15 Cheesy Sweet Potato Soup to Try Tonight

Sweet potato soup takes the natural caramel sweetness of the vegetable and balances it against savoury stock, sharp cheddar and warm spice, so it never tastes one-note. This version is built on a simple base of sautéed onion and garlic, simmered sweet potato and stock, then blended smooth and finished with melted cheese and a splash of milk for real body. It comes together in under an hour with mostly hands-off simmering, and it freezes well, so it's worth making a double batch. Below are 15 ways to riff on the classic, from a five-ingredient version for busy nights to a slow-cooker take you can leave to look after itself.

This is the base recipe everyone else riffs on: sweet potato simmered in stock with sautéed onion and garlic, blended smooth, then finished with a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg and a few fried sage leaves crumbled on top. Roast the sweet potato at 200°C (400°F) for 30 minutes before adding it to the pot rather than boiling it raw, since dry heat concentrates the natural sugars and gives the soup a deeper, more rounded flavour. Fry the sage leaves in a little butter until crisp for about 30 seconds per side; they turn bitter fast, so watch them closely.

Strip the recipe back to just sweet potato, stock, onion, milk and cheddar, with no extra spices or garnish required. Simmer 1 kg (2.2 lb) peeled, cubed sweet potato directly in 950 ml (4 cups) stock with a chopped onion for 20 minutes until fork-tender, then blend and stir in the cheese. It's not as layered as the classic, but it's genuinely quick to shop for and forgiving if you're new to making soup from scratch.

Stir a drained 400 g (14 oz) tin of cannellini beans into the pot along with the sweet potato so they soften and pick up the stock's flavour as everything simmers. Blend only two-thirds of the soup smooth and leave the rest with whole beans and potato chunks for a heartier, stew-like texture that eats more like a meal than a starter. This version is noticeably more filling than the classic and holds up well with crusty bread for dunking.

Swap the milk for 400 ml (14 oz) full-fat coconut milk and stir 2 tablespoons of red or yellow curry paste in with the garlic so it fries briefly and blooms before the liquid goes in. The coconut milk gives the soup a silkier, richer mouthfeel than dairy alone, and the curry paste adds warmth without needing a long spice list. Finish with a squeeze of lime juice and a scattering of fresh coriander to cut through the richness.

Roast the sweet potato cubes tossed in 15 ml (1 tbsp) olive oil at 220°C (425°F) for 35-40 minutes, turning once, until the edges are deeply caramelised and starting to char slightly at the corners. Blend the roasted potato with 240 ml (1 cup) double cream (heavy cream) instead of milk for the silkiest, most restaurant-style texture of any version here. This takes a little longer than simmering raw potato, but the roasted flavour is worth the extra 20 minutes.

Cook the sweet potato and onion together in the stock until soft, then transfer everything to a stand blender rather than using an immersion blender, which gets it completely lump-free in about 60 seconds. Work in batches of no more than half-full to avoid hot liquid forcing the lid off, and always vent the blender lid slightly or remove the centre cap and cover with a tea towel. This method gives the smoothest possible finish if you don't own a stick blender.

Cook 4 rashers of streaky bacon until crisp before you start the soup, then build the base in a spoonful of the rendered bacon fat instead of butter for extra savoury depth. Stir in 120 g (1 cup) grated sharp cheddar and 60 g (2 oz) softened cream cheese off the heat, adding the cheese in small handfuls so it melts smoothly instead of turning grainy. Crumble the reserved bacon over each bowl along with extra cheddar just before serving so it stays crisp.

Add one peeled, cored and chopped apple (about 150 g/5 oz) to the pot along with the sweet potato so it softens and blends in, adding a gentle fruity sweetness that plays well against the savoury stock. A tart variety like Bramley or Granny Smith works better here than a sweet eating apple, since it balances the sweet potato instead of doubling down on sugar. A pinch of ground cinnamon stirred in at the end rounds out the cosy, autumnal flavour.

