction
- For the best flavor, I suggest sauteing the onions and garlic first. It adds so much to this soup, I believe it’s worth the extra effort.
- Place all of the soup ingredients into your slow cooker (except the spinach and cilantro) and allow to cook for 4-5 hours.
- When it is done, add the fresh spinach leaves and close the lid until they wilt nicely.
*Originally published May 2016.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can substitute other beans such as chickpeas or kidney beans if you prefer. Just be aware that this may alter the flavor and texture slightly.
To add more heat, consider incorporating spices like cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, or a dash of hot sauce. Start with a small amount and adjust to your taste.
If you don’t have sweet potatoes, you can use butternut squash or regular potatoes as a substitute. Both will provide a similar texture and a slightly sweet flavor.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5-7 days. It freezes well too.
If you try this recipe, please let us know how you like it by rating it and leaving a comment. We love to hear from you!
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Sweet Potato Vegan Soup with Beans
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 cups sweet potatoes peeled and diced
- 3 cups white beans (navy, northern, cannalini) 2 cans, drained & rinsed or fresh
- 2 tablespoons Braggs Aminos or worcestershire sauce (without anchovies)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1.5 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 4-5 oz fresh spinach
- fresh cilantro optional topping
- avocado slices optional topping
Instructions
- In a large stockpot, saute onions and garlic in a few Tbsp of veggie broth for about 3-4 minutes until they become nice and brown. Add another tablespoon of broth or water and stir to incorporate that caramelized flavor.
- Drain and rinse beans (if using canned) and dice the sweet potatoes. Some of the white beans I use in this recipe are navy or cannellini. Chickpeas don't work well for this, in my opinion, because of their firmness even after being cooked.
- Add beans, sweet potatoes, spices, and seasoning to stockpot with onions and garlic. This will be all of the soup ingredients except cilantro and spinach. Stir and allow to cook for 2 minutes.
- Add veggie broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and cook for approximately 20-25 minutes, uncovered, until potatoes are tender.
- Using a cup or ladle, scoop out 2 cups of the sweet potato and white beans and set aside. Use an immersion blender to blend the remaining ingredients in the pot until smooth.
- NOTE: If you don’t have an immersion blender, simply pour the contents of the stockpot into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth, then return it to the pot.
- Return the 2 cups of sweet potatoes and white beans to the pot with blended soup. Add the fresh spinach and cook for approximately 2 minutes. You just want the spinach leaves to wilt a bit.
- Ladle into bowls and serve warm fresh cilantro. Sometimes we even add a slice of avocado. And, we have differing opinions when it comes to the bread to serve with this soup. I love crusty sourdough bread, and my husband prefers cornbread. Either way, you can't go wrong.
Crockpot Instructions:
- For the best flavor, I suggest sauteing the onions and garlic first. It adds so much to this soup, I believe it's worth the extra effort.
- Place all of the soup ingredients into your slow cooker (except the spinach and cilantro) and allow to cook for 4-5 hours. When it is done, add the fresh spinach leaves and close the lid until they wilt nicely.
Video
Notes
- Instant Pot- Though I'm sure this can be made in an Instant Pot, it's just as fast to make it on the stovetop. Cooking time for an IP would likely be around 7 minutes, but it takes my IP approximately 15 minutes to come to pressure before the cooking time begins. Total cooking time in an IP would be 22 minutes (with a quick release), and stovetop about 25 minutes.
- Sweet potatoes- If you don’t have sweet potatoes, you can use butternut squash or regular potatoes as a substitute. Both will provide a similar texture and a slightly sweet flavor.
- Seasoning- I have a delicious Homemade Vegetable Bouillon Powder that is a wonderful addition to soups, beans, and so much more!
- Toppings- I love to add sliced avocado and fresh cilantro before serving to really through this soup over the top.
- Sides- Serve with crusty sourdough bread or my Country Dairy-Free Cornbread for a delicious complete meal!
Nutrition
Disclaimer
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
About Terri Edwards
Hi guys! I am the content creator behind EatPlant-Based and a licensed Food for Life instructor with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. I am passionate about sharing healthy recipes and tips to empower others to get healthy. I’m so glad you’re here! Read More…
Hi Terri, I’m new to your recipes. I’ve spent all afternoon going through a bunch of them & copying them to my recipe app. They all sound so good. My question is would anything need to be modified if i used Stokes purple sweet potatoes instead of regular ones? It’s what I have on hand right now. Thanks! I have a new favorite place to go for recipes!
Hi Joan- I love the idea of using purple sweet potatoes. Though I haven’t done it before, I don’t think any adjustments would need to be made. I hope it turns out great for you! 🙂
This is so good! Made for the first time today. Usually I have to up the spices for recipes but this is absolutely the perfect blend.
Thank you so much for sharing these recipes 🙂
Terri, This is very good! Comfort food yumminess. I used my Blentec broth mix for the broth and it reminded me of Beans and bacon soup 🙂
I had a large salad and sweet potato naan that i made and it was a hearty meal
Thanks for your hard work!
That sounds like a fabulous dinner! I am so glad you liked the recipe. Thank you for the positive feedback!
I just had some of this out of the freezer. good good soup. A favorite of mine! Thx, Terri!
Hi Kim- Don’t you just love having soup in the freezer to pull out for a simple and quick meal? Thanks so much for the great feedback on this recipe!
I didn’t have one can of white beans in the house, which I will rectify this evening. I resorted to two cans of rinsed black beans and although the soup is not super attractive, oh my but it’s delish! Diversity IS a good thing!! LOL Thank you, Terri, for another winning recipe I’ll add to my favorites. Bless you!
Ha! Judy, I love that you are so creative! Glad it worked out and tasted good with the black beans. Looks are way over-rated! 🙂
I made this for dinner last night and it was excellent!
Love hearing this!
I’m wondering how you would adapt the cooking time for an instant pot.
Coconut Aminos would work fine, rather than the soy-based Braggs – and I bet it would be fine without the nutritional yeast, too. I’m going to do this tonight!
Made this for the second time tonight, it is delicious! Somehow it ended up too watery, maybe because I didn’t measure the broth so good, anyway, I added a little quinoa, and fixed that! Left it a little chunkier, cause I like that. Such an easy and great recipe. Thank you Terri , your whole site has been very informative and helpful!
Liz, I am so glad you like this soup, and the addition of quinoa sounds like a terrific idea!
great receipe
How would you modify this recipe for a crockpot/slow cooker?
Thanks!
Hi Al, it’s great to hear from you again! If you would like to make this in your slow cooker/crock pot, simply add all ingredients to a large cooker and allow to cook on low for 4-5 hours. Then, follow the last 2 steps of recipe to blend.
How much Braggs should it be? It doesn’t say
Thanks, Shannon. I didn’t realized I had left that out. It’s 2 Tbsp. and I’ve fixed it now. 🙂