This Instant Pot Sweet Potato Carrot Soup recipe is creamy, full of flavor, and super easy to make in the pressure cooker - naturally gluten-free and vegan.
There's nothing quite like a warm bowl of soup to make you feel cozy inside as the weather begins to chill off in the autumn. They're a fantastic way to eat seasonal foods like sweet potatoes, butternut squash, pumpkin, and more.
I love making soups for dinner, and recently, after posting a recipe for roasted sweet potatoes, I was inspired to create and share this comforting sweet potato soup recipe. It has quickly become one of my favorites, alongside classics like tomato soup, broccoli spinach soup, butternut squash soup, and carrot ginger soup.
Since this sweet potato soup is made in the Instant Pot, it’s even easier and quicker to prepare for those busy fall days. This dish is also vegan and gluten-free.
Jump to:
Ingredients
- Sweet Potatoes: Use orange-red skinned sweet potatoes (.aka Garnet) as they are sweeter and creamier. Removing the skin is best, so the soup stays silky smooth.
- Carrots: They add a sweet flavor and creamy texture to the soup.
- Onions, Ginger, and Garlic: These form the base of the soup, essentially the aromatics, as they add a ton of flavor and nutrients. Use freshly minced ginger and garlic for a burst of flavor.
- Broth: Use low-sodium vegetable broth to add the best flavor to the soup. However, you can even use water if that's what you have.
- Spices: ground cumin, red chili powder (or paprika), salt, and pepper.
- Coconut milk: I like to use full-fat coconut milk as it gives an extra creamy texture, but you can also use light coconut milk. For non-vegan versions, use regular heavy cream.
How to Make Sweet Potato Soup in Instant Pot
Press SAUTE on Instant Pot. Heat 2 tablespoons oil, add 1 medium yellow onion (chopped) and 2 large carrots. Saute till the onions are soft and translucent.
Then add ½ inch ginger (minced), 3 garlic cloves (minced), and cook for a minute or until it’s fragrant.
Switch off the SAUTE setting. Add 4 medium sweet potatoes (diced into 1-inch pieces), 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon red chili powder, salt, pepper, and 4 cups vegetable broth to an Instant Pot pressure cooker. Mix everything well.
Close the lid securely, and turn the vent to "SEALING". Select the PRESSURE COOK/MANUAL (High Pressure) setting and set the cooking time to 10 minutes.
When the instant pot beeps, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then release any remaining pressure before removing the lid.
Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. ( Or transfer the mixture to a traditional blender in batches and puree until smooth). Adjust seasoning.
Stir in 1 cup of full-fat coconut milk. Adjust the seasonings at this stage.
Serve warm, and garnish if desired.
What to Serve with Creamy Sweet Potato Soup
This sweet potato carrot soup is great on its own, or you can pair it with a side of bread and a fresh avocado cucumber salad.
I have garnished it with some coconut cream, cilantro, and slivered almonds. Here are a few suggestions for toppings.
- Cheese
- Croutons
- Toasted pumpkin seeds
- Roasted peanuts
- Roasted chickpeas
- Red chili flakes
- Greek yogurt
Tips to make the Best Sweet Potato Soup
- Choose the right sweet potatoes: Use a sweet potato with orange-red skin and orange flesh, they are sweeter.
- Roast the sweet potatoes: Roasting the sweet potatoes before adding them to the soup will enhance their natural sweetness.
- Smooth Soup: Remove the skin of the sweet potatoes to get a creamy, smooth, and velvety soup.
- Cut into equal-sized cubes: Cut the sweet potatoes into small chunks (about 1 inch) as it helps for even cooking and is easier to blend.
- Garnish with toppings: Add some crunchy nuts, seeds, and croutons as a topping to elevate the taste of the soup.
Variations
- Other Vegetables: You can in other nutritious veggies like celery, zucchini, bell pepper, squash, or pumpkin.
