It’s fall and it’s soup season. Right? Well, sort of.
It’s usually hotter in San Diego in September than it is all summer long and this September has been no exception. It’s been in the mid to high 80s in San Diego. Almost as hot here as it was in Aruba but I’m not complaining.
Perfect time to make soup then. I may as well sweat while I slurp.
This is the easiest soup you’ll ever make.
Three ingredients: 1 huge sweet potato, 1 red pepper, 1 can of coconut milk.
And they go from microwave to blender to bowl to mouth in 15 minutes flat.
I used to be intimidated by soup-making and for good reason. If you read some recipes, I’d need to use at least 17 vegetables, some of which are roasted, others that must be sauteed.
Long lists of herbs, spices, and pinches and dashes of this and that. I’d have to be rich to afford all the spices I’m supposed to incorporate into one recipe.
Then, it all must be placed in a stockpot so large that I’ll never own a pot that humongous because where does one store something like that when not in use the other 364 days a year?
Then I’d have to simmer the soup for a mere six hours, stirring frequently of course, virtually chaining me to the house for the day. But I bet that soup is worth it.
This soup is so worth it, but the opposite of complicated. Peel, dice, and steam the sweet potato in the microwave, which took 14 minutes in my microwave. You could boil the potatoes, or use previously baked sweet potatoes with flesh scooped out but I go for the quickest method, which is quickly steaming them in the micro.
Place the cooked sweet potato cubes, chunks of red pepper, and can of coconut milk in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy, which takes about one minute.
Thick, bisque-like, rich, creamy soup in 15 minutes with 3 ingredients and no hassle.
I didn’t even season it, which was a happy accident. I was midway through blending the mixture and I stopped the blender to taste it and I immediately thought, Oh, this needs salt.
If you buy commercially-prepared soup or read most soup recipes, they add or call for so much salt that I can feel myself blowing up with water retention just by reading the recipe. My body does not do well with excess sodium and I’m wary to salt food and think carefully before I do, but even I thought the soup would benefit from some salt.
But I got sidetracked while blending and tasting because Scott asked me a question and when I returned to the blender about five minutes later, I tasted the soup again and I loved it, as is.
My palate had adjusted and had keyed into the pure and simple flavors present: Sweet and candy-like steamed sweet potato, the slight heat from the red pepper, and the rich and creamy coconut milk.
Why would I want to mask that with a bunch of salt? So I didn’t.
For Scott’s portion, I sprinkled his bowl with a pinch of Kosher salt and a couple twists of freshly cracked black pepper and stirred them in before garnishing with a dollop of sour cream, and a tablespoon of finely diced red pepper.
He said it tastes like lobster bisque without the lobster. He also said Zucchini Banana Bread tasted like chocolate bread so I don’t always put a lot of stock in what he says, but in the case of this stock, err soup, he’s right. It’s thick, creamy, dense, and very bisque-like. If you like thick soups that have fullness and body, this is your soup. If you like thinner, brothy, or more watery soups, this is the opposite.
I especially love the coconut milk flavor that peeks through. It’s present but not in your face. If you’re not into coconut, that’s a shame. However, the coconut milk can be replaced with cream, cashew milk, or another milk. You can even use a one-half to one-cup Greek yogurt and a splash of water rather than using coconut milk. Use something thicker and with some density and fullness and save the thin and watery skim milk for something else.
Not only do I appreciate the ease of this recipe, but I appreciate the batch size. I like leftovers; I think most busy moms do, but I don’t want to eat the same soup for days and days, sort of like the never-ending Thanksgiving leftovers, and most soup recipes make so much that you’re eating it forever.
This recipe makes about one quart, four cups. When you’re ready to reheat it, pour it into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and heat for about one minute in the microwave before serving. Easy.
You can get creative and adapt the recipe by steaming some carrots or squash with the sweet potato or add some soaked cashews to the mixture for extra protein, richness, and creaminess.
Season it in a savory direction with anything from curry to garlic and onion powder, or go spicy by adding chili powder or cayenne pepper. Go sweeter or more fall-like with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, or pumpkin pie spice. There’s really no way to mess up a sweet potato.
I hope the weather stays in the 80s because I get the best of both worlds. Summertime temps and fall soup.
