Sweet Potato Chowder

Last updated on October 10th, 2025 at 03:36 pm

Cozy up to a warm bowl of this creamy sweet potato chowder on a chilly evening. It’s loaded with tender sweet potato, crispy bacon and hearty kale.

It’s soup season y’all! This is one of my favorite seasons for cooking and, based on the feedback I get on my socials, it’s one of your favorites too!

This sweet potato chowder is a delicious and hearty spin on traditional sweet potato soup. Don’t get me wrong, I love sweet potato soup. But sometimes I want some texture, as it makes the soup more interesting and certainly more satisfying. And boy is this chowder satisfying and extra comforting!

Sweet potato chowder is loaded with crispy bacon, warming spices, and hearty kale for a pop of color and nutrients. It can be made with cream or coconut milk for a dairy free option and either way is comforting and delicious.

This sweet potato chowder can be served as an appetizer, with a side salad or sandwich or on its own as the main course. I ate this sweet potato chowder for dinner with a side of pumpkin bread and it was an idyllic fall meal. The leftovers were fantastic, too!

Ingredients

Bacon: adds a smoky flavor and great crunchy texture.
Aromatics: onions, shallots and garlic provide a flavorful base for this soup.
Sweet potato: only half of the soup is blended to provide a thick creamy base but also chunks of sweet potato for texture.
White wine: to deglaze the pan.
Vegetable stock: the base for this soup.
Cream: light or heavy cream to make this chowder creamy.
Kale: I think the heartiness of the kale holds up well with a chowder. I remove all the stems, chop it up and let it wilt down so it is tender.
Spices: cumin, coriander, cayenne, thyme, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and pepper give this soup a warming mild curry flavor.

How to Make Sweet Potato Chowder

Heat a large dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook on both sides until crispy. If necessary, cook the bacon in batches. Remove the bacon from the pot and drain on a paper towel lined plate. Once cool, chop the bacon.

To the remaining bacon fat in the pot, add onion, garlic and shallots and sauté until soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the cumin, coriander, cayenne, nutmeg, cinnamon and thyme. Stir spices into vegetables and allow the spices to toast for one minute.

Next, deglaze the pot with white wine. Add the cubed sweet potato, give everything a good toss and then add the vegetable stock.

Bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender.

Transfer half of the soup to a blender and blend until smooth. Add the blended soup back to the pot and stir. Taste and adjust seasonings accordingly.

Add the cream or coconut milk, chopped bacon and chopped kale. Cook an additional 2-3 minutes to allow kale to wilt. Serve immediately.

Substitutions

• Bacon: you can also use turkey bacon. If so, you may want to add oil or butter to sauté the onions, garlic and shallot.
• Shallot: Use an extra 1/4 onion in place of the shallot.
• White Wine: If you do not want to use wine, you can use a 1/3 cup vegetable stock or water to deglaze the pot.
• Kale: Use 2 packed cups of spinach in place of kale. Remove soup from the heat before adding spinach. The residual heat will cook the spinach.
• Cayenne: The amount of cayenne in this recipe creates a mild heat. For no heat, omit cayenne. For more heat, add an additional 1/4 tsp at a time until desired heat is reached.
• Dairy free option: Use one can of coconut milk.
• Vegan Option: Omit bacon and use coconut milk for a vegan sweet potato chowder.

More Recipes You’ll Love

• Butternut Squash Lasagna
• Leek, Potato and Cauliflower Soup
• Roasted Tomato Soup
• Chicken Enchilada Soup
• Chicken Pot Pie with Buttermilk Biscuits

As always, if you make this Sweet Potato Chowder please let me know by commenting/rating below. If you take a picture, tag me on Instagram @thechowdown. I love seeing your recreations!