Chicken Sweet Potato Soup is incredibly easy! Just add everything to a slow cooker for a comforting and filling meal.
Pair this hearty soup with crusty bread or crushed chips and a simple kale salad!
Chicken Sweet Potato Soup
I love a hearty slow-cooker meal, and creamy soups are my ideal comfort food, but you don’t see many broth-based, slow-cooked soup recipes on the internet.
That’s where Chicken Sweet Potato Soup comes in! It’s broth-based and anything but bland. This soup bursts with texture and flavor. It’s packed with protein from black beans, quinoa, and chicken, and loaded with veggies from tomatoes and sweet potatoes. Seasoning it with a chili mix means this soup is prepped in no time. You won’t believe how quickly this meal is ready to eat!
Chicken Sweet Potato Soup Notes
- Chicken: This recipe originally called for chicken breasts, but I’ve switched to boneless, skinless thighs. They’re tender, easier to shred, and less likely to dry out if cooked all day.
- Rinse: Rinse quinoa before adding it to the slow cooker to remove its bitter coating, saponin. Use a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold water for 30-60 seconds.
- Cook time: Quinoa expands and absorbs liquid as it cooks. After about 3-1/2 to 4 hours, this soup thickens to a stew-like consistency. If your cooker runs hot, it may be done even sooner.
- High heat: Cooking on low doesn’t work well; the quinoa cooks unevenly and absorbs too much liquid. Sweet potatoes and black beans can also get too soft.
- Small pieces: Dice sweet potatoes to 1/2-inch to ensure they cook evenly with the other ingredients.
- Spice levels: This soup is mild as written, but you can increase the heat by adding 1-2 tablespoons of diced jalapeños and extra chili powder.
- Seasoning: Adjust salt and pepper to taste; it can make a big difference in flavor.
Homemade Chili Seasoning
I shorten prep time by using a packet of chili seasoning. After trying many, I recommend McCormick’s® Chili Seasoning (not sponsored). Some packets lack flavor, but this one delivers. Sometimes it pays to go with the national brand!
If you prefer homemade seasoning, here are the ratios I recommend:
- 1 tablespoon chili powder (McCormick is very mild)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon roasted garlic powder
- Optional: 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (add slowly; cayenne pepper adds a lot of spice!) Alternatively, 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes could be used.
- Salt and pepper to taste (I add 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper)
Quick Tip
Looking to save even more prep time? Buy pre-diced sweet potatoes. Many stores sell peeled and diced sweet potatoes in the produce section.
Toppings
While this soup is great as is, toppings can add even more flavor and texture. Here are my favorite additions:
- Sharp or extra-sharp Cheddar cheese: Grate the cheese directly onto each bowl and let it melt for a minute before stirring it into the soup.
- Ripe avocado or guacamole: For extra creaminess, top the soup with ripe avocado slices. Not sure about avocado but still want a creamy element? Try plain Greek yogurt or sour cream.
- Fresh lime juice: A few squeezes of fresh lime heighten the flavors and add a burst of brightness.
- Chips: Crushed tortilla chips (or strips) add a satisfying crunch.
- Fresh cilantro: If you love cilantro, it adds freshness and a nice citrusy flavor. Not a fan? Try chopped parsley instead.
More Quinoa Recipes
- Quinoa Chili with sweet potatoes
- Southwest Quinoa Salad with a cilantro-lime vinaigrette
- Avocado Orange Quinoa Salad with a citrus dressing
- Quinoa Salad with avocado and a lemon dressing
- Quinoa Enchilada Bake with sweet potatoes
Chicken Sweet Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/2 pounds (24 ounces) boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 1 cup quinoa
- 3 and 1/2 cups diced sweet potatoes (2-3 large sweet potatoes)
- 1 can (15.25 ounces) black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 can (14.25 ounces) fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 packet (1.25 ounces) chili seasoning mix (Note 1)
- 5 cups chicken broth or stock
- Optional: fresh cilantro or parsley
- Optional toppings: tortilla strips, sharp cheddar cheese, fresh lime, sour cream, diced avocado
Instructions
- PREP: Spray the slow cooker with nonstick spray. Remove the fat from the chicken breasts or thighs. If using large chicken breasts, cut them into 3-4 pieces so they'll cook more evenly. Rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh sieve. Peel and dice the sweet potatoes into small 1/2-inch cubes.
- ADD TO CROCKPOT: Add the chicken thighs or cut chicken breasts into the slow cooker. Add the rinsed quinoa (See Note 2), diced sweet potatoes, drained and rinsed black beans, undrained diced tomatoes, minced garlic, packet of chili seasoning, and chicken broth or stock to the slow cooker.
