Roasted Sweet Potato Soup: A Velvety Vegan Bowl of Carrots and Coconut Milk

Roasted Sweet Potato Soup

This roasted sweet potato soup is a thick, creamy vegan bowl built from sweet potatoes, carrots, red bell peppers, onions and a whole head of roasted garlic.

Everything goes into one roasting dish, so there is no separate sauteing step and very little to wash up. A splash of oat cooking cream softens the finish without covering the vegetable flavor.

Serve it with bread for lunch, or make a batch ahead and loosen it with a little extra broth when you reheat. This version follows the original roasted sweet potato soup recipe from the Dr. Vegan blog.

Why It Works

Three things make this soup dependable.

• One roasting dish. Sweet potatoes, carrots, peppers, onion and garlic roast together, so the flavor builds in the oven instead of on the stove.
• Creaminess from the vegetables. The sweet potato gives most of the body, and the oat cream adds a softer, rounder finish.
• Adjustable thickness. Keep it thick for dipping bread, or add more broth for a lighter bowl.

Because the vegetables roast rather than boil, their natural sweetness concentrates, and the garlic turns mild and soft enough to blend straight into the soup.

How To Make It

The method is short: roast the vegetables, remove the garlic skins and pepper cores, blend with broth, then finish with cream. The roasting happens in two stages, first covered so the large pieces soften, then uncovered so the edges brown.

Once the vegetables are cool enough to handle, squeeze the soft garlic from its skins and pull out the pepper stems, cores and seeds. Blend everything with the vegetable stock, stir in the cream, and loosen with more stock until the soup suits you. Full quantities and timings are in the recipe card below.

this …

Tips for a Smooth Soup

A velvety texture comes down to two things: how well the roots are cooked, and how patiently you add liquid.

• Test the thickest pieces. Slide a knife into the largest sweet potato and carrot chunks. It should pass through with no resistance. Firm centers blend into graininess, no matter how long you run the blender.
• Roast covered first, then uncovered. The foil traps steam so big pieces soften all the way through. Removing it for the last stretch lets moisture escape and the edges color.
• Use all the soft garlic. Squeeze every clove out of its papery skin, but discard any piece that is hard or badly burned.
• Add broth gradually. Start with the 2 cups in the recipe, add the cream, then thin a little at a time. The soup thickens as it cools, so a consistency that looks right off the heat can turn stiff by serving time.
• Taste and adjust. Salt and black pepper do a lot of work here, so season, taste, and season again before you ladle.

Swaps and Variations

The recipe is forgiving, and a few small changes shift the character of the bowl.

• Coconut milk instead of oat cream. Canned coconut milk gives a richer finish and a gentle coconut note. It pairs well with the sweet potato and carrot, and it is a good option if oat cooking cream is hard to find.
• Thyme instead of parsley. Strip the leaves from the woody stems and scatter them over the top for a more savory edge.
• Chili flakes at the end. Add them at the table rather than in the pot, so each person can set their own heat level.
• Something crunchy. Toasted pumpkin seeds or croutons give contrast against the smooth soup.

If you like this coconut milk direction, the roasted butternut squash soup with coconut milk is a natural next batch to try.

How To Serve It

Toasted sourdough is the simplest partner, and a vegan grilled cheese sandwich turns the bowl into a full meal. Slices of baked vegetable flatbread work well too.

If you want contrast, serve a crisp green salad with a sharp dressing to balance the natural sweetness of the roots. For a soup night with two bowls on the table, the creamy roasted pumpkin and tomato soup makes a good companion.

Keep the topping simple: fresh parsley, red chili flakes, and a swirl of extra cream if you like.

Storage and Reheating

Divide leftovers into shallow containers and refrigerate them within two hours. A wide, shallow container cools the soup faster than a deep tub, which matters when you are chilling a big batch.

• Fridge: keep covered for up to 3 to 4 days.
• Freezer: freeze in portions for up to 3 months.
• Thaw: overnight in the fridge.
• Reheat: warm thoroughly, stirring often, and add broth as needed because the soup thickens as it sits.
• Garnish last: add fresh parsley and chili flakes after reheating, not before.

Ingredients US Customary Metric

This makes 5 servings as a main course.

• 17.6 oz sweet potatoes, peeled and halved lengthwise, with very thick pieces quartered
• 10.6 oz carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
• 2 red bell peppers, left whole, with stems, cores and seeds removed after roasting
• 1 or 2 onions, peeled and halved
• 1 garlic bulb, top sliced off to expose the cloves
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cups vegetable stock, plus more as needed
• 3.4 fl oz plain unsweetened oat cooking cream or canned coconut milk, plus extra to serve
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• Fresh parsley and red chili flakes, to garnish

You will also want a large roasting tin, aluminum foil, an immersion blender, a large saucepan, and a cutting board with a knife.

