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.
Made this tonight and it was delicious and tasted so nourishing! Used fire roasted diced tomatoes and added zucchini.
Delicious! Mine turned out more stew than soup … but a delicious stew!
So glad to hear you liked it! Thanks Cathy! 🙂
I made this today and it was GREAT!! LOVED it. 🙂 So glad to have found another way to eat quinoa… and sweet potatoes!
So glad to hear!! Thanks so much Sam 🙂
This sounds delicious but we are not huge fans of black beans. Any ideas for substitutes?
You can just leave the beans out if you want!
I’ve had this on my mind for several weeks and finally made it last night. Sooooooooo good! My 6 year old loved it too, which is an extra bonus. Thank you!
Yay!! I love hearing that 🙂 So glad you liked it! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment 🙂
Just made this today and it was delicious! I left out the chicken and used vegetable broth instead. Only had 4 cups of broth and it turned out more stew consistency which was great. Thanks for the great and easy recipe!!
So glad to hear a vegetarian version was great!! I need to try that next 🙂 Thanks so much for your comment!
So if I don’t add chicken will the flavor and consistency still be good? I was thinking of making it vegetarian so a friend can enjoy it this weekend while visiting. Just worried whether I need to add a substitute for the chicken like more beans, etc. Thanks for any help!
Is it possible to make this soup with regular pot and just boil it? (I don’t have a slow cooker)
I don’t see why that wouldn’t work, but I don’t know how the directions would translate from slow cooker to pot. I assume you would want to cook the chicken separately though, and maybe even the quinoa. Sorry to not be of more help – I’ve never tried this stovetop!
You could for sure make this in a pot, that’s how I am going to do it with a couple of modifications. 🙂 This recipe sounds delicious Chelsea! I don’t have time to let it cook for 4 hours in the crock pot so this is how I will do it if you want an idea Sandra.
I will make mine with a rotisserie chicken (from the store), it saves time and I can make my broth with it. To make your own broth put it in a pot and add in the water you need to make the broth, let it boil for a little while and then remove your chicken. I will probably add a bouillon cube to it as well for a little more flavor. You’ll then have your homemade broth, more tasty than store bought and your base for your soup. Take the chicken out and let it cool some so you can then pick the meat off the bone. And in the meantime boil your sweet potatoes in the water, add the spices too. Cook the quinoa separate. Once the potatoes are done add in the diced tomatoes or even a can of Rotel for some added spice. Then add in your cooked quinoa, black beans and chicken. Let that cook for a little while then top it off with the parsley or cilantro.
Happy Eating!
Summer
THANK YOU SUMMER!! 🙂 This is very helpful 🙂
I just made this for dinner and it turned out amazing! Thank you for the awesome recipe. Definitely a keeper.
Thanks so much for taking the time to comment Melody!! So glad you enjoyed the soup!
Just putting this in the crock pot tonight, but wondering if I could cook it on low for longer? 4 hours is a tough time frame for me since we’re gone at work all day. Think it would be okay for more like 6-7 on low?
I haven’t ever tried to cook this soup on low since quinoa (in my experience) always does better on high. If you give it a try on low, I’d love to hear the results! Sorry to not be of more help.
If I use a rotisserie chicken, how long should it take to cook everything else without the raw chicken?
I believe it would take around 2-3 hours for the sweet potatoes to get soft enough.