Chicken and Sweet Potato Soup

Chicken Sweet Potato Soup takes classic comfort food to a new level with the addition of hearty sweet potatoes and turmeric. This cold-fighting soup is easy to make, freezer-friendly, and a hit with the whole family. 

Last week, it seemed like everyone we knew had colds, and since food is my love language, I immediately whipped up a big batch of soup. First, I thought of chicken noodle soup since that's the best cold-season comfort food, but I wanted to mix things up a little so it wasn't totally traditional. That's where the sweet potato and turmeric come in. 

Let's start with the sweet potato. It adds a subtle sweetness to the entire dish, making it hard to put down your spoon. Seriously, creamy sweet potatoes in chicken soup should happen more often.

Plus, nutritionally speaking, sweet potatoes are excellent for fighting colds. They are packed with beta carotene, which our bodies convert into Vitamin A. Vitamin A boosts our immune system and helps fight colds. Win-win. 

Next up, another special addition to this soup is turmeric.  Turmeric is a bright yellow spice from a root, similar to ginger. In terms of flavor, it adds a slightly sweet and earthy flavor. In this soup, it enhances the natural flavor of the sweet potato. Nutritionally speaking, turmeric is an antiviral, perfect for fighting colds. Additionally, it boosts immune­-cell activity and enhances antibody responses. 

Add those two power-packed ingredients to garlic (also an antiviral) and chicken broth (packed with nutrients), and this soup is a powerhouse that most importantly tastes amazing but can also help your body fight off colds. 

Key Ingredients and Swaps

Here is everything you need to make this chicken soup with sweet potatoes. Plus, easy swaps and recipe ideas. 

• Chicken: For convenience, I used precooked chicken from a rotisserie chicken in this soup. However, you could make this with chicken thighs, chicken breasts, or really any type of chicken. Poach it right in the soup and shred it once it is cooked through. Bone-in chicken is a great way to sneak extra nutrients into the broth.
• Carrots, celery, onion: This classic mirepoix is the base for any tasty chicken soup. Saute everything until it is tender and the onions are translucent. If you want extra veggies or extra flavor, add bell peppers, fresh or canned tomatoes, a splash of white wine, fresh herbs, leeks, or dried herbs. 
• Garlic: For the best flavor, use fresh garlic cloves. You could use frozen cubes or jarred minced garlic if you don't have fresh. Adjust to your preferences; we like a lot of garlic.
• Sweet potatoes: Sweet potatoes are what make this soup really special. Any type of sweet potato will work, or you can swap in baby potatoes, Yukon gold potatoes, or red potatoes if you prefer regular potatoes. You could also use butternut squash, acorn squash, or another hearty, starchy veggie like turnips, celeriac, or golden beets.
• Pasta or grains: You can make this soup with Israeli couscous, orzo, or another small pasta shape. You could also use rice, brown rice, quinoa, barley, farro, or beans. Just adjust the cooking time and amount of liquid if needed. Use pre-cooked or quick-cooking rice, quinoa, or grains for a quick option.
• Turmeric: Tumeric is a warm spice that adds a delicious flavor to this soup. If you don't love turmeric, skip it, or swap in another warm spice like ginger or curry powder.
• Chicken broth: For the most nutrient-rich and flavorful broth, use chicken bone broth. You can also use your favorite store-bought or homemade chicken stock or broth. Chicken bouillon is another option; Better Than Bouillon makes a really delicious one. 
• Optional extras: There are so many ways to customize this soup. Add greens like baby spinach or kale. Make it creamy with a splash or heavy cream or cream cheese. Try different spice combinations, more on that below. 

How to Make Sweet Potato Chicken Soup

Like any good chicken soup recipe, this recipe starts with mirepoix. Mirepoix is simply a combination of onions, carrots, and celery cooked in either butter or olive oil. This classic combination of aromatics creates the base flavor for many dishes but is especially important in chicken soup. This is especially true when using store-bought chicken broth, which sometimes lacks some of the subtle vegetable flavors in homemade broth. 

Once the mirepoix has cooked down, it's time to add the sweet potatoes. Letting them cook slightly and brown help intensify their flavor in the soup. It will give you a stronger sweet potato flavor than if you simply added them to the boiling broth.

Next up is the garlic, Italian seasoning, and turmeric. Adding the garlic and spices and letting them cook for a minute, deepens their flavor. Everything should get very fragrant during this step as the herbs and spices open up. If you don't have Italian seasoning, just add some dried oregano or rosemary.

Now it is time to add the chicken broth. If you are using fresh chicken, this is the place you will want to add it as well. Since chicken broth is one of the most important ingredients in chicken soup, make sure to choose a flavorful broth or stock. Bring the soup to a simmer and let it cook for 10-15 minutes until the sweet potatoes begin to become tender and the flavors in the soup combine.

Add the Israeli couscous, or whatever pasta are using, stir well, and let it cook until al dente. Since the pasta will continue to cook as the soup sits, I usually try to cook it until it is just tender, especially if I am planning on lots of leftovers. Then add in the chicken and season with salt and pepper.

Recipe Ideas and Tips

There are so many ways to customize this tasty chicken and potato soup.

• Use squash: For a lower-calorie soup option, swap in butternut squash for sweet potatoes.
• Add greens: Add some by throwing in a few handfuls of spinach or kale. The kale should be added at the same time as the sweet potatoes since it takes longer to cook while the spinach can be added with the chicken.
• Make it spicy: To make it slightly spicy, add 1-2 tablespoons of canned chipotle peppers in adobo, chili powder, or some red pepper flakes.
• Add fiber: To add fiber, consider adding a can of drained chickpeas instead of the Israeli couscous. If you want to use both, you may need to add extra broth.
• Vegetarian: For a vegetarian option, leave out the chicken and add canned chickpeas or black beans. Swap in vegetable broth.
• Paleo or gluten-free: To make it Paleo, swap in an extra sweet potato instead of the Israeli couscous. For GF, use brown rice or gluten-free pasta. 
• Try different grains: If you don't have Israeli couscous, swap in any pasta or grain you like. This soup would be great with orzo, brown rice, quinoa, or farro.
• Fresh herbs and lemon: To add even more flavor and cold-fighting power, serve the soup with fresh parsley or dill and lemon or lime juice.
• Garnish: We love to serve this soup with fresh herbs, parmesan cheese, chopped avocado, crispy croutons, toasted bread, or dollop of sour cream or yogurt. 

How to make this soup with fresh chicken?

I love using rotisserie chicken to make chicken soup since I find that the chicken always stays nice and tender, plus it usually is nice and flavorful. However, this soup works great with raw chicken as well. You can use chicken breasts or thighs.

Simply, add the chicken to the pot at the same time as the chicken broth. Bring the chicken broth to a boil and then turn it down to a simmer. Let the chicken poach in the soup for 10-15 minutes until cooked through.

Remove and chop or shred with two forks. Add back to the soup right before serving.

Looking for a more traditional chicken soup? Try this delicious Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup.

How to freeze chicken sweet potato soup?

Like most soups, this is a great option to make ahead of time and freeze. Start by letting the soup fully cool. Then pack the soup into individual or family-sized servings and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. 

One of my favorite tricks is to use these large ice cube trays for freezing soup. Once they are frozen, pop the soup "cubes" into a freezer-safe bag. Grab 1-2 cubes and simply microwave or heat up in a saucepan for a quick meal.