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.
Hi, My bag of quinoa doesn’t specify to rinse. Is there a reason why you insist on rinsing? About to scoop out a bowl. Hope it tastes good. Smells wonderful!
Quinoa has a bitter cladding on the husk, if you don’t rinse it well it will make the dish bitter, and not in a good way. Think old very strong coffee.
I made this soup last night and it is delicious. I shared it with a coworker for lunch today. It goes into my favorite recipe file. I cooked it on high for 4 hours but glad to hear it works on low and add the quinoa later.
I made this last night, refrigerated it and turned on the crock-pot on low for 7 hours this morning. I didn’t read all the comments until now and I’m hoping my quinoa cooks alright!! If it’s not done when I get home I’ll try removing the chicken and cooking the rest on high for a bit.
Hi! Am making this today, but need to cook it on low for 6-8 hours due to work hours…however, I am going to add the quinoa when I get home, and have it cook for an hour on high. Will see how it goes! Sounds delicious, and my boys have decided they really like quinoa!
Oh wow, I never thought about doing the quinoa later. That is a fantastic idea I love it! I’d love to hear how it all works out if you get a chance 🙂
Made this last night- ahhhhmazing! I loved that I already had everything on hand. Also whipped up some corn muffins to have on the side and the meal was delish! I am now binging on your site and printing off so many recipes!
Yay!!! Loved your comment, thanks so much Erin!! And corn muffins sound amazing on the side 🙂 Hope you love the other recipes 🙂
Has anyone tried it with rotel instead of spices and tomatoes?
I will try it tomorrow and let you know. I have sweet potatoes, and some of the recipe.
I made this and there was not enough liquid to classify this as a soup. Not sure if you added additional broth after cooking, but the quinoa soaks up all the liquid.
If you leave it in the slow cooker too long the quinoa does tend to absorb a lot of liquid but if you stop the cooking as soon as the chicken is cooked it should be pretty soupy. Otherwise feel free to add in some more broth. Hope that helps!
You were right about how easy it is to make substitutions with this one. I didn’t have chili seasoning so I used a packet of organic fajita seasoning. Had kidney beans instead of black beans and no quinoa on hand, but I did add some fresh broccoli toward the end of the cooking. It was delicious! We had surprise dinner guests, and they loved it too.
Best of all was how easy it was to throw everything together. Thank you!
This looks amazing! I am definitely going to give it a try in the coming weeks!