Sweet Potato, Chilli, and Ginger soup is an awesome combination of flavours that takes a basic sweet potato soup and adds some kick and zest. It's simple to make, uses just a few ingredients, and is ready in 30 minutes.
Sweet potatoes are a great base for soups as they give a nice thickness and creaminess. Try my Sweet Potato and Red Pepper soup for another hearty soup that needs minimal prep time. For more soup recipes with a hint of sweetness, a Roasted Red Pepper and Lentil Soup is hearty and filling, or try my Carrot and Courgette (Zucchini) soup with a hint of curry powder to balance the sweetness.
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Ingredients
- Sweet Potatoes - Sweet potatoes are at their best in Autumn (Fall) and early winter. The most common coloured flesh is orange, but you can also buy ones with red or yellow flesh. Look for potatoes with smooth skin without bruising, spots, or signs of sprouting. Sometimes, you will see something similar labeled as Yams. Yams are more starchy and dry and won't make as good a soup as sweet potatoes.
- Chilli - use a mild red or green chilli. The ones sold in supermarkets are generally Serrano chillis. They are milder than Habanero or Birdseye Chillis.
- Ginger - fresh ginger about the size of your thumb. If you need to buy more, you can peel it, freeze it then grate it from frozen the next time you need it to avoid food waste.
- Onion - use a brown or yellow onion.
- Lime - choose one with a firm skin. You will need the zest and the juice.
- Vegetable Stock - I use a vegetable stock cube that dissolves in boiling water.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
This Sweet Potato soup comes together easily so I find it best to prepare the vegetables first.
Heat the oil in a deep pan or stove-top casserole dish (dutch oven) and fry the onion over a medium heat for 3 - 4 minutes.
Add the garlic, diced chilli, and ginger and fry for 1 minute.
Add the Sweet Potato and vegetable stock and simmer for 15 minutes until the sweet potato is soft.
Blend the soup, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and stir through the lime juice. Serve with fresh coriander (cilantro) and the lime zest on the top.
Hint: An electric immersion blender is easy to use as you can blend the soup in the pan. Be very careful when blending hot liquids and always keep the blades in the liquid when switched on.
If you want a thinner consistency, add some more stock or broth, or water.
Variations
This is an easy recipe to vary if you need to turn the spiciness up or down.
- Spicy - if you like a lot of spice, use more chilli peppers or a different hotter variety.
- Gluten Free - this recipe is suitable for a gluten-free diet but be aware that if you are using a bouillon powder in place of vegetable stock, not all varieties are gluten-free.
- Kid-friendly - this is not an overly spicy soup, but if you need to tone down the spiciness, stir through some creme fraiche or cream.
- Thai Sweet Potato and Chilli Soup - for a Thai style flavour, stir through some coconut milk to this soup. It goes well with the chilli, ginger and lime flavourings.
Equipment
You will need :-
- A large stove top casserole dish, Dutch Oven, or deep pan. A ceramic stove top dish is best as your soup won't burn or stick to the bottom.
- A measuring jug for the stock
- A grater or zester for the lime
- A juicer for the lime. If you don't have a juicer, cut the lime in half and use a fork to help squeeze out the juice.
Serving Suggestion
Sweet potato and chilli soup can be served with crusty bread. For a quick homemade bread that takes just 10 minutes, try this easy 3 ingredient Flatbread recipe. For something a bit more exciting that is guaranteed to impress, try these Cheesy Bites.
Toppings Ideas
I love to serve soup with some toppings. It makes it look more appetizing and is a great way to enhance the flavour. A Chili and Sweet Potato soup is delicious served with the grated zest from the lime and some freshly chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves. For some more spice, add some crushed chilli flakes. A splash of cream or creme fraiche looks lovely and helps tone down the spiciness. Pumpkin seeds or pistachio nuts are another great topping for soup or use up some stale bread and make some croutons.
Pairing
Looking for something to serve with Sweet Potato soup? Try these easy sides.
Sustainability
Where possible, buy your vegetables loose to avoid the single-use plastic packaging. Soups are a great way to use up vegetables that are past their best and avoid food waste. Cooking soup in a batch helps save on energy costs. If you have some chillis left over, try adding them to a curry such as this Thai Vegetable Curry or Keralan Fish Curry.
Storage
Sweet potato and chilli soup will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days.
It also freezes well. The recommended freezing time for vegetable soups to maintain the best quality is 4 - 6 months. It will still be safe to eat after this time, but the quality may start to deteriorate. Store soup in an airtight container. Soup is best defrosted in the fridge overnight.
Top tip
Make sure the sweet potatoes are fork-tender before blending as otherwise you won't get a nice creamy texture. If you are using a closed-lid blender, be careful not to overfill it and let the steam escape.
Related
Looking for other soup or sweet potato recipes? Try these:
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📖 Recipe
Sweet Potato, Chilli and Ginger Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion brown or red, peeled
- 2 cloves garlic peeled
- 1 mild red chilli deseeded and diced
- 30 g Fresh ginger peeled and grated
- 500 ml vegetable stock
- 600 g Sweet Potatoes peeled and diced into 2cm/1 inch cubes
- 1 dash salt
- 1 dash freshly ground black pepper fairtrade available
- 1 Lime zest and juice
- 10 g Fresh Coriander /Cilantro chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a deep pan or stove top casserole dish (dutch oven) and fry the onion over a medium heat for 3 - 4 minutes.2 tablespoon olive oil, 1 onion
- Add the garlic, diced chilli and ginger and fry for 1 minute.2 cloves garlic, 1 mild red chilli, 30 g Fresh ginger
- Add the Sweet Potato and vegetable stock and simmer for 15 minutes until the sweet potato is soft.600 g Sweet Potatoes, 500 ml vegetable stock
- Blend the soup, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and stir through the lime juice. Serve with fresh coriander (cilantro) and the lime zest on the top.1 dash salt, 1 dash freshly ground black pepper, 1 Lime, 10 g Fresh Coriander /Cilantro
Notes
Ingredient Notes
- Sweet Potatoes - Sweet potatoes are at their best in Autumn (Fall) and early winter. The most common coloured flesh is orange, but you can also buy ones with red or yellow flesh. Look for potatoes with smooth skin without bruising, spots, or signs of sprouting. Sometimes, you will see something similar labelled as Yams. Yams are more startchy and dry and won't make as good a soup as sweet potatoes.
- Chilli - use a mild red or green chilli. The ones sold in supermarkets are generally Serrano chillis. They are milder than Habanero or Birdseye Chillis.
- Ginger - fresh ginger about the size of your thumb. If you need to buy more, you can peel it, freeze it then grate from frozen the next time you need it to avoid food waste.
- Onion - use a brown or yellow onion
- Lime - choose one with a firm skin. You will need the zest and the juice.
- Vegetable Stock - I use a vegetable stock cube that dissolves in boiling water.
Storage
Fresh soup will keep well in the fridge for 2 - 3 days. The recommended freezing time for vegetable soups to maintain the best quality is 4 - 6 months. It will still be safe to eat after this time, but the quality may start to deteriorate. Store soup in an airtight container.Nutrition per serving
The Nutritional Values are computer generated estimates based on industry standards and are provided as a helpful guide only.
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