Method

1. Prepare the vegetables. Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C), or 400°F (200°C fan). Put the prepared sweet potatoes, carrots, whole peppers, onions and garlic into a large roasting dish. If everything is piled up, spread the vegetables across a second dish so they roast rather than steam. Drizzle with all 3 tbsp of the olive oil, making sure the exposed garlic cloves get some, then season with salt and pepper.
2. Roast. Cover the dish with foil and roast for 30 minutes. Take the foil off carefully and roast for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the thickest sweet potato and carrot pieces are completely tender and the edges have some color. Larger pieces may need longer. Pull out any vegetables that are ready earlier, and loosely shield the garlic with foil if it browns before it softens.
3. Remove skins and cores. Let the vegetables cool for about 5 minutes, or until they are safe to handle. Squeeze the soft garlic cloves out of their skins. Open the peppers and discard the stems, cores and seeds, peeling off any skin that is heavily blackened.
4. Blend. Move the vegetables, the squeezed garlic and any unburned roasting juices into a large saucepan. Add the 2 cups of vegetable stock and blend with an immersion blender until smooth, keeping the head below the surface so the hot soup does not splash.
5. Finish. Stir in the oat cooking cream. Add more stock, a little at a time, until the soup reaches the thickness you want. Warm over low to medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring now and then, until it is hot throughout. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper.
6. Serve. Ladle into bowls and finish with fresh parsley, red chili flakes and a little extra cream if you like.

Notes

Roasting time shifts with the size of your vegetables, so always check the thickest root pieces with a knife before blending. If you use a countertop blender instead of an immersion blender, work in batches and follow the manufacturer guidance for filling and venting hot liquids. A sealed personal blender should not be used for hot soup.

Chill leftovers promptly, within two hours, in shallow covered containers. They keep for 3 to 4 days in the fridge or up to 3 months frozen. Thaw frozen portions overnight in the fridge, then reheat until thoroughly hot, stirring often and adding extra stock if the soup is thicker than you like. Add fresh garnishes only after reheating.

The soup is naturally gluten free, but check the labels on your vegetable stock and oat cream if that matters to you.

Recipe details

Preparation takes 20 minutes and cooking takes 55 minutes, with about 5 minutes of cooling before you handle the vegetables. That works out to 1 hour 20 minutes in total, and the recipe makes 5 servings as a main course.

FAQs

Roasted Sweet Potato Soup

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Roasted Sweet Potato Soup This roasted sweet potato soup is a thick, creamy vegan bowl built from sweet potatoes, carrots, red bell peppers, onions and a whole head of roasted garlic. Everything goes into one roasting dish, so there is no separate sauteing step and very little to wash up.

• Total Time: 80 min
• Yield: 5 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients
17.6 oz sweet potatoes, peeled and halved lengthwise; quarter very thick pieces
10.6 oz carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
2 red bell peppers, whole; remove stems, cores and seeds after roasting
1–2 onions, peeled and halved
1 garlic bulb, top sliced off to expose the cloves
3 tbsp olive oil
2 cups vegetable stock
3.4 fl oz plain unsweetened oat cooking cream or canned coconut milk
salt and black pepper, to taste
fresh parsley and red chili flakes, to garnish

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Method
1-Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C), or: Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C), or 400°F (200°C fan). Place the prepared sweet potatoes, carrots, whole peppers, onions and garlic in a large roasting dish. Use a second dish if the vegetables are piled up. Drizzle with all the olive oil, including the exposed garlic cloves, and season with salt and pepper.
2-Cover the dish with foil and roast: Cover the dish with foil and roast for 30 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and roast for another 15-20 minutes, until the thickest sweet potato and carrot pieces are completely tender and the edges have some color. Larger pieces may need longer. Remove any vegetables that are ready earlier; loosely shield the garlic if it browns before softening.
3-Let the vegetables cool for about 5: Let the vegetables cool for about 5 minutes, or until safe to handle. Squeeze the soft garlic cloves out of their skins. Open the peppers and discard the stems, cores and seeds; peel off any heavily blackened skin.
4-Transfer the vegetables, squeezed garlic and any: Transfer the vegetables, squeezed garlic and any unburned roasting juices to a large saucepan. Add the vegetable stock and blend with an immersion blender until smooth, keeping the head submerged to avoid splashes.
5-Stir in the oat cooking cream: Stir in the oat cooking cream. Add more stock, a little at a time, until the soup reaches your preferred thickness. Warm over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring, until hot throughout. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper.
6-Ladle into bowls and finish with parsley,: Ladle into bowls and finish with parsley, chili flakes and a little extra cream if you like.

Last Step:

Please leave a rating and comment letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business to thrive and continue providing free, high-quality recipes for you.

Notes

Additional time: follow the resting and cooling steps (5 min).

• Prep Time: 20 min
• Cook Time: 55 min
• Method: blend