As you may have noticed, I love me some sweet potatoes. Served with eggs for breakfast, in a salad for lunch, or as a side of fries for dinner, they are fantastic for any and every meal of the day. Even better, they are a pretty healthy option and low on the glycemic index, which is great for those of you that care about things like that.

A few months ago I started meal prepping for my work lunches. Each weekend I make a meal and portion into lunch-sized servings to eat throughout the week. I try to change it up each week with salads, quinoa bowls, spaghetti squash, etc, so I don’t get bored. It has helped a lot to have healthy meals ready to go and in correct portions for each day of the week, as well as given me the opportunity to try lots of new recipes that wouldn’t be particularly appealing to M.

One of the new recipes I’ve tried is this sweet potato soup. I made a few changes to the original, by substituting zucchini for celery and nixing the nutmeg in favor of chipotle. It’s light but filling, vegetarian (vegan if you want), and makes a great lunch for chilly days, especially when served with a side of roasted Brussels sprouts. This soup reheats perfectly and is nice and thick, which I personally think makes it feel more filling. I like mine extra thick but you can use 1 less potato or add a little extra stock/water to thin yours down if you prefer.

Smooth and creamy and with great sweet potato flavor, this soup has a slight kick from the cinnamon and chipotle that tones down its inherent sweetness. I have a pretty low spice tolerance, so feel free to up the spices if you want a more kapow flavor, but I recommend waiting till after it’s puréed to do so.

This soup is pretty simple and relatively quick, which makes it a pretty good weeknight dinner even without leftovers. Alternatively, it also works great in the slow cooker, so I have instructions for both methods below. Serve with a side of roasted broccoli or Brussels sprouts and a savory whole-grain bread to hit all the food groups and most of the rainbow.

PS – Isn’t this bowl so great? It has a handle and a water-tight vented lid which makes it a great to-go option and perfect for heating in the microwave. I got it in 6 different colors and I’m very excited to use them both for work lunches and for showcasing new recipes on here!

Sweet Potato Soup

Adapted from I Heart Naptime
Makes about 3 quarts (8-12 servings)

Ingredients

2 Tbsp unsalted butter or olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup diced zucchini (or celery)
3 cloves garlic, minced

3-4 medium-large sweet potatoes, washed and cubed  (about 10 cups)
4 cups vegetable stock

1 tsp ground cinnamon, to taste
1/2 tsp ground chipotle, to taste
pinch of salt

1/3 cup whipping cream, optional¹ 

Stove Top Directions

1. In a large pot over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add onions, zucchini (or celery), and garlic, and sauté about 5 minutes, or until onion is softened and translucent.
2. Increase heat to high and add sweet potatoes, vegetable stock, and spices. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered 20-30 minutes, or until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork.
3. Remove from heat and use an immersion blender (or any blender) to purée the soup completely.
4. Stir in the cream and have a quick taste. If desired, add extra spices now.
5. Either serve immediately or return to the stove to simmer until ready to eat. (If you added more spice, I recommend simmering for at least 10 minutes afterwards.)
6. Serve topped with a sprinkle of extra cinnamon or chipotle if desired.

Slow Cooker Directions

1. Add all ingredients except cream to a slow cooker (you can nix the butter/oil if you want.)
2. Cook on high 3-4 hours, or on low 6-8 hours, or until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork.
3. Use an immersion blender (or any blender) to purée the soup completely.
4. Stir in the cream and have a quick taste. If desired, add extra spices now.
5. Either serve immediately or return to slow cooker on “warm” until ready to eat. (If you added more spice, I recommend cooking for at least 10 minutes afterwards.)
6. Served topped with a sprinkle of extra cinnamon or chipotle if desired.

Notes

¹ Vegans can either leave this out, or substitute coconut cream (or milk), although it may give the soup a slight coconut flavor if you do so.