SWEET POTATO WHITE BEAN CURRY SOUP
Most people who know me really well know that there are 2 things that I really love to do….cook and clean. Now, I realize that making that statement probably makes me sound like the epitome of a boring, domestic housewife. Haha! However, those aren’t the only things I love to do, obviously. But I actually do find immense joy in cleaning and having a really clean house (thanks Mom!). I really love to vacuum, like……a lot. Boring, I know, but just ask my best friend how much I vacuumed growing up as we hung out together. She still is scarred from all my vacuuming sessions, hahaha!
So, what is my point to this? Well, for Christmas, the gifts that I received were cleaning tools and kitchen spices, lol! Does my family know me or what? Well, one of the gifts my Mom gave me was a large collection of Penzey’s spices. Let me tell you, they are fabulous. Potent, aromatic, flavorful and just amazing. I was so excited. The “Now Curry” and their dried minced garlic (best on the planet!) really were my favorites. I cannot recommend ordering their stuff enough….or just simply see if there is a location in your area. So, this curry powder was just begging to be the star of a new recipe.
I have used a McCormick brand curry before and it’s certainly fine to use here, however it doesn’t have the kick of heat or intense, fresh flavor as much as the “Now Curry” from Penzey’s that I used, so I would definitely recommend to use a good curry powder or you may need to add a pinch of cayenne to your dish. This curry contains 15 different spices in it, so it is pretty amazing. The McCormick brand contains 12, but it is missing the cinnamon and is less spicy, so the flavor is somewhat different.
I let that curry powder speak to me and with the flavors of ginger and cinnamon, I knew that the sweetness of sweet potatoes sounded like they would be an amazing compliment to further enhance those flavors. I added some white beans for an extra hearty, creamy touch and therefore, it is incredibly filling and full of feel good ingredients. To finish off this awesomeness, I topped it with roasted broccoli right before serving. I don’t like to add broccoli to soups typically to cook in, because they tend to get more soggy than I like. Adding the roasted broccoli gives it a bit more flavor.
Update: If you can’t find this curry powder, don’t fret, you can make my Easy Homemade Curry Spice Blend.
This Sweet Potato and White Bean Curry Soup with Roasted Broccoli is so healthy, as it is vegan, dairy-free, oil-free, gluten-free and low-fat. So, it basically covers most allergies. Now, I know a lot of traditional curries use coconut milk…well I cannot stand the taste of coconut in my food. I can handle a slight taste of it in desserts, but I find coconut to be so strong and overpowering and did not want that here. Instead, I used cashew cream….oh my goodness, heavenly. The whole soup is just 8 easy ingredients (+salt and water). It really couldn’t be simpler. The whole meal comes together in less than an hour.
I hope you all enjoy this Sweet Potato and White Bean Curry Soup! As always, I really love hearing from you all, so please drop me feedback below after you make it!
If you are a fan of broccoli cheese soup, then be sure to try out my reader fav Vegan Sweet Potato Broccoli Cheese Soup!
Sweet Potato and White Bean Curry Soup with Roasted Broccoli
Ingredients
CASHEW CREAM
- 1/3 cup (58g) raw cashews
- 2/3 cup water
FOR THE SOUP
- 3 cups (244g) frozen broccoli florets
- 4 cups low-sodium veggie broth or water
- 1 packed cup (160g) packed cup finely