Name: Smoky Loaded Sweet Potato Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 6 thick slices bacon, diced; 1 large onion, diced; 2 carrots, peeled and diced; 2 stalks celery, diced; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces (2-3 potatoes); 1 teaspoon each ground cumin and smoked paprika; 6 cups low sodium chicken stock; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional); Toppings of choice: sour cream, cheddar cheese, minced chives, etc.

This Smoky Loaded Sweet Potato Soup with Bacon is easy to make, freezer-friendly, and can be piled high with any delicious toppings you choose!

Are you a potato person?

My dad loves baked potatoes. Growing up, my mom cooked him one (in the microwave) almost every night. I, on the other hand, could take them or leave them. I just find white potatoes kind of…bland and boring.

But sweet potatoes, now they are a whole different story.

I absolutely love them, which is a good thing, considering I have a 10-month-old baby who considers mashed sweet potatoes a major food group.

Our family has been a little under the weather this week, and since I had a bunch of sweet potatoes on hand, I decided to whip up this comforting, easy soup. The base is simple: just onions, carrots, and celery, plus chicken stock and sweet potatoes. For spices, I went with cumin and smoked paprika. I also added a dash of liquid smoke, which you can find by the barbecue sauce in most supermarkets. (But if you don’t have it, you can totally leave it out!)

Playing on the idea of a loaded baked potato, I piled this soup high with tangy sour cream, sharp cheddar cheese, minced chives, and crumbled bacon. But if those aren’t your jam, you could also add avocado, Greek yogurt, toasted unsweetened coconut, or might I suggest a sprinkle of chopped Salty Sweet Pumpkin Spice Nuts?

I love this recipe because it makes enough for dinner one night, plus a quart leftover for the freezer. Weeknight win!

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Smoky Loaded Sweet Potato Soup

Pile this Smoky Loaded Sweet Potato Soup high with whatever toppings you choose! I love bacon, sour cream, cheddar cheese, and chives.

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 8

Ingredients

6 thick slices bacon, diced
1 large onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces 2-3 potatoes
1 teaspoon each ground cumin and smoked paprika
6 cups low sodium chicken stock
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke optional
Toppings of choice: sour cream, cheddar cheese, minced chives, etc.

Instructions

In a Dutch oven or large, heavy pot, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until crispy, 5-6 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat.
Add the onion, carrots, and celery to the pot with the bacon fat and sautee until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sautee until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the sweet potatoes, cumin, and paprika. Pour in the chicken broth and season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 20 minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat and puree the soup with an immersion blender. (Alternatively, puree it in batches in a regular blender.) Stir in the liquid smoke, if using. Serve the soup garnished with the reserved bacon, plus your toppings of choice.