SWEET POTATO SOUP WITH CHORIZO AND COCONUT CREAM
This soup is rich and flavorful, made with roasted sweet potatoes and chorizo and then mixed with full-fat coconut milk for the rich creaminess that you look for in a thick soup or bisque. It’s perfect on a chilly fall or winter day for lunch with a simple kale salad, or you can serve it as a first course at your next dinner party. For added convenience, make ahead and reheat. SERVES 4 TO 6
PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOK TIME: 60 minutes
4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons (30 ml) grass-fed butter
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 dried bay leaves
5 cups (1200 ml) chicken broth
1 pound (454 g) chorizo, sliced
1 (13.5-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk, refrigerated (reserve 2 to 3 tablespoons (45 ml) for garnish)
2 tablespoons (30 ml) chopped fresh chives, for garnish
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- On a large roasting pan, drizzle the sweet potatoes with the olive oil, and roast until browned and fork-tender, 25 to 30 minutes.
- While the sweet potatoes are cooking, in a large saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Sauté the garlic and onions for 10 minutes. Add the roasted sweet potatoes, bay leaves, and broth, and raise the heat to medium-high. Bring to a low boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- In a small skillet, cook the chorizo until crispy, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Remove the soup from the heat, and add about ⅓ cup of the cream from the top of the refrigerated can of coconut milk (leave a few tablespoons for topping). Stir well, and carefully purée the soup using either an immersion blender or countertop blender. (If using a countertop blender, blend in batches and hold a clean dishtowel over the lid while blending to avoid hot soup eruptions.)
- In a small bowl, beat the extra coconut cream with a whisk or hand mixer until fluffy.
- Pour the soup into serving bowls, and top with whipped coconut cream and 3 to 4 pieces each of crispy chorizo. Garnish with the chives, and serve.
VARIATION 1 SPICY SWEET POTATO SOUP: Add ¼ to ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes to the soup, depending on how spicy you’d like it to be.
VARIATION 2 SWEET POTATO SOUP WITH BACON: If you can’t find (or don’t like) chorizo, fry 3 or 4 slices bacon and chop them up for the soup topping.
PREP TIP: Always keep a can of coconut milk in your fridge. Whenever I start cooking a recipe that calls for coconut cream, I’m always in trouble; because it’s a canned product, I keep forgetting that it needs to be refrigerated overnight to get the cream off the top. If you just keep a can in the fridge at all times, you’ll always be ready for any recipe that calls for it!
More Recipes You'll Love
Sweet potato soup with chorizo and coconut cream is the bowl that warms you from the inside out — creamy roasted sweet potato, smoky crispy chorizo, and a swirl of thick coconut cream on top. The soup is silky and gently spiced with bay leaves, while the chorizo adds salty, spicy crunch in every spoonful. Comfort food that happens to look elegant.
Pro Tips
- Roast the sweet potatoes first rather than boiling them — roasting concentrates their sweetness and keeps the soup from tasting flat.
- Cook the chorizo separately until genuinely crispy, then use it as a garnish so every bowl gets that salty, crunchy contrast.
- Add only the thick cream from the refrigerated coconut milk can for the swirl on top; it's richer and prettier than the whole can blended in.
- Simmer the soup gently after adding the broth — a hard boil makes it cloudy and can split the coconut milk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this soup ahead?
Yes — it keeps 4 days in the fridge and reheats beautifully. Keep the chorizo separate and crisp it fresh for each serving.
How spicy is the chorizo in this?
It brings a warm, smoky heat rather than aggressive fire. Choose mild chorizo for a gentler soup, spicy for more kick.
Is this recipe Paleo?
Yes — sweet potatoes, chorizo, coconut milk, broth, and aromatics. Choose sugar-free, filler-free chorizo to keep it strictly compliant.
Can I freeze it?
Freeze the soup base for up to 3 months. Make the crispy chorizo fresh when you serve — frozen chorizo loses its crunch.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- While the sweet potatoes are cooking, in a large saucepan over low heat, melt the butter.
- Sauté the garlic and onions for 10 minutes.
- Add the roasted sweet potatoes, bay leaves, and broth, and raise the heat to medium-high.
- Bring to a low boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- In a small skillet, cook the chorizo until crispy, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Remove the soup from the heat, and add about ⅓ cup of the cream from the top of the refrigerated can of coconut milk (leave a few tablespoons for topping).
- Stir well, and carefully purée the soup using either an immersion blender or countertop blender. (If using a countertop blender, blend in batches and hold a clean dishtowel over the lid while blending to avoid hot soup eruptions.)
- In a small bowl, beat the extra coconut cream with a whisk or hand mixer until fluffy.
- Pour the soup into serving bowls, and top with whipped coconut cream and 3 to 4 pieces each of crispy chorizo.
- Garnish with the chives, and serve.
