Nutritious, filling, and just downright delicious, this spicy {or not} chicken and sweet potato soup should go into the winter-soup-rotation!

I’ll just sneak it in at the beginning that if you are blessed enough to still have leftover turkey (frozen leftovers at this point, perhaps?) this soup would be a most excellent avenue for it. If not, no fear, it is still very, very simple to put together, leftovers or not.

I loved this soup. Like, really loved it.

White bowl full of chicken and sweet potato soup.

Even afterwards when I was in the throes of heaven-help-me pregnancy-induced heartburn because of the tomatoes and gentle spice, I was still loving on it. And that’s saying a lot because I’ve been known to develop life-long grudges against food if they mess me up in any way, shape or form. And that’s probably all I need to say about that.

Don’t be scared of the spiciness, simply adjust according to your preference – but for the record, the 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes in the recipe was perfect for our family. Extremely subtle heat with deep flavor.

Although my children have a love/hate relationship with the common white potato, they enjoy sweet potatoes and were all over this soup. The creamy sweetness of the potatoes combined with the mild vegetables, tender chicken, and light spiciness is a lovely combination.

Nutritious, filling, and just downright delicious, this soup is going into the winter-soup-rotation, that is for sure.

Top view of a white bowl full of chicken and sweet potato soup.

What To Serve With This:

I served it with sharp cheddar cheese slices and these rolls.

One Year Ago: Country-Style Pork and White Beans {Slow Cooker}
Two Years Ago: White Bean Turkey or Chicken Chili
Three Years Ago: Bourbon Chicken

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Spicy {Or Not} Chicken and Sweet Potato Soup

4.76 stars (29 ratings)

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 red onion, finely diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 3 ribs celery, diced
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 7-8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 ½ pounds chicken, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (or use about 3-4 cups of shredded, cooked chicken)
  • 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2- inch pieces
  • 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
  • ½ teaspoon dried basil
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper

Instructions 

  • In a large pot (4 or 5 quarts), melt butter over medium heat and add onions.
  • Cook, stirring often, about 5-6 minutes, until softened.
  • Add bell pepper, celery, and garlic. Cook 5-6 more minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender.
  • Add remaining ingredients (don’t add the cooked chicken, if using, you’ll add it near the end), stir well, and bring to a low boil, reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, for about 40-45 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and chicken is cooked through. If using cooked chicken, stir it in at this point and let it heat through.
  • Discard bay leaves and serve.

Notes

Heat: increase the red pepper flakes if you like more heat. The 1/4 teaspoon in the recipe will give gentle and flavor but is not overly spicy (as in, my kids ate it with no problem).
Serving: 1 Serving, Calories: 307kcal, Carbohydrates: 33g, Protein: 19g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 46mg, Sodium: 1078mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 8g
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Recipe Source: adapted slightly from Kim D., who emailed me the recipe