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.
This was amazing! I live alone so the crock pot is the way to go for me! I eat this for breakfast lunch and dinner all week! I added a large handful of lemon pepper and it was perfect! I’m going to try adding carrots next time! Everyone who tried was asking for the recipe!
Wow! That is so amazing to hear that you’ve enjoyed it so much! 🙂 Thank you Melissa!
Can you remove the canned tomatoes? What would you replace the tomatoes with? My roommate doesn”t like tomatoes at all.
I haven’t ever tried this soup without the tomatoes so I can’t vouch for the end taste, but you could remove them and increase the broth by a cup.
This looks so delicious. Do you put the chicken in frozen or thawed?
Thawed 🙂 And thank you!
I made this last week and my family LOVED it! So hearty and healthy! My goal is to make a slow cooker meal every Sunday and this was our first. Definitely looking forward to sharing this recipe with family and friends. Thank you!
So, so happy to hear that! 🙂 I’m thrilled it was so well enjoyed!
Made this today and it was phenomenal!! I went with the low sodium route so substituted with organic black beans, no fat no sodium broth, low sodium seasoning packet, and added scallions and fresh cilantro to top. Absolutely amazing!! Thank you for this recipe. This will be my new go to slow cooker meal! I will THINK about sharing with friends 🙂
Haha!!! 🙂 So glad that you enjoyed this so much! Thank you so much for the comment!
Just tried this recipe and it was a hit!!!
Only thing I did different:
– Added extra sweet potatoes
– Made my own taco/chili seasoning so I could control the salt
– Substituted for vegetable broth
– Extra fresh garlic
So glad to hear you enjoyed this! Thanks for sharing what you did differently, sounds delicious! 🙂
If I want to use dry black beans, should I put them in with or without soaking first? with or without cooking first?
I would only put in completely cooked black beans and just mix them in like 30 minutes before serving 🙂
I am making this right now!
Awesome!! I hope you love this! 🙂
I made this last night for my lunches for the week and I LOVED it! I’m training for a 1/2 marathon so I need meals that provide good carbs and proteins and this fits the bill perfectly. I used organic chicken broth, and was able to purchase frozen diced sweet potatoes, so that made it even easier. Next time, I might add one more chicken breast just for a little more protein, but I couldn’t have loved this more! Thank you for this easy healthy, yet hearty, recipe.
That is so great to hear! I’m glad you’ll have a good lunch the rest of this week! 🙂 Thanks so much for the comment! And GOOD LUCK with your 1/2 marathon!!
Hi Chelsea,
I made this soup today and it was delicious!
I did make a few modifications. I omitted the quinoa since I don’t care for it in soups. I carmelized 1/2 of a large onion on the stove, then added it to the slow cooker. I also used 4 cups of water instead of five, and I used a vegetarian bouillon cube to make the broth.
I used store-bought spicy chili mix. Unfortunately, the mix I got was way too spicy. Next time I will buy a mild one or use homemade stuff.
Thank you for this recipe. 🙂
Cheers,
Jess
Hey Jess!! Thanks so much for your comment and for trying out this soup! A caramelized onion sounds incredible! 🙂 And yes, hopefully next time you are able to get a slightly less spicy mix 🙂