Pin This Recipe
Enjoy AverieCooks.com Without Ads! 🆕
Go Ad Free
Sweet Potato Red Pepper and Coconut Milk Soup
Ingredients
- 1 extra-large sweet potato, or 2 to 3 smaller sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1-inch cubes
- about 3/4 cup water
- 1 large red bell pepper, de-seeded and chopped into large pieces
- one 14-ounce can coconut milk, I used Trader Joe’s Light Coconut Milk
- optional seasonings – any included should be seasoned to taste : salt and pepper; red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, chili powder; cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg; garlic powder, onion powder, curry powder
- optional additional vegetables – while steaming the sweet potato, steam carrots, squash, zucchini, or other vegetables on hand
Instructions
- Place sweet potato cubes in a large microwave-safe bowl or baking dish, add 3/4 cup water or until the water comes up about 1-inch high in the base bowl (the cubes do not need to be fully submerged in water; water simply needs to be present to create steam), cover bowl with plastic wrap, and heat on high-power for 13 to 15 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are very fork-tender (microwave temperatures and strengths vary and so will cooking times). Transfer cooked potatoes to a high-speed blender or food processor, add the red pepper, coconut milk, and blend on high power until very smooth and creamy.
- Taste the soup and wait five minutes before seasoning it, and if desired season to taste (Note: I tasted the soup and thought it was bland and that it needed salt and pepper but did nothing and got sidetracked. After going back to it five minutes later, my palate had adjusted and I realized I preferred the pure flavors of potatoes, peppers, and coconut milk and added nothing; however, season to your taste preferences. Adding a pinch of salt and pepper to each individual’s bowl before serving works fine).
- Optionally, garnish with finely diced red peppers, a drizzle of coconut milk, coconut oil, coconut butter, or olive oil; fresh herbs, nuts or seeds, dollop of sour cream or yogurt; a dash of salt, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger. Store soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop. Soup will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator or can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
©averiecooks.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
Related Recipes
Roasted Carrot and Red Pepper Peanut Soup (vegan, GF)
“Spicy Doritos” Cheezy Dip (no-bake, vegan, GF) – Honoring my childhood love of Doritos (really the Doritos coating is what I adore) with this easy 30 second dip
Cheezy Kale Chips (vegan, GF) – Can be made in the oven or dehydrated; the coating before baking or dehydrating is a great dip, as a spread for crackers or bread, or as a salad dressing
Cinnamon Sugar & Ginger Roasted Potato Sticks (vegan, GF) – the sweeter side of potatoes
Roasted Sweet Potato Fries (vegan, GF)
Sweet Potato Graham Cracker “French Toast” Sticks – Don’t judge a book by it’s cover. They won’t win a beauty contest but they are delicious and they’re how you make potatoes taste like French toast sticks. That homily coating is ground up graham crackers, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
Do you like sweet potatoes? Do you make soup?
Feel free to link up your favorite recipes.
This recipe couldn’t be more perfect! I love it!! I have to make this for lunches next week!!
keep me posted if you try it!
Love the spoons, love this soup. I have 4 sweet potatoes on the counter that were going to become donuts but I think dinner tomorrow is calling them to become this soup instead. Thanks as always for the inspiration! I have to try it with Nut Milk creamer instead of the coconut or my husband wont go near it. I’ll let you know if it works out. :)
I think donuts would trump the soup :) But LMK if you try it!
Okay, I made this today and it “will be served at Thanksgiving for family and friends”! Love it. I guess since I’ve eaten Sweet Potatoes with a little butter and salt and pepper all my life, I really didn’t know what this soup would be like. It is fantastic! I added a little green onion (from my home grown green onion experiment) and some salt and pepper. I also used Soy Milk Creamer for the liquid instead of coconut milk. I made a double batch and will love grabbing this one from the freezer on the first chilly night this fall to serve. The red pepper adds the best earthy spice to the mild sweet potato. A keeper!!!
BTW- Here’s the recipe for the Sweet Potato Donuts that I was going to make until I saw your soup!
https://singaporeshiok.blogspot.sg/2012/07/baked-kueh-keria-sweet-potato-doughnuts.html#.UEkMd7KPXFo. I’m sure you and Sylar are busy busy today but check it out when you catch your breath. :)
They look fabulous – straightforward and easy!
The fact that you made it and loved it so much that you’ll be serving it for Thanksgiving for family and friends is awesome! Thanks for blogging about it too and linking back – I appreciate it! :)
Hey Averie. Your soup looks wonderful and such a breeze to throw together. Love that!
I use to be intimated by soups as well until I started actually making them, and then realized how easy they truly are. They are one of my favorite things to make and have for lunch. I just made an heirloom tomato soup from my favorite restaurant, and I can’t get enough of it. It tastes so creamy but there is no cream and it’s vegan. You would totally love it.
