Chicken And Sweet Potato Soup

About This Recipe and Why It Works

Chicken soup has a way of showing up whenever comfort is on the menu, but adding sweet potatoes takes it in a completely different direction. They add a natural sweetness that balances savory chicken while creating a heartier bowl than traditional chicken vegetable soup. Every spoonful feels satisfying without being heavy, making this the kind of meal you’ll crave when the weather cools or a busy weeknight calls for something nourishing.

What You Can Expect From This Recipe

• Ready in about 30 minutes.
• Naturally hearty and brothy.
• Loaded with traditional soup vegetables.
• Great for meal prep.
• Comfort food that’s filling but not overly rich.
• Simply seasoned. Dill, basil and tarragon come together for a simple yet delicious flavor combo.

What Makes This Recipe Different?

• My recipe contains both carrot and parsnip.
• Perfect cook time instructions so sweet potatoes don’t become mushy.
• Layers of flavors without relying on a long simmer.
• If you’re looking for an easy, wholesome dinner that’s packed with tender chicken, colorful vegetables, and cozy comfort, this recipe delivers exactly that.
• Healthy: About 300 calories per serving.

Key Ingredients You’ll Need

• Chicken Broth: Homemade is always best, but canned or boxed will work just fine.
• Sweet Potato: 1 medium to large. Creamy sweet potato adds such a beautiful layer of flavor and texture to this soup. You won’t want to put your spoon down.
• Parsnip and Carrot: 1 each, peeled and sliced
• Spices: Dill seed, basil and tarragon.
• Chicken Breast: Boneless, skinless and chopped.

Recipe Swaps and Substitutions

• Parsnip: Parsnip and carrots have a similar flavor profile. With parsnip having a stronger and less sweet flavor. If you don’t have parsnip, just add another carrot. However, ditching the carrot and adding another parsnip would be a stronger flavor decision that you might not like.
• Chicken: Boneless skinless chicken thighs would be a great substitution for the chicken breast. And want to make this easy chicken sweet potato soup even easier? Use left over rotisserie chicken. Just add it in the end and let it heat through.
• Spices: I’ve also made this using two teaspoons of my special soup spice mix. It’s a glorious riff on flavor.
• Butternut Squash: Try swapping out butternut squash for the sweet potatoes. It will actually save you a few calories.

1. Step 1: Start by cutting the chicken into bite sized pieces. Heat a pan over medium high heat. Once the pan is hot, add olive oil. Once the olive oil is shimmering and hot, add the chicken pieces and saute them until just starting to brown. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. Step 2: Cook the vegetables: Heat a Dutch oven over medium high hat, add oil and once the oil is hot, add the chopped vegetables and sweet potato, and sautee for about 10 minutes, or until they’re just starting to smell flavorful and just starting to brown. This will bring out the sweetness in each and every piece. We’re actually making a chunky version of Mirepoix, which is a classic combination of aromatics used for successful soups and braised recipes.

3. Step 3: Add the chicken broth to the pot of vegetables.

4. Step 4: Add seasonings and simmer on low for about 20 minutes. Add in chicken and cook until chicken is nice and hot. It’s ready to serve.

My Tested Method For Perfect Texture

• Dice sweet potatoes evenly.
• Don’t boil aggressively, simmering the soup is important here.
• Add cooked chicken near the end and it won’t become rubbery.
• Taste before serving, add more salt if needed.

I tested this soup using both chicken breast and thighs. While both worked well, thighs stayed noticeably juicier after reheating, making them my favorite if you’re planning leftovers.

Variations

• Spinach: Got some fresh spinach you need to use. Trim the stems and toss some in towards the end of cooking. Those leaves will soften quickly and add even more vitamins to this already healthy bowl of soup.
• Noodles: Make this a chicken noodle soup by adding some quick cooking egg noodles. They only take about 8 minutes to cook, so add them towards the end of the cooking time.
• Chicken Soup with Potatoes: Switch out those sweet potatoes for white potatoes. I’d recommend using Yukon Gold. They’re not as starchy as Russet and will hold their shape better.
• Use a Rotisserie Chicken. To save time, you can use the meat from a rotisserie chicken. Simply add it about the last 10 minutes of cooking time. Enough to heat the meat and bring some of that famous rotisserie flavor to the soup.
• Canned Beans: To make this even heartier and keep it healthy, add a can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed. Add them at the same time you add the cooked chicken.

Storing and Freezing

• Soup is one of those meals that always tastes better the next day. This chicken sweet potato soup is great for leftovers and will keep in the fridge in an air-tight contained for about 4 – 5 days.
• It’s also one of those dishes that freezes well. Just let the soup cool and store in the freezer for about 4 months. Using either sweet potatoes or white potatoes will freeze well.
• Reheat stove-top or in the microwave. If cooking from frozen leftovers, let the soup thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

Recipe for Chicken And Sweet Potato Soup

Chicken soup with sweet potatoes is an easy and hearty dinner the whole family will love.

And if you’re looking for even more soup recipes, check out my Soup Category. I consider soup recipes to be my expertise. You’ll find lots of mouthwatering soups and stews, including the most popular chicken soup recipes on my site for Sopa Ranchera, a Southwest Chicken Soup recipe that is simply amazing with flavor.

This recipe was adapted from a Whole Foods Sweet Potato and Chicken Soup Recipe.