When you move from spiced sweet potato soup to spicy, you have a dish that’ll warm you up no matter how cold it gets outside. The heat here comes from chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, and with it comes more than a hint of smokiness that pairs perfectly with the sweetness of the soup. Garlic and ground cumin add an earthiness that balances things out.
🌶️ Quick recipe snapshot
| Flavor profile | Sweet, smoky and earthy, with a steady chipotle heat under the sweet potato. |
| Primary heat source | Three chipotle peppers in adobo, plus two tablespoons of the sauce. |
| Heat level | Medium. Chipotles run 2,500 to 8,000 SHU, and the sweetness of the soup takes some of the edge off. |
| Texture | Thick, smooth and velvety once it’s blended. |
| Best uses | A cold-weather lunch or dinner, with crusty bread or a grilled cheese. |
| Customization ideas | Fewer chipotles for less heat, vegetable stock to make it vegetarian, coconut milk for a creamier bowl. |
| Before you start | About 45 minutes, most of it simmering. You’ll need a blender or an immersion blender. |
Flavor notes
The heat comes from three chipotles in adobo, plus two tablespoons of the sauce from the can. Chipotles are smoked, dried jalapeños and run 2,500 to 8,000 SHU, and the adobo sauce carries its own share of heat along with the tomato and vinegar it’s made with. So if you’re heat-shy, add the sauce a tablespoon at a time and taste as you go.
Sweet potato is naturally sweet, and that sweetness plays well against smoky chipotle. It also takes some of the edge off the heat, so three chipotles come across as a warm, steady burn in a full pot of soup.
Cumin and garlic bring the earthy, savory side, which keeps the soup from tipping over into sweet.
Blending gives you a velvety texture with no cream in the pot. If you use a countertop blender, work in batches, fill it no more than halfway, and take the center cap out of the lid with a towel held over the top so the steam can escape. An immersion blender right in the pot skips all of that.
And taste for salt at the very end. Store-bought chicken stock varies a lot in sodium, so how much you need depends on the carton you used.
Adaptation ideas
Most of these change the heat or make it vegetarian.
- Want it milder? Use one or two chipotles and skip the extra adobo sauce.
- Want it hotter? Add a fourth chipotle, or another tablespoon of the adobo.
- Vegetarian or vegan? Use vegetable stock, and swap the cream garnish for a swirl of coconut milk.
- Want it creamier? Stir half a cup of coconut milk or heavy cream into the blended soup.
- Roasting the sweet potatoes first? Roast the chopped sweet potato at 400°F for about 30 minutes until tender and browned at the edges, then simmer it in the stock for just 10 minutes before blending.
- Want it brighter? Squeeze in a little lime juice right before serving.
Serving ideas
It’s a full bowl on its own, but it’s better with something on the side.
- With crusty bread. For dunking.
- With a grilled cheese. Sharp cheddar goes well with the smoke.
- Topped with toasted pepitas. They add crunch to a smooth soup.
- With a swirl of cream and some cilantro. The classic finish, and it cools the heat a little.
Storage notes
Let it cool, then keep it covered in the fridge for up to four days. It thickens as it chills, so thin it with a splash of stock or water when you reheat it.
It freezes well for up to three months. If you’re adding cream, wait until after it’s thawed and reheated.
Like this recipe? You’ll love these too:
- Spicy Butternut Squash Soup: Another smooth, blended fall soup, this time with jalapeño heat.
- Thai Pumpkin Soup: Pumpkin, coconut milk and red curry paste.
- Chipotle Sweet Potato Fries: The same sweet potato and chipotle pairing, as oven fries.
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Spicy Sweet Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 2 large sweet potatoes chopped
- 3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce minced + 2 tablespoons sauce
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Cilantro or thyme sprig – optional, for garnish
- Cream optional, for garnish
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat, then add the onion and garlic. Sauté until the onion is translucent.
- Add in the chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, cumin, and sweet potato. Stir until fragrant (10 to 15 seconds).
- Add the chicken stock and bring it to a boil. Then cover, lower the heat and let the soup simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, until the sweet potato is soft.
- Purée the soup until smooth with a hand blender right in the pot, or in a countertop blender in batches, filling it no more than halfway and venting the lid so steam can escape.
- Add salt and pepper to taste and garnish with cilantro or cream.