I can’t wait to make your chocolate gnache cake. It keeps haunting me. I’m just waiting for a week where I don’t have to bake cookies for some school or sporting event. I will let you know when I make it and how it turns out.
xo,
Jackie
Yes can’t wait to hear what you think compared to beaty’s/ina’s – I took the best of about 3 recipes and rolled them into one, or that’s what I think at least :)
I’ve been using more coconut milk lately so this is my kind of soup! I especially love any quick recipe that can be easily made in the vita mix. Your presentation and photos are beautiful–I can’t wait to make this!
Can’t wait for the report back!
That’s a great looking soup!
Wow! What a recipe! I love the flavors in this.
Anything with coconut milk is okay by me! :)
This is gorgeous Averie! Clean, simple, and full of flavor! I can’t wait to try it :)
and thanks for the pin!
Averie… beautiful recipe, beautiful breautiful photos, and beautiful plateware! I am jealous. I want those bowls! Even though the recipe is simple, I can tell you spent time on the elegant pictures and well-crafted (and detailed!) post. Sometimes I truly feel like I am eating a spoonfull of salt when I slurp up some soups… even soups I eat out at restaurants. I try to buy the low sodium kinds – TJs has a great b-nut squash low sodium soup. I’ve never thought to use sweet potatoes instead of the butternut squash though! Simply LOVELY. And I like you description of it as “candy” b/c sweet taters are truly one of nature’s sweet candies!! I love them.
Oh, and I’ve NEVER had or baked/cooked with coconut milk before! eeeek! Must get on that bandwagon. :)
You’ve never baked with coconut milk??!! And you love all things coconut! Change that, Missy :)
And thanks for all the compliments. The recipe took two seconds, the photography…a little longer :) And the edits. Bright, intense, vibrant food, NATURAL food can almost be TOO bright for the camera. Had to really work to not shock the eye but still convey that yes, it really was that bright! The bowls are Anthro, the spoons and ladle are a vintage find locally.
Soup at restaurants is a nightmare for me. I won’t even order it anymore b/c I’m so sensitive to sodium that it literally takes me 5-7 days to regulate and process all that salt! I have that TJs b-nut soup in my pantry…for like…a year+ I am scared to try it for fear of the salt situation, even tho it’s lo-salt. Lol
I want to try it and see if it tastes like lobster bisque–that would be awesome!
Well it’s bisque-like, without the lobster. Same thickness, consistency, and feel – but maybe comparing it to a tomato bisque would be more appropriate? It’s delish, regardless!
This looks SO filling and tasty! It’s so thick it’s almost like a puree….yummy.
yes totally! It’s actually got the makings for a great dip, or adding soaked cashews and using it as a coating for kale chips, there are just sooooo many ways to go with it :)
Absolutely GORGEOUS photos!!!! I wish it was fall weather here, its’ WAY too hot. I’ll still eat soup though haha!
I’ve sadly never had lobster bisque before–shellfish allergies be darned–but I do love a creamy sweet potato soup! As for variations, I love the idea of adding cashews and cinnamon. Have you tried this with chopped apples and lentils? If not, you definitely should! I make it that way and serve it with a huge dollop of Greek yogurt, and it’s a one-way ticket to food heaven. Thanks so much for sharing this!
havent tried it that way and sadly, I became randomly allergic to shellfish about 10 yrs ago out of the blue; shrimp highly, and lobster and crab are very iffy and the couple times Ive eaten them in the 10 yrs since, I’ve had itchy reactions and feel very out of balance so really have written off shellfish for life too :(
Is this real life? 3 ingredients and it’s paleo?! Loving you for this right now :)
Also, those bowls are tormenting me. I spent 30 minutes in Anthro this past weekend coveting them and somehow (stupidly) walked out without them. Grrrr.
funny, you think in terms of ‘is the recipe paleo’ and that’s not one I do but i think in terms of ‘is it vegan and gf’ – not that I am either of those things now, but spent years that way, so my mind automatically goes there.
and the bowls – honestly, I have NEVER been disappointed with any of Anthro’s solid colored serving pieces for photos. I use them ALL. I have some plates that are funky with lots of graphics and colors and I dont get much use from those but the solids, you will LOVE.
I also love this piece and just used it again in photos yesterday. I think I need to retire it!
https://www.loveveggiesandyoga.com/2012/06/orange-ginger-tempeh-and-brown-rice-salad-with-orange-balsamic-vinaigrette.html
that’s the one I did buy! Did you see it in my balls post today?! haha! too funny. I see it having a very bright future in my food photography :)
wow, Averie, that looks amazing!!