This turmeric sweet potato soup is the ultimate cosy weeknight dinner! With the warming and nourishing flavours of garlic, ginger, and turmeric, this vibrant, golden soup is silky smooth and surprisingly simple to make. It’s completely dairy free and vegan, and comes together with minimal effort using just a few everyday ingredients.
This winter I have been all about cosy soups. I’m talking bowls and bowls of creamy easy tomato soup, and this epic but simple baked potato soup. I have used my immersion blender more this season than I have since I got it, and I am not slowing down anytime soon.
There is just something so incredibly satisfying about a comforting bowl of soup and a toasty bit of sourdough. Soup is so easy to make, packs a heap of flavour, and makes eating a healthy serve of veg just a bit more fun!
This combination of sweet potato and turmeric gives the soup a stunning golden colour and earthy, slightly sweet taste. It’s finished with a little splash of coconut milk to give it the most indulgent, smooth and creamy finish without any dairy.
This turmeric sweet potato soup comes together in under 40 minutes with no fancy ingredients or complicated steps required.
Key Ingredients
This sweet potato soup recipe was developed based on a few staple ingredients that I had in my pantry one night, with the idea that you can create a simple and nourishing meal without needing a trip to the grocery store.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Sweet potato – you’re looking for about a medium to large sized sweet potato. Peel and chop it into chunks.
- Onion and garlic – the base of the soup flavour.
- Ginger – adds a little warmth to the soup that enhances it’s overall flavour pairing well with the sweet potato. I usually use jarred for convenience, but you can use freshly grated.
- Turmeric – similar to the ginger, the turmeric adds a subtle earthiness to the soup that balances the sweetness.
- Paprika – I usually use smoked paprika as that’s what I mostly keep in the pantry but sweet paprika will work fine as well.
- Bay leaf – just like when making pumpkin soup, we’re using bay leaves to add a depth of flavour to the soup.
- Coconut milk – added at the end, it helps give the soup a creamy and velvety smooth texture. The coconut flavour is mild and works well with the sweet potato but if you prefer you can add a splash of oat milk instead.
Equipment and Tools
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Cast Iron Dutch Oven – there are so many different brands (and colours!) of these types of pots but investing in one that matches your budget is going to be such as asset to your kitchen! I use mine at least once or twice a week.
Step-By-Step Instructions
This really is such a simple recipe to make. Start by prepping your vegetables by peeling and chopping the sweet potato and onions and peeling the garlic. You don’t have to be too precise with this step as the soup will be blended, but if the pieces are even they will cook more consistently.
Start by heating a little coconut oil (or olive oil if you prefer), in a heavy based pot or saucepan. Add the onion and sauté for a couple of minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon. Add in the garlic and ginger, and continue cooking until the onion is soft and translucent.
Next, add the paprika and turmeric to the pot, cooking until fragrant. Add in the sweet potato and give it a good mix, coating it in the onion and spice mixture.
To the pot, add enough water to ensure that the sweet potatoes are fully submerged – around 4 cups should be right. Add in the bay leaf and give the sweet potatoes a good stir, scraping up any spices stuck to the bottom of the pan.
Allow the soup to come to a boil before turning it down and letting it gently bubble away for around 15-20 minutes depending on how big your sweet potato pieces are.
Once the sweet potato is super soft, remove the pot from the heat and allow the soup to cool slightly for about 10 minutes, making sure to remove the bay leaf.
Blend the soup until smooth and creamy using a blender or immersion stick blender.
👉Tip! If you’re using a standard blender, don’t skip the step of letting the soup cool slightly first. It’s always best to avoid blending piping hot soup as it can cause pressure to build up and result in a messy explosion (speaking from experience, soup on the ceiling is not fun to clean!).
Once the soup is smooth, return the blended soup in the pot to the stove over low heat. Stir through the coconut cream and season with salt and pepper to taste.
To serve, divide the soup between bowls and top with croutons (see below for how I make mine!) or toasted sourdough, and a sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley.
👉Tip! For best results, put a can of coconut milk in the fridge the night before, then scoop out a little of the solidified cream from the top the next day. The result is way better than just the coconut cream you buy in the shop.
Storage Instructions
Once cooled, store any leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Reheat gently on the stove over low heat, stirring occasionally, or pop it in the microwave until hot. You may need to add a splash of water or extra coconut cream if the soup is a bit thick when reheating.
This soup also freezes really well, making it a great option for meal prep. Let the soup cool completely, then transfer to freezer-safe containers or zip-lock bags (lay flat to save space) and freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, either thaw overnight in the fridge first, or reheat directly from frozen.
Recipe FAQs
I love serving this soup with simple homemade croutons. Simply cut some stale sourdough bread into cubes and toss with olive oil, salt, garlic powder and a little nutritional yeast, and place in the air fryer for about 5 minutes until golden.
Yes it is, simply skip the croutons and serve instead with some crispy air fryer chickpeas for a similar crunch!
Yes you can! I use water simply to keep the ingredients list short here, but if you have some stock on hand definitely feel free to use that instead. Just make sure to taste the soup and adjust the salt accordingly, as stock can be salty.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More cosy soup recipes:
Easy Vegetable Minestrone Soup
Healing Chicken Soup
Thai Red Curry Noodle Soup
Dairy Free Potato and Leek Soup
Turmeric Sweet Potato Soup
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Equipment
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cast iron dutch oven
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stick blender
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 onion diced
- 3-4 garlic cloves crushed
- 2 teaspoons crushed ginger jarred or fresh
- 500 grams sweet potato peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ tablespoon turmeric
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 cups of water
- ¼ cup coconut milk
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
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In a large saucepan, heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and sauté for a couple of minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon.
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Add the garlic and ginger, and continue cooking until the onion is soft and translucent.
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Stir in the paprika and turmeric, cooking until fragrant, then add the sweet potato. Toss to coat the sweet potato in the spices and onion mixture.
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Pour in the water (about 4 cups) to just cover the sweet potatoes. Stir well, scraping up any spices stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add the bay leaf.
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Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce to a gentle boil and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the sweet potato is very soft.
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Remove from the heat and allow the soup to cool slightly for about 10 minutes. Discard the bay leaf.
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Blend the soup until smooth and creamy using a blender or immersion stick blender. If the soup is too thick, add a little extra water to help it blend.
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Return the blended soup to the saucepan over low heat. Stir through the coconut cream and season with salt and pepper to taste.
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Once hot, serve as is or with toasted bread or croutons on the side.
Notes
Coconut Milk: To extra creamy results, put a can of coconut milk in the fridge the night before, then scoop out the solidified cream from the top the next day to mix into the soup.
Homemade croutons: Cut some stale sourdough bread into cubes and toss with olive oil, salt, garlic powder and a little nutritional yeast, and place in the air fryer for about 5 minutes until golden.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
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This recipe was originally published in August 2019 and has been updated in 2025 to include new photos and more helpful content. The recipe remains the same!