- Curry sweet potato soup: You can make Thai-style sweet potato carrot soup by adding 1-2 tablespoons of Thai Red Curry Paste.
Make Ahead & Storage
- Make-Ahead: This soup is a great make-ahead meal. Let the soup cool down to room temperature, and then store it in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days until you are ready to serve.
- Refrigerator: Store the leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an air-tight container.
- Freezer: This soup freezes well. Let the soup cool completely, then transfer it to a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: You can reheat it on the microwave or stovetop on low heat until warm through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, sweet potato soup is healthy! It’s loaded with great sources of fiber, vitamins, minerals, beta-carotene, and healthy carbs.
Yes! This creamy sweet potato soup is vegan and also gluten-free.
The answer is no, yams and sweet potatoes are totally different vegetables. However, in the United States, sweet potatoes are labeled as yams in grocery stores.
Red-skinned sweet potatoes work best as they taste sweeter and creamier. I do not recommend using any other variety for this recipe as they don't taste the same.
You dont need to thicken sweet potato soup as it gets thick on its own from the starch in the sweet potatoes.
If you like sweet potatoes, then check out more Sweet Potato Recipes
Instant Pot Sweet Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ inch ginger minced
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 2 large carrot chopped, (about ½ pound)
- 4 medium sweet potatoes cut into 1 inch pieces, (about 1.5 pounds)
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup full fat coconut milk
Spices
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- salt & pepper to taste
Garnish
- coconut cream
- cilantro
- roasted slivered almonds
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions
- Press SAUTE on Instant Pot. Heat oil, add onion and carrot. Saute till the onions are soft and translucent.
- Then add the minced ginger, garlic, and cook for a minute or until it’s fragrant.
- Switch off the SAUTE setting. Add sweet potatoes, ground cumin, red chili powder, salt, pepper, and vegetable broth to an Instant Pot pressure cooker. Mix everything well.
- Close the lid securely, and turn the vent to "SEALING". Select the PRESSURE COOK/MANUAL (High Pressure) setting and set the cooking time to 10 minutes.
- When the instant pot beeps, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then release any remaining pressure before removing the lid.
- Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. ( Or transfer the mixture to a traditional blender in batches and puree until smooth). Adjust seasoning.
- Stir in the coconut milk. Adjust the seasonings at this stage.
- Serve warm, garnish if desired.
Notes
Tips to make the Best Sweet Potato Soup
- Choose the right sweet potatoes: Use a sweet potato with orange-red skin and orange flesh, they are sweeter.
- Roast the sweet potatoes: Roasting the sweet potatoes before adding them to the soup will enhance their natural sweetness.
- Smooth Soup: Remove the skin of the sweet potatoes to get a creamy, smooth, and velvety soup.
- Cut into equal-sized cubes: Cut the sweet potatoes into small chunks (about 1 inch) as it helps for even cooking and is easier to blend.
- Garnish with toppings: Add some crunchy nuts, seeds, and croutons as a topping to elevate the taste of the soup.
Variations
- Other Vegetables: You can in other nutritious veggies like celery, zucchini, bell pepper, squash, or pumpkin.
- Curry sweet potato soup: You can make Thai-style sweet potato carrot soup by adding 1-2 tablespoons of Thai Red Curry Paste.
Nutrition
★ Like this recipe? FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Youtube for more quick & easy recipes.
Barbara
Beautiful winter warmer thank you!
Bhavana Patil
Thank you Barbara. I am glad you liked it.
WendyB
Made this tonight and it was absolutely delicious! Next time I would try the Thai version, we do like Thai food, but you can’t go wrong with the recipe “as is”! Thank you for sharing such a great recipe!
Bhavana Patil
Awsome, I am so glad you liked it Wendy.
MJ
Hi! This sounds yummy. Can I double the recipe?
Bhavana Patil
Yes, you can double the recipe, the cooking time will remain the same.
MJ
It was delicious! I added celery, zucchini, and bell peppers. Will try the broccoli cheddar one next. Thank you!