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.
Nutrition
Loved it!! I used yellow squash instead because I had it on hand. SOOO GOOD. Thanks!!
So happy you liked it Barbie! 🙂
Its Friday. I want to make this for 2nd night of Rosh Hashanah Monday. How long will this soup last in the fridge?
I would say 2 days for best flavor/freshness.
I have made this soup numerous times since discovering a couple of years ago. It is terrific. I make it for myself and freeze it in individual servings or take it to my Weaving Guild Soup days. it is always a hit!
When yams/butternut and zucchini are on sale, I buy lots, bake it, make the base of the soup and freeze it. I like it as a thick soup and partially puree it so there are still lots if chunks of the vegetable. Thanks for the terrific recipe!
Thanks for writing Barbara! I love this recipe too, I might rephotograph it soon… this post deserves a refresh/reshare!
Hello, im from sweden. And I cooked today this soup. It was delicious. Have a great day.
Glad you enjoyed it Monica 🙂
Tori has done it yet again! Is there anything you can’t do? I think sting was singing about you…every little thing she does is magic. This soup is amazing. As a vegetarian, this is a great meal for me. Extremely flavorful and easy. The hardest part is cutting the sweet potatoes and I am sure some markets sell them precut. My mom and I had some last night and thought it was so delicious. I am looking forward to lunch today :). Thank you….all of your recipes are fantastic!
I have just made this soup but without cayanne pepper and instead used some mild chilli powder and paprika. WOW it tastes amazing! I just may not use quite as much peanut paste as Im not quite sure the family will enjoy it as much as I! Thank you for the fantastic recipe.
I have been salivating over this recipe since you posted it and FINALLY made it for this past Friday night dinner. It was everything I hoped it would be and more. Yet another one of your recipes that surpassed my expectations!! Thank you so much!
So pleased you liked it Sara! 🙂
I served this soup to guests last night and it was a HUGE hit! I also used crunchy natural peanut butter which gave the soup some terrific texture.
Tory, I just made this soup today and it is absolutely amazing! The funny part is that I happened to have the perfect amount of all the needed ingredients, without having to go and buy any of them. I also used crunchy peanut butter and it made it just perfect, so there was no need to add peanuts as garnish . Can’t wait to share it with my family and friends!
I can’t recall how I stumbled onto your site, but as I often prepare ‘theme’ meals for Shabbat, I found your Autumn Sweet Potato Soup and prepared it for last Friday night. In Israel zucchinis are hard to come by, so I snuck frozen spinach in instead and blended enough of the soup so the spinach wasn’t apparent to my children. Yum! We all enjoyed the mingle of flavors! I always say I’ve never met a recipe I couldn’t change, and don’t often depend upon others’ recipes, but as I perused your site, I’ve become a fan! Thanks!
I’m so happy you enjoyed the soup Rivka! Glad you got to sneak in some extra veggies for the kids. It’ll be our secret! 😉
I halfway constructed this to take on a camping trip. Bagged everything up in ziplocks leaving out the stock to add when I’m ready to cook. It’s going to be the perfect soup to enjoy around a fall campfire!
Fantastic! I replaced the thyme with a little cinnamon and allspice.
I halved the recipe, used a healthy dose of sriracha hot sauce, and puréed half. It was beautiful, healthy, and delicious! Thanks for a great recipe!
Sriracha makes everything better! 🙂
I am wondering if you think this could be made in a slow cooker?
Because I wanted to puree the soup, I used yellow squash instead of zucchini to keep the color reasonably bright.
It is tasty, although next time I will use a bit less peanut butter, as in this batch the peanut butter seems to be the dominant taste.
Hi! Wonder if this recipe would work with pumpkin cubes?
I love your name. My mother knew you well.
Cant wait to try this Tori.
It looks really interesting! I am new to your blog and really enjoying your posts. I live in Sacramento CA and am executive director of a breast cancer foundation. My hobby and passion is in the kitchen. Your blog is awesome. Hope to cross paths with you one day…. Cindy Love
Hi,
Sounds delicious! But: what sized can of tomatoes should be used, if I opt for this? Thanks!
– S.
Use one 14 oz. – 15 oz. can of tomatoes. Enjoy!
I substituted butternut squash for the potato. Mostly because I have ulcerative colitis and it is easier to digest, per the impossible SCD diet. Baked it separately to make sure it was fully cooked. Everyone thought it was potato lol. Was lucky to find heirloom tomatoes, yum! Didn’t love the peanut butter though, sorry. Other than that excellent soup thank you!
I have a ton of Tromboncino squash from the garden (similar to butternut) may try subbing it for some of the sweet potato) and wondering how it would freeze? probably best to freeze when pureed
Hi Carolann, honestly I’m not sure. I don’t often freeze soups. If it was just a vegetable soup I’d say go for it, but the peanut butter in this one makes it impossible for me to know how it will turn out. If you end up trying to freeze it, please report back and let us know how it worked for you!