- COOK: Cover and cook on high for 3-1/2 to 4-1/2 hours (See Note 3)
- SHRED CHICKEN: Using tongs, remove the chicken to a small bowl. Using two forks, shred the chicken and then return to the slow cooker. Taste the soup and adjust for seasonings; I typically add an additional 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper here, but add until the flavors sing.
- SERVE: Ladle soup into bowls and top with your favorite toppings. I love fresh cilantro, fresh lime juice, and ripe avocado. My boys love sour cream and lots of Cheddar cheese.
- STORAGE: The quinoa continues to absorb liquid making it a thick stew, so if you store leftovers, add broth when reheating to keep the soup consistency.
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I tried this recipe and it was pretty good! I will probably make it again. I added half an onion and a small can of corn (drained).
Awesome!! Thanks so much for the comment, glad you enjoyed this! And yes, we’ve added corn a few times (my husband hates onions 🙁 ) and it’s super good! 🙂
Hi Chelsea! This looks so amazing and I am going to make it tonight! I’m pregnant and sweet potatoes have been a huge craving for me so I think it will be perfect.
I’m making a vegetarian version and was thinking of adding kale/greens for some extra veggies. Should I use frozen or fresh and would it be ok to put it in at the beginning or should I wait until later in the cooking process?
Congrats on your pregnancy!! I hope you love this soup!! I would recommend using fresh greens and then add them at the very end 🙂 If you add them at the beginning I think they would get pretty mushy and wilted. Enjoy 🙂
This sounds delicious! Has anyone tried freezing this after it was prepared and how did it turn out?
Mine came our pretty thick…and I think those are yams not sweet potatoe.
If you want the soup to be thinner, you can add some more chicken broth or cook it for a shorter time 🙂 The longer this cooks in the crockpot, the more liquid the quinoa absorbs. Hope that helps!
Can you lengthen the cook time and just do it lower? Or does that change it? I need to be at work all day – so could I put it on medium for 8 hours?
You can, but the quinoa will soak in a lot more liquid leaving this recipe less “soup-like”. Quinoa in the crockpot doesn’t do so great at low temperatures for a long time because it continues to absorb liquid. If you are okay with a heartier soup then you can lengthen the cook time. I wouldn’t recommend too long though as the chicken and sweet potatoes will likely overcook along with the quinoa absorbing tons of extra liquid.
I know this is an older post, but….what a fantastic recipe! My husband is fighting off a cold and I decided to try and switch out my planned dinner for a soup using ingredients I had on hand. I made a stove top version of this with sautéed onion and garlic as the base and I browned the chicken in a pan on the side to speed it up (I used Stubbs Chicken Rub to season the chicken). The only other substitute I made was using brown rice (cooked on the side) because we had quinoa last night. It was SO good! It came together in 30 minutes with all 3 pans going at once. And the best part is all 3 kids happily ate it too! Thank you for the great recipe!!
So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe!! And glad it worked out so great on the stovetop 🙂 Thanks so much for your sweet comment! 🙂
I am reading through the recipe and I had a question regarding the quinoa. Is the quinoa cooked before adding it to the crock-pot or do you just throw it in there (after rinsing) and let the chicken broth cook the quinoa?
Thanks! I am so excited to try this recipe out!
No need to cook the quinoa first 🙂
This sounds lovely. Going to give this a go. thanks for sharing this recipe.
Simon
Hi there,
I’m at work for longer than four hours, can I have it on low for eight hours? This will be my first slow cooker recipe that I’ve done with this slow cooker, it has low, medium and high heat settings.
Thanks
Leena 🙂
I wouldn’t recommend doing this recipe on low for eight hours as I think the ingredients will overcook – particularly the quinoa. I haven’t tried it though so I can’t say for sure. Sorry to not be of more help!
I cooked this for 8 hours overnight and it turned to mush. Still tasty but the potatoes are more like mashed potatoes. Any idea on nutritional values?
Yeah I definitely wouldn’t recommend cooking this that long or on low! Best results are cooking it on high for 3-5 hours as the recipe indicates. I hope you were still able to enjoy it though 🙂 If you divide this entire soup into 7 equal servings, each serving is approximately 260 calories.
Nutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving
Calories 260 Calories from Fat 35
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 4g 6%
Saturated Fat 0.5g 3%
Trans Fat
Cholesterol 20mg 7%
Sodium 760mg 32%
Potassium 870mg 25%
Total Carbohydrate 41g 14%
Dietary Fiber 9g 36%
Sugars 4g
Protein 19g
Vitamin A 130%
Vitamin C 25%
Calcium 6%
Iron 20%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
I actually preferred this soup cooked overnight on low lol I also liked it better without chicken, and added corn. So yummy, and freezes really well for future meals!!
this looks great! Just wondering if you put the chicken breasts in whole and then shred them before serving or do you cut them into chunks before cooking? Can’t wait to try it!
Just shredded them before serving 🙂 Hope you love it!