Creamy sweet potatoes and flavorful leeks are the best pairing in this rich and creamy sweet potato leek soup!

Potato and leek soup is a classic for a reason but I’m here to tell you that you may want to hire sweet potatoes on for permanent soup duty.
This soup is seriously so simple but boy, does it ever pack in the flavor. We’ve got sweet potatoes contributing all their amazing sweetness and silky texture while sauteed leeks build up a wonderful garlicky flavor base.
Your lunch soup game is about to make a major upswing, just saying.

You’re only going to need 1 pot, 9 ingredients and about 40 minutes to pull off this soup and leftovers store beautifully either in the fridge or the freezer!
Trust me, you’re gonna want this one on standby.
This Sweet Potato Soup features…
- Flavorful sauteed leeks and creamy sweet potatoes
- A rich and creamy texture
- Ready in minutes with only a handful of ingredients

Making the Sweet Potato Soup
(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Leeks
- Vegetable oil
- Celery
- Garlic
- Cayenne pepper
- Sweet potatoes
- Chicken broth
- Bay leaf
- Sour cream
- Chives

Tips for Perfect Sweet Potato Soup
- Clean leeks before chopping – leeks have many layers that can trap dirt so make sure you wash and clean them thoroughly before chopping.
- Sauté leeks and celery – this builds the flavor base for the soup.
- Simmer soup 15-20 minutes – a quick simmer time just enough to cook the sweet potatoes until fork-tender.
- Puree soup – you can use either an immersion blender straight in the pot or transfer the soup in batches to a standing blender.
- Fold sour cream in after simmering – this will prevent the sour cream from separating.
Recipe Variations
Try these ideas for a different twist on this soup.
- Add more veggies – try adding a handful of sweet peppers, mushrooms, or carrots during the sautéing-leeks step.
- Swap out sweet potatoes – try butternut squash or Yukon gold potatoes in place of the sweet potatoes.
- Add cheese – fold in 1 cup shredded cheddar or colby jack cheese when adding the sour cream.
- Replace sour cream – substitute the sour cream with 2 oz softened cream cheese or 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream.
- Make it vegetarian – replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth.
Storing and Freezing Soup
This soup stores well in refrigerator up to 6 days. Reheat leftovers in individual servings in microwave 2-3 minutes or over medium heat on stovetop for larger portions.
To freeze soup, allow to cool completely then store in a freezer-safe container, leaving about an inch of open air on top, and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw completely in refrigerator before reheating or reheat from frozen over low heat on stovetop.

It’s an unlikely duo but sweet potatoes and leeks really do compliment each other beautifully in this soup! It’s absolutely the perfect velvety texture for dipping bread or grilled cheese.
Bottom line: you need this comfort food in your life.
Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.

Try these other sweet potato favorites next!
- Sweet Potato Gnocchi
- Chipotle Roasted Sweet Potato Black Bean Salad
- Southwest Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers
Sweet Potato Leek Soup
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Ingredients
- 3 medium leeks
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 stalks celery, finely diced
- 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- 2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 5 cups)
- 5 cups chicken or vegetable broth, plus extra for thinning soup
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Additional sour cream and minced chives for topping
Instructions
- To prep the leeks, cut and discard the stem and the tough green parts. Cut the leeks in half lengthwise and run under cold water to remove any dirt. Slice the white and light green parts into fine slices.
- Heat vegetable oil in a medium pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add leeks and celery and sauté 3-5 minutes until tender. Add garlic and cayenne if using and cook 1 additional minute until fragrant.
- Add sweet potatoes, chicken broth, and bay leaf to pot and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover pot, and allow to simmer 15-20 minutes until sweet potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally. Discard bay leaf.
- Use an immersion blender or standing blender to blend soup until smooth. Return to soup pot and fold in sour cream until melted. Thin soup with an extra splash of chicken broth if needed.
- Season soup with salt and pepper to taste and serve warm with additional sour cream and minced chives on top. Enjoy!
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