This black bean and sweet potato soup is a hearty vegetarian soup made with tender sweet potatoes, black beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, and warm spices. It’s an easy one-pot dinner that’s naturally filling, and perfect for busy weeknights, meal prep, or comforting fall and winter meals.

Black bean sweet potato soup garnished with sour cream and chopped cilantro in a bowl.

Even though we’re not a vegetarian family, this is one of those meatless dinners everyone happily eats. The combination of creamy sweet potatoes, hearty black beans, and smoky spices makes the soup satisfying enough that you won’t miss the meat.

It has all the comforting flavors of a hearty chili, but with a more brothy texture that makes it perfect for dipping crusty bread or scooping up with tortilla chips.

Quick Look at this Black Bean & Sweet Potato Soup Recipe

Ready In: About 40 minutes
Serves: 6
Flavors: Smoky, savory, slightly sweet
Equipment: Large soup pot or Dutch oven
Great For: Weeknight dinners, meal prep, meatless meals, or game day

What you’ll need for this recipe:

Here are a few helpful tips on some of the ingredients. For a full list, check out the recipe card below.

Sweet potatoes – How many you’ll need will depend on their size. You want about 3 cups of potatoes that are diced into one inch pieces. Orange-fleshed have a creamier texture and sweeter flavor than white ones.
Black beans – Canned is the quickest, and some of the liquid is going to help thicken the soup. You could also cook your own dried beans, but the soup will be a thinner texture.
Fire-roasted tomatoes – Fire-roasted tomatoes give the soup a deeper, slightly smoky flavor that pairs perfectly with cumin and chili powder.
Vegetable broth – Keeps this a vegetarian soup. If you’re not set on meatless recipe, chicken or beef broth also works.

How To Make Black Bean and Sweet Potato Soup

1. In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté for 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and sauté for another minute.

2. Add the sweet potatoes and seasonings, stirring often for 3–4 minutes. Toasting the spices before adding the broth helps deepen their flavor and gives the soup a richer taste.

Sweet potatoes, tomatoes and beans in a Dutch oven.

3. Stir in undrained black beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, and broth. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes until potatoes are tender.

4. Remove cover and cook another 10–15 minutes until soup has thickened.

Slow Cooker Version: Saute onion and garlic as in stovetop version. Then add everything to the crockpot and cook on Low 5–6 hours or High 2–3 hours. An easy weeknight soup to make when you want dinner waiting for you! Cut the sweet potatoes a little larger when using the slow cooker so they don’t get mushy during the longer cooking time.

Ladle of soup being scooped into a white ceramic bowl.

Serving Tips

This hearty black bean and sweet potato soup is satisfying on its own, but a few simple toppings and sides make it even better.

Topping ideas:

Fresh lime juice
Chopped cilantro
Sour cream or Greek yogurt
Diced avocado
Shredded cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Pepper Jack cheese
Crushed tortilla chips or tortilla strips
Sliced green onions
Pickled or fresh jalapeños

Serve it with:

Cornbread
Crusty artisan bread
A simple green salad
Tortilla chips with guacamole or salsa

Square photo of bowl of soup garnished with sour cream and chopped cilantro.

Recipe Tips

Cut the sweet potatoes into evenly sized 1-inch cubes so they cook at the same rate.
Leave some of the liquid from the canned black beans to naturally thicken the broth.
Simmer uncovered during the last 10–15 minutes for a richer, thicker soup.
Finish each bowl with a squeeze of fresh lime juice to brighten the smoky flavors.

Recipe Variations & Easy Swaps

Beans: Pinto or kidney beans will work just fine.
Veggies: Add spinach or corn during the last few minutes of cooking.
Spice: Use chipotle powder or a hot chili powder to give the soup some kick.
Frozen shortcut: Frozen sweet potato chunks will cook faster.
Protein: Add in shredded chicken, ground turkey, or sausage pieces. Cooked quinoa or lentils keep it vegetarian while still boosting the protein.

Storage & Reheating Tips

Refrigerator: Store in airtight containers 3–4 days. Perfect for meal prep lunches!

Freezer: Cool completely, then freeze in containers up to 3 months. Freeze in smaller containers for easy meals on the go. It works well to freeze soup in freezer bags laid flat, so they stack easily and thaw faster.

Reheating: Warm on the stove until simmering, or microwave in intervals until heated through.

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