This delicious sweet potato and red pepper soup is bursting with vibrant colour and flavour. It's really easy to make in one pan (no roasting required!). And this healthy soup recipe is a great way to include more veggies in your diet. Enjoy it for a healthy lunch or light dinner.
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What you'll love about the recipe
- A tasty, hearty, healthy soup that's packed full of flavour and vibrant colour. This comforting soup is a great way to get kids and adults to eat more veggies
- An easy soup recipe, with no roasting required. Onions and peppers are lightly caramelized in a plan to add plenty of flavour, so there's no need to switch the oven on for this recipe. Your red pepper and sweet potato soup will be ready to eat in 40 minutes
- Gluten free, dairy free and vegan. This soup is also very low in saturated fat. But it's still tasty and naturally creamy in texture even without dairy
- Easy sweet potato and red pepper soup is rich in vitamins and minerals. It's especially high in vitamins A and C. With 4 different vegetables, it's also a nourishing source of healthy fibre which can benefit your digestion and keep you feeling full
Ingredients
There are just a few simple ingredients needed for this easy pepper and sweet potato soup recipe.
Sweet potatoes (sometimes known as yams in the US, or kumara in NZ). In the UK, sweet potatoes are generally orange fleshed, which helps to give this soup it's rich colour, but you could also use pale fleshed sweet potatoes.
If you've got leftover sweet potatoes, you could make slow cooker sweet potatoes, or try this vegetarian lasagne with sweet potatoes.
Red pepper. Just one pepper adds a fabulous rich flavour and colour to this easy vegan soup recipe. Red peppers are also known as red capsicum, sweet peppers or bell peppers. You could also use romano peppers which are sweet and not at all hot to make this sweet potato pepper soup. However, don't get confused with chilli peppers which are of course very hot!
Onion helps to balance the sweetness with a savoury flavour. You can use white or red onions for this sweet pepper soup. You could also use half a leek instead of the onion.
Carrot is optional, but works well with the other flavours.
Olive oil for frying - or use another cooking oil or butter.
Garlic, ground cumin and ground ginger all complement the flavour of sweet potato. You could also replace cumin and ginger with other spices such as cinnamon, ground cloves or allspice. Or use herbs such as rosemary and thyme instead if you prefer.
Stock - you can use either vegetable stock for a vegan soup or chicken stock for this recipe. I used a stock cube, but you could also use fresh or homemade stock. You can also make sweet potato and red pepper soup with coconut milk by replacing half of the stock in the recipe if you prefer.
Depending on the taste of your stock, you may need extra seasoning. Taste the soup first there may already be enough salt in the stock.
How to make easy sweet potato and red pepper soup
Heat a large pan over a medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Fry the spices, chopped bell pepper and onion for 10 minutes until softened and starting to brown. The caramelisation will add depth of flavour, but don't let it blacken as it will start to taste bitter.
Add the diced sweet potato, carrot and garlic and mix well.
Pour in the stock, cover the pan and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally to check the sweet potato isn't sticking on the pan. After 20 minutes the vegetables should be tender.
Blitz until smooth and creamy. I prefer to use a hand blender as I can puree the soup in the pan. That way there's less washing up, but you could also use a food processor if you prefer. Either way, take care not to splash yourself with hot soup! Taste and add extra seasoning if necessary.
Expert tips
If you want a spicy sweet potato and red pepper soup, add a little more ginger, or some chilli flakes or curry powder. You could also add a smoky twist by adding some smoked paprika.
Serving and storage
Serve this sweet potato and red pepper soup hot. You could add some gluten free cheese scones or flatbreads alongside. I like to add a few toasted seeds or try this roast chickpea recipe for extra texture and protein. Flaked almonds also make a nice addition. You could also add a swirl of yogurt.
If you want to serve this easy soup in a mug rather than a bowl, you might want thin it slightly with a splash of water or stock.
You can store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Sweet potato and red pepper soup also freezes well. You can make a double batch and freeze it in airtight containers for up to 3 months.
Frequently asked questions
No, you can easily make delicious sweet potato soup on the stovetop. Frying the onions and peppers first will add plenty of flavour. It's quicker and more energy efficient:)
There are 204 calories in this soup. It's relatively low calorie as it is low in fat, but it's also filling and nutrient dense. If you want a very low calorie slimming soup recipe, try this healthy courgette soup.
No, it's not necessary. Just give them a quick scrub, and leave them unpeeled. The peel is a source of fibre, and as some vitamins are stored just under the skin, they may be less nutritious if you peel them.
Other healthy soup recipes
You might also like this apple and celery soup recipe. Or browse the healthy soups collection for further inspiration.
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Recipe
Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup
Equipment
- Blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 500 g sweet potatoes scrubbed and diced
- 1 red pepper seeds removed, diced
- 1 carrot optional, scrubbed and diced
- 1 onion peeled and chopped
- 1 clove garlic peeled and very finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 600 ml vegetable or chicken stock
- seasoning if required
Instructions
- Heat a large pan over a medium high heat and add the olive oil. Add the chopped onion, red pepper and spices. Fry for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until starting to brown.
- Add the garlic, carrot and sweet potato and mix well.
- Pour in the stock and bring up to a boil. Simmer, covered for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally so that it doesn't stick on the bottom of the pan.
- Blend the soup until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Notes
- You can replace the cumin and ginger with other spices or herbs if you prefer. Cinnamon and allspice would both go well, or you could use herbs such as thyme, sage or rosemary.
- You could also add extra ginger or smoked paprika for some extra heat.
- Up to half of the stock can be replaced with coconut milk.
Nutrition
Please note nutritional information is for guidance only
Petra says
Lovely flavour, really tasty. Will definitely make again:)