Stretch the pot further and cut the cost per serving by stirring in 150 g (3/4 cup) dried red lentils along with the stock; they cook down in the same 20-25 minutes as the sweet potato and thicken the soup naturally without extra cream or cheese. Use a stock cube instead of fresh stock and a block of mild cheddar you grate yourself rather than pre-shredded bags, since both cost noticeably less. This version is naturally heartier and higher in protein than the classic, and it's one of the cheapest soups you can make from a basic shop.

Sauté the onion and garlic directly in the Instant Pot using the sauté function, then add the cubed sweet potato and 700 ml (3 cups) stock and pressure cook on high for 8 minutes with a quick release. Blend with an immersion blender straight in the pot, then stir in the milk and cheese using the sauté function on low so the dairy warms through without boiling. This skips the long simmering step entirely and gets a full pot of soup on the table in about 25 minutes total.

Leave the soup deliberately unblended, or blend only half and stir the rest back in, so there's visible sweet potato and onion throughout rather than a completely smooth purée. Cut the sweet potato into slightly larger 3 cm (1 1/4 in) chunks so they hold their shape better during the 25-minute simmer. This version has more bite and feels closer to a stew, which makes it a good match for a fried egg or crusty bread on the side.

Finish each bowl the way you would a loaded jacket potato: a spoonful of soured cream, extra grated cheddar, crumbled bacon and sliced spring onions, all added at the table rather than stirred through the pot. Set the toppings out in small bowls so everyone can load their own portion exactly how they like it. This is really about the ratio of toppings to soup, so don't skimp — aim for around 2 tablespoons of toppings per bowl.

Swap a third of the sweet potato for 300 g (10 oz) peeled, chopped carrot, which cooks in the same simmering time and adds a milder, kid-friendly sweetness that's easier to introduce to fussy eaters. Blend the soup completely smooth with no visible chunks, and thin it slightly with an extra splash of milk if it needs to be spoon-friendly for younger children. Double the recipe if you're feeding a crowd — it reheats well the next day, and the flavour actually deepens overnight.

Stir in 1 tablespoon of pure maple syrup and 1 teaspoon of finely chopped chipotle in adobo sauce along with the spices, so the soup gets a smoky heat balanced by a touch of real sweetness. Roast the sweet potato first, as in the ultra-creamy version, for the deepest flavour base to carry the maple and chipotle. Taste before adding more chipotle — it builds heat gradually, and a little goes further than it looks in the jar.

Tip the cubed sweet potato, onion, garlic, spices and stock straight into the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3-4 hours, until the sweet potato is completely soft. Blend directly in the pot with an immersion blender once cooked, then stir in the milk and cheese and leave on the warm setting for 10 minutes so the cheese melts through evenly. This method needs no stovetop at all and is ideal for coming home to a finished dinner.

Roast rather than boil the sweet potato when you have the extra 20-30 minutes; dry heat concentrates the natural sugars and gives a noticeably deeper flavour than simmering raw cubes in stock. Add cheese off the heat in small handfuls, stirring until fully melted before adding more, since dumping it all in over high heat is the main cause of a grainy or oily soup. Keep the soup at a gentle simmer once dairy goes in rather than a rolling boil, and blend in batches no more than half-full with the lid vented to avoid hot liquid splattering.

Serve sweet potato soup in warmed bowls with a swirl of cream or soured cream, a scattering of extra cheddar and a few fried sage leaves or chopped chives on top. A side of crusty bread or toasted sourdough is ideal for mopping up the last of the bowl, while a simple green salad with a sharp vinaigrette balances the soup's natural sweetness. For a heartier meal, pair it with a grilled cheese sandwich cut into strips for dunking.

Cool the soup completely before transferring to an airtight container and refrigerating for up to 4-5 days. To freeze, do so before stirring in the dairy where possible, since cream and cheese can split when frozen and thawed; freeze the blended base flat in bags for up to 3 months and stir in fresh milk and cheese after reheating. Reheat gently on the hob over medium-low heat, stirring often, or in the microwave in 30-second bursts, and avoid letting it boil, which can make the dairy separate and turn grainy.