Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup

4.72 from 7 votes

Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup

Sweet potatoes, red bell peppers, and onion simmered in broth with cumin, paprika, and garlic powder, then blended until smooth in one pot. Heavy cream is optional for a richer bowl. Makes 8 servings in about an hour.

Prep Time10

Cook Time50

Total Time1

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: red pepper soup, red pepper soup recipe, sweet potato soup

Servings: servings

Calories: 199kcal

Author: Sara Nelson

Ingredients

1 tablespoon avocado oil or unsalted butter
1 medium yellow onion chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
3 large sweet potatoes peeled and chopped
2 red bell peppers de-seeded and chopped
5-6 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth (see Recipe Notes below)
½ cup heavy cream (optional)

Optional Garnishes:

Fresh parsley finely chopped
Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt

Instructions

Sauté Vegetables: In a large soup pot, heat avocado oil or butter over medium heat. Add chopped onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add Spices: Add ground cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, and garlic powder to pot. Stir, then sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add Sweet Potatoes and Bell Peppers: Add chopped sweet potatoes and red bell peppers to pot. Stir to combine with onion and spices.
Pour in Broth: Add 6 cups of broth to the pot (if you'll be using a blender instead of an immersion blender to blend the soup after cooking, start with 5 cups and see note below). Increase stovetop heat to high and bring mixture to a boil (this may take 10 to 15 minutes).
Simmer: Reduce stovetop heat to low and simmer soup uncovered until sweet potatoes are tender, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Blend Soup: Use an immersion blender to puree the soup directly in the pot until smooth. Alternatively, carefully ladle soup into a blender or food processor, and, in batches, blend until just smooth (do not over-blend), and then return to the pot (you may need to do this in batches, depending on the capacity of your blender).
Add Heavy Cream (Optional): If you want a creamier soup, pour in heavy cream, then stir.
Add Additional Seasoning: Carefully taste soup and, based on preferences, add more salt and pepper.
Garnish and Serve: Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with sour cream or Greek yogurt and chopped parsley, then serve.

Video

Notes

If Using a Blender Instead of an Immersion Blender: I have found that using an immersion blender yields a thicker soup than if you blend with a blender. If you’re going to blend the soup with a blender, use only 5 cups of broth to start with. Then, after blending, if you want to thin the soup out a bit, you can always stir in an additional 1 cup of broth before adding in the heavy cream.

Storage: Store the soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. If frozen, thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.

Reheating Instructions: Transfer the soup to a saucepan and warm on medium heat on the stovetop until heated through. Or, microwave in 30-second increments, stirring after each time, until heated through.

Nutrition