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. This sounds great and healthy. Do you think it will blend well to feed to a toddler? Thank you.
I’m sure it would. If it helps my 16 MO was able to eat this right out of the crockpot (after it had cooled). The vegetables and meat get quite tender.
I have leftover rotisserie chicken, do you think that would work instead of fresh chicken? This looks soo good!
Yep! I would probably add it later on though as to not dry it out any
Great pictures and excellent explanation / instructions! I love all the ingredients and will be making for the family soon.
Love this! Have made 2 weeks in a row…couple of things that I experienced:
•I cooked on low for 6 hours and it turned out perfectly…like a hearty stew rather than soup which is exactly how my family likes it.
•Only thing I added was some frozen corn kernels…great add!
•I froze some the first time around because I didn’t know how quickly we’d go thru it and it froze/thawed great. Tasted just like the unfrozen batch.
My only question is the 352 calories…is that for 1 cup…2cups…?
Thanks!
Hi Chelsea, I plan on making this for dinner tonight. Do you like that I could use dried lentils unstead of the beans?
Sorry Marissa, I haven’t had too much experience with cooking lentils in a slow cooker so I’m not sure.
What size can of tomatoes? Trying to make this yomorrow AM!
14.5 ounce can. Hope you love it 🙂
Delicious!!! I’m just about to start my second bowl right now. I added in a few dashes of hot sauce, and a little brown sugar and it was sooooo good. sweet and spicy. I found the recipe on pinterest, but now i’ll come directly to your site. YUMMMM
Hi Chelsea
Great recipe! Mine turned out a bit more like a stew than like a soup in your pictures….any suggestions to get it more soupy? (adding more liquid etc?)
Thanks!
Robyn
Hey Robyn! Thanks for taking the time to comment 🙂 A lot of the time it’s just a difference in slow cookers and the time it’s left to cook in the slow cooker. Hotter slow cooker + longer cook times = more stew-like. I would recommend a shorter cooking time if that’s possible and if not, just add a bit more chicken broth until it meets your desired consistency. Hope that helps!
Thank you SO much for posting this recipe. I made it for dinner last week and it was phenomenal. Like another poster mentioned, I added a little more of each spice because of personal preference, but overall, this was amazing!!
SO glad to hear it!! Thanks so much for taking the time to comment and review this one 🙂
So Good! I made this the first time several weeks ago. Since I am a household of one, I froze half to have for later. Can you believe when I unfroze it, it was even better the second time around?!
Also just tried the quiona chicken parmesean casserole and everyone wants your recipes! I am a “Chelsea’s Messy Apron” ambassador! LOL!
Well this comment made my day! 🙂 Thanks for the sweet words and I am so happy to hear you’ve tried a couple recipes and loved them 🙂 Also I am so glad to hear the results with freezing this one went so well!! Have a good one Jessica!