Whenever we feel the first hint of fall in the air, I return to this recipe for Autumn Sweet Potato Soup. It’s healthy, vegan, and gluten free with an unexpected flavorful twist– a creamy touch of peanut butter. It can be made as a smooth silky puree, or with vegetable chunks for more texture. Prepared either way, it’s one of my favorite soups.
Seasonal fall produce really inspires me in the kitchen. With Rosh Hashanah and Sukkot just around the corner, my focus has shifted to foods that warm and nourish. This Autumn Sweet Potato Soup is perfect for this time of year.
I’ve packed this soup with seasonal fall goodness, including yams, squash, fresh thyme, and a touch of cayenne for spice. The broth has roots in African food tradition. Peanut butter thickens the soup and gives it a delicious flavor.
The peanut butter is delicious, as well as healthful– it adds a boost of protein and helps to make the soup more filling. I learned this culinary trick from a local Ethiopian restaurant. While it might sound a bit strange, the peanut butter enhances the spices, giving this soup layers of creamy, delicious flavor.
Serve this Autumn Sweet Potato Soup as-is (chunky with texture), or puree the soup with an immersion blender for a smoother texture. Garnish with chopped roasted peanuts or fresh thyme leaves. If you’re wondering how to peel tomatoes for the soup, learn how here.
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Food Photography and Styling by Kelly Jaggers
Autumn Sweet Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 1/2 pounds orange sweet potatoes (yams), peeled and cubed
- 1 pound zucchini, sliced
- 2 quarts yellow vegetable stock (you can substitute chicken stock if not vegan/vegetarian)
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- Pinch cayenne pepper (or more to taste)
- 3 medium tomatoes, peeled and diced (or one 14 oz. can diced tomatoes)
- 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter, or more to taste
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Chopped roasted peanuts or fresh thyme leaves for garnish (optional)
NOTES
Instructions
- Heat olive oil over medium till hot (not smoking). Sauté onion in the oil until it begins to soften and turn golden, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and continue to sauté for 3 minutes more.
- Add sweet potatoes, zucchini, vegetable stock, thyme leaves, cumin, ginger, and cayenne to the pot. I like to use ¼ tsp of cayenne, which gives a nice spicy kick to the soup. If you’re sensitive to spice, start with 1/8 tsp. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce to a light simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add diced tomatoes to the pot (learn how to peel tomatoes here). Simmer for 5-10 minutes more until all the vegetables are tender.
- Stir 1/3 cup peanut butter into the broth until it dissolves. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add more cayenne for heat, if desired. Add additional peanut butter to taste. Some like it with just a hint of peanut flavor. I typically use a few more tablespoons (around 1/2 cup total) because I love peanut butter. Adjust until the flavor is to your liking.
- Soup may be served as-is (chunky with texture), or you can puree the soup with an immersion blender until smooth. Serve garnished with chopped roasted peanuts or fresh thyme leaves.
Zach says
Perfect timing for a fantastic soup recipe . . . I think I am going to make this over the weekend! What do you think about replacing the zucchini with mushrooms (like crimini or shiitake)?
Tori Avey says
Hi Zach, it might be good! If you try it let us know how you like it. 🙂
Jennifer says
This looks like the perfect fall soup. Can’t wait to try it!
Dr. Mike Janning says
Tori, For those that are allergic to nuts, I think either sesame tahini or plain hummus might be good substitutes.
May you have a sweet year.
BTW, I like your historic recipes.
Tori Avey says
Tahini would be tasty, Mike!
Megan says
Actually, Chickpea’s are a member of the nut family. So hummus and chickpea product would not be a good substitute for a nut allegry.
Tori Avey says
Hi Megan. I’m not an allergy physician, so obviously people should double check– but I do know that chickpeas are a member of the legume family, not the nut family. Peanuts are also in the legume family, however many people who have peanut allergies can tolerate chickpeas. It would be best for anybody with a peanut allergy to check with their doctor to see what their body can and can’t handle.
