Sweet Potato Enchilada Soup Recipe

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This sweet potato enchilada soup is easy to make, full of rich cheesy enchilada flavors, and SO cozy and comforting.

A few weeks ago, I found myself craving my old throwback cheesy chicken enchilada soup recipe from the blog.  But with no chicken in the house, and with a hungry vegetarian husband by my side, I decided to pivot and try adapting this soup with sweet potatoes instead.

And you guys — Barclay 100% flipped out over this soup.

Lol, we have literally made it no less than three times since because he loves it so much.  But this sweet potato enchilada soup (arguably more of a sweet potato chili?) has also been on our rotation lately because it’s made with simple pantry and refrigerator staples that you likely already have on hand.  It also keeps well in the freezer if you would like to make a batch for easy meal prep.  It’s naturally gluten-free and can also be made vegan, if you would like.  And best of all, it is just so incredibly flavorful and comforting and delicious.

If you’re anything like our family, I think you’re going to love it! ♡

Sweet Potato Enchilada Soup Ingredients:

Alright, let’s chat about the ingredients that you will need to make this vegetarian enchilada soup (see recipe below for amounts and detailed instructions):

• Avocado oil: Or olive oil, butter, or any neutral-flavored oil.
• Onion and garlic: To serve as the base for our broth.
• Chicken stock: Or veggie stock would work well too.
• Enchilada sauce: I am super-partial to my homemade enchilada sauce recipe, which can be easily whipped up in 20 minutes with ingredients from your pantry.  But if you want to save a step, you can use a 10-ounce can of store-bought enchilada sauce.
• Beans: One can of your favorite kind of beans (pinto, black, white, chickpeas, you choose).
• Diced tomatoes: I really love using fire-roasted diced tomatoes (plus their juices) in this enchilada soup, but regular diced tomatoes will be great too.
• Diced green chiles: One small can.
• Sweet potatoes: The smaller you dice your sweet potatoes, the faster they will cook.
• Cumin, salt and black pepper: To season the broth.
• Grated cheese: I typically use a sharp cheddar for this recipe, but Monterrey Jack, Pepperjack, or a Mexican blend will all work well!  As always when melting cheese into a soup, I recommend buying a block of cheese and grating it yourself so that it will melt more evenly into the soup.  (Pre-shredded cheeses tend to have a coating that prevents them from melting smoothly.)
• Toppings: The more, the merrier!  I’m partial to some combination of diced avocado (highly recommend), crumbled tortilla chips or strips, chopped fresh cilantro, extra shredded cheese, sour cream, and/or whatever else sounds good.

How To Make Enchilada Soup:

To make this cheesy sweet potato enchilada soup recipe, simply…

1. Sauté the veggies.  Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat.  Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.  Add garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fragrant.
2. Add the base soup ingredients.  Add the chicken stock, enchilada sauce, beans, diced tomatoes, green chiles, sweet potatoes, cumin, and stir to combine.  Continue cooking until the soup reaches a simmer.  Then reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain the simmer, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender.
3. Add the cheese. Stir in the cheese until it has completely melted.  Taste and season the soup with extra salt and pepper, if needed.
4. Serve. Serve warm, loaded up with all of your favorite toppings, and enjoy!

Possible Variations:

This soup recipe is incredibly versatile, so please feel free to experiment with ingredient swaps and make it your own!  For example, you are welcome to…

• Make it vegan.  Just omit the cheese — the soup is actually completely delicious on its own without the cheese!  (Or you could sprinkle some vegan shredded cheese as a topping.)
• Make it thicker.  If you would like this soup to have more of a thick chili consistency, see notes in the recipe below for optional thickeners (either using all-purpose flour, masa harina, or cornstarch).
• Make it spicy. Feel free to sauté a diced jalapeño or two with the veggies if you would like a spicier soup.
• Make it creamy.  Either in place of (or in addition to) the cheese, feel free to add 1/2 to 1 cup of half and half (or cream) to make this more of a creamy enchilada soup.
• Make it in the Crock-Pot. Just add all of the ingredients (minus the cheese) to the bowl of a large slow cooker.  Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-7 hours, until the sweet potatoes are tender.  Add the cheese and continue on with the recipe as directed.

More Favorite Soup Recipes:

Looking for more great Mexican soup and chili recipes?  Here are a few of my faves:

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