Vegan Sweet Potato Soup with White Beans

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This naturally sweet Vegan Sweet Potato Soup is bursting with flavor! It’s smooth and creamy and has chunks of soft sweet potato flavored with rich smoked paprika.

leafy green platter with bread bowl filled with vegan sweet potato soup and a spoon and bread chunks

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. Serve with a side salad and call it dinner!

I love recipes where I can throw everything into one pot (or crockpot) like this sweet potato soup recipe. And it doesn’t hurt that it’s packed with fiber, protein, and antioxidants!

two blue bowls filled with vegan sweet potato soup topped with croutons

This sweet potato soup is amazing because it’s…

  • Loaded with veggies
  • Wholesome
  • Bursting with flavor
  • A one-pot recipe
  • Delicious

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.

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.

pot with sauted onions

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.

sweet potatoes being diced on wood cutting board

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.

large stockpot with sweet potatoes, beans, onions, garlic, and spices

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.

blue and white stock pot with emmersion blender in sweet potato soup

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.

large stock pot with sweet potato soup and topped with spinach leaves

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.

leafy green platter with bread bowl filled with vegan sweet potato soup and a spoon

Crockpot cooking directions

  1. 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.
  2. 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.

Tips for making this vegan soup recipe

  • 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.
  • I have a delicious Homemade Vegetable Bouillon Powder that is a wonderful addition to soups, beans, and so much more!
  • I love to add sliced avocado and fresh cilantro before serving to really through this soup over the top.
  • Serve with crusty sourdough bread or my Country Cornbread for a delicious complete meal!
white crock bowl with handles filled with sweet potato soup and bright blue spoon with cornbread

Other great soup recipes

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.

leafy green platter with bread bowl filled with vegan sweet potato soup and a spoon and bread chunks
4.72 from 28 votes

Sweet Potato Vegan Soup with Beans

This naturally sweet vegan sweet potato soup is bursting with flavor! It's smooth and creamy and has chunks of soft sweet potato flavored with rich smoked paprika.
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients 

  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 3 cloved garlic minced
  • 3 cups sweet potatoes peeled and diced
  • 3 cups white beans not chickpeas, 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

Detailed instructions, in-process photos, and my personal helpful tips can be found in the article above.
Instant Pot Instructions:
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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 311kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 2g | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 13g

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.

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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…

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20 Comments

    1. Thanks, Shannon. I didn’t realized I had left that out. It’s 2 Tbsp. and I’ve fixed it now. 🙂

    1. 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.

  1. 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!

  2. 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!

  3. 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!

    1. 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! 🙂

  4. 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!

    1. That sounds like a fabulous dinner! I am so glad you liked the recipe. Thank you for the positive feedback!

  5. 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 🙂

  6. 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!

    1. 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! 🙂

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