Cynthia says
This soup sounds wonderful!! I read the additional comments, about leaving out the peanut butter. How rich and creamy is the soup WITHOUT the peanut butter? Can you add a roux or cornstarch to thicken it or to make it creamy? Cannot use coconut milk, as it is part of the TREE NUT family. Maybe I will just need to try making it with ingredients that I can tolerate and see how it turns out! Keep up the GREAT WORK! Love your recipes!!
Tori Avey says
Cynthia, you might want to try Mike’s suggestion and use tahini paste, which is made from sesame seeds. I can’t promise how it will taste, since I haven’t tried it myself, but it would definitely add a nutty flavor, creamy flavor. It’s worth a try!
Hannah, Israel says
Sounds (and looks) amazing – hoping to try on Sukkot. Thank you and Shana Tova!
David Whittacre says
I wonder if using peanut oil in place of or instead of extra virgin olive oil might do the peanut butter trick? I’m not a big fan of peanut butter (and, yes I am American). I know it wouldn’t help thicken the soup, but if I wanted to thicken it, I would probably use creme de tartar or just plain ole corn starch. Anyway, this recipe makes my mouth water. I would also try some Portobello mushrooms to the mix, but here I am tampering with what seems to be wonderful recipe. Thanks, David
Tori Avey says
Hi David, feel free to tinker… that’s what makes cooking fun! Though I will say that peanut oil won’t give much of a peanut taste to the soup at all– it has very little flavor. Enjoy!
Abbe says
Is natural peanut butter ok? I hate to add all that hydrogenated oil.
Tori Avey says
Hi Abbe– yes! Absolutely, in fact I prefer it. And if you can get organic, even better. 🙂
cynthia kantor says
i read through the ingredients and i know this will benefit me coz i’m diabetic. but if i’m going to make this for my grandsons, i would have to eliminate the peanut butter for they have allergies and are on gluten free diet (no nuts; seafoods; sesame; corn, and something else) it is hard for
their Mom to make it easier for them (especially missing
breads in their lunches) during schoolyear.
Tori Avey says
Hi Cynthia, that is really tough. So sorry they’re dealing with such severe allergies. It will still be good without the peanut butter, but not as rich or creamy. Is coconut okay on their diet? Some people with nut allergies can tolerate coconut while others cannot. If it works for them, you could try adding some coconut milk to the broth for a creamy flavor. Good luck!
Lindsey says
Can you really taste the peanut butter?
Tori Avey says
Lindsey, kind of– it’s not overpowering though. The peanut butter blends harmoniously with the other spices and gives a very unique flavor to the broth. Hard to describe. It’s really tasty.
Marie says
Yay! I finally found a savory sweet potato soup. Can’t wait to try it out. Thanks. 🙂
Fabiana says
Delicious is the least I can say about this soup. Had a feast!
Thanks for sharing it with us.
Carolyn Hastings says
Superlative. I’ve always thought I couldn’t make soup, but this proved me wrong!
Nori says
Just made the soup, wonderful! I had some leek and carrot in the fridge that I added and I blenderized only about half of the soup, mostly the sweet potatoes for a smooth soup with some chunky-ness left.I had my doubts about the peanut-butter but is great.Mmmmm…
Kristy says
I just made a sweet potato soup last week and it is now one of my favorite soups. I may tweak the recipe to add a bit of your touches to it next time (because there will be a next time and a next time after that – sooooo good!).
Tina@flourtrader says
I like the list of ingredients for this soup! Not only is it hearty but packed with flavor-I would like to see this grace my table soon. Thanks for sharing this one!
Stephanie @ Eat. Drink. Love. says
Tori, this soup just looks so delicious! While I love sweet potatoes all year, they always are best enjoyed in the fall! I’ve never had a sweet potato soup, but now you have inspired to make some…soon!!
rinku says
This looks so good! I love the combination of spices with the naturally sweet balance of the sweet potatoes.
The Elegant Eggplant says
Oh man this looks delicious!! I love that you included cayenne for a little kick.. yumm!!!
Ana Helena Campbell says
This is a very colorful soup and perfect for the cold nights that are arriving here in Colorado. Thanks for sharing!
Patricia says
Wanting to try out this recipe.