Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup
Sweet potato and red pepper soup is the perfect comfort food any time of year! This super simple thick and creamy soup recipe is naturally vegan, gluten free, dairy free and Whole30 friendly! Perfect for lunch time or as a light dinner, this soup is even better the next day!
Why this recipe works
- Sweet potato and red pepper soup is super filling and so easy to make! All you need are a few pantry ingredients and a blender to get it smooth!
- Cook this soup in the oven, on the stove, using your instant pot or slow cooker! There are so many options on how to make this soup!
- This soup is the perfect comfort food; it’s hearty, filling and super delicious! It’s naturally vegan, gluten free, and Whole30 friendly and is perfect for when you have company over! You can easily double to triple the recipe based on your needs!
- This soup tastes even better the next day, so it’s perfect to make on the weekend and take to lunch for work during the week!
- Pair this soup with shredded chicken or roasted chickpeas for a complete meal!
Ingredients
- Sweet potatoes
- Red bell peppers
- Onion
- Vegetable broth
- Ground Cumin
- Smoked paprika
- Salt
- Lime Juice
How to make sweet potato red pepper soup
Preheat the oven to 400F
Peel and chop the sweet potato into 1-2 inch cubes.
Slice the red bell pepper into 1 inch strips.
Chop the onion into 8 equal sized cubes.
Place the veggies on a baking sheet (lined with parchment paper or silicone liner).
Bake the veggies at 400F for 30 minutes.
After baking, add the veggies to a blender with the vegetable broth, salt, cumin and smoked paprika.
Blend on high until smooth.
Stir in the juice from 1 lime. Taste for seasoning.
May need to heat on the stove over low heat after blending.
Other cooking methods
How to make sweet potato red pepper soup on the stove
- Prep the veggies like the oven method.
- Preheat a large pot (or dutch oven) over medium heat (3-4 minutes).
- Spray the pot with non-stick spray and add the onion. Cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the rest of the ingredients (except the lime juice) and cover the pot. Cook for 20 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
- Blend with an immersion blender or ladle into the blender (carefully, as this is very hot). Blend in batches until smooth.
- Add the soup back to the pot. Add the juice of one lime and stir well. Reheat over low heat as needed.
How to make sweet potato and red pepper soup in the Instant Pot
- Prep the veggies like the oven method.
- Press the saute button on the instant pot and select 4 minutes. Allow the instant pot to preheat.
- Spray with non-stick spray and add the onion. Cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the 1 cup of the vegetable broth, the salt, cumin and smoked paprika and add lid. Seal the lid and cook high pressure for 15 minutes (make sure the keep warm is on).
- Carefully release the pressure (or you can allow it to naturally release).
- Add the rest of the vegetable broth and blend with an immersion blender or ladle into the blender (carefully, as this is very hot). Blend in batches until smooth.
- Add the soup back to the pot (with the keep warm button on). Add the juice of one lime and stir well. Taste for seasoning.
How to make red pepper sweet potato soup in the slow cooker
- Peel and chop the sweet potato into 1-2 inch cubes.
- Slice the red bell pepper into 1 inch strips.
- Chop the onion into 8 equal sized cubes.
- Add everything except the lime juice to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
- Blend with an immersion blender or ladle into the blender (carefully, as this is very hot). Blend in batches until smooth.
- Add the soup back to the pot (with the keep warm function on). Add the juice of one lime and stir well. Reheat as needed.
Tips on adding more flavor
- To add that fire roasted pepper flavor to the stove top, instant pot or slow cooker methods above, instead of using a regular red bell pepper, replace it with a small jar of drained roasted red bell pepper.
- If you want to intensify the flavor of this dish, you can also add a can of diced green chilis before blending.
Topping ideas
- Pumpkin seeds
- Chopped jalapenos
- Cilantro
- Roasted chickpeas
- Vegan coconut bacon
- Chopped crumbled bacon
- Red pepper flakes
- Canned coconut cream or coconut milk
- Dairy free yogurt or dairy free sour cream
What to serve with sweet potato red pepper soup
- Almond Flour Cornbread
- Pumpkin sunflower seed crackers
- Almond flour muffins
- Top with shredded chicken for a complete meal
Common questions
Other veggies could you add
- Zucchini squash
- Carrots
- Orange or yellow peppers
- Butternut squash
What are some other spice variations
- Curry: Add a tablespoon of curry powder, 1 tsp. of garam masala (optional) to the soup when you add the other spices. You can top this soup with dairy free plain yogurt when serving.
- Chipotle: Add 2 tablespoons the canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce to the soup before blending.
- Spicy ginger: Add 2 tablespoons of minced ginger and ½ teaspoon of red chili flakes to the soup and omit the cumin from the recipe.
- Harissa: Stir in 1-2 tablespoons of harissa paste after blending (start with 1 tablespoon and slowly increase, as this gets spicy fast). Top with dairy free plain yogurt to help offset the spice.
How long will leftovers of this soup last in the fridge?
You can store leftover soup for up to 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
Can you freeze this soup after cooking?
Yes! You can freeze this soup in freezer safe containers for up to 1 month.
Substitutions
Sweet potatoes are a great source of fiber and vitamins and minerals! They are a great source of Vitamin C and full of beta-carotene (which gets converted into Vitamin A). You could use carrots in place of sweet potatoes, but the soup will not have as much body and texture.
Red bell peppers are a great source of Vitamin C (200% the daily recommended intake) which is great during the winter months! They are also a great source of other vitamins, minerals and antioxidants (including lycopene). You could use any of the veggies listed above in place of the red bell peppers.
Onions: onions add a depth of flavor to the soup, especially when roasting the soup. You can use red, white or yellow onions, add 3-4 tbsp. of chopped green onion or omit the onion completely.
Vegetable broth: this is used to help the soup taste like it’s been cooking all day on the stove. You can also use vegetable stock, chicken broth/stock (not vegan) or water if you don’t have vegetable broth.
Ground cumin: Cumin adds an earthy flavor and smokiness to the dish. You can use any of the other spice variations listed above in place of cumin.
Smoked paprika: This adds a level of smokiness (hence the name) but also adds a real layer of depth to the flavor to the dish. You could also use paprika (but not hot paprika as that would be quite spicy) or chili powder in place of the smoked paprika or use any of the spices listed above.
Lime juice: You could also use white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar or lemon juice.
If you love this recipe you should try
- Spicy Sweet Potato Soup
- Roasted Vegetable Bisque
- Low Carb Cheesy Broccoli Soup
- The Best Ever Mushroom Soup
- Roasted Red Pepper Sauce with Pasta
- Instant Pot White Bean Soup
- Vegan Tomato Gnocchi Soup
What you need to make this recipe
Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup
$7.14 recipe/1.79 servingGuided Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 5 cups cubed) - $1.33
- 2 red bell peppers - $2.58
- 1 medium white onion - $0.33
- 4 cups vegetable broth - $1.99
- 1 tsp sea salt - $0.05
- 1 tsp ground cumin - $0.10
- 1 tsp smoked paprika - $0.10
- 1 lime, juiced - $0.66
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F
- Peel and cube the sweet potatoes.
- Cut the peppers into 1 inch strips
- Cut the onion into 8 pieces.
- Place all the vegetables on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone liner.
- Bake at 400F for 30 minutes.
- Add the cooked veggies to a large blender with the vegetable broth, salt, cumin and smoked paprika. Blend on high until smooth.
- Pour the soup into a large pot. Add the juice of 1 lime and reheat over low heat (if needed).
Notes
- Curry: Add a tablespoon of curry powder, 1 tsp. of garam masala (optional) to the soup when you add the other spices. You can top this soup with dairy free plain yogurt when serving.
- Chipotle: Add 2 tablespoons the canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce to the soup before blending.
- Spicy ginger: Add 2 tablespoons of minced ginger and ½ teaspoon of red chili flakes to the soup and omit the cumin from the recipe.
- Harissa: Stir in 1-2 tablespoons of harissa paste after blending (start with 1 tablespoon and slowly increase, as this gets spicy fast). Top with dairy free plain yogurt to help offset the spice.
- Fridge in air tight container for up to 5 days
- Freezer in freezer safe container for up to 1 month.
Oh my! This looks absolutely divine and perfect for winter!
Love the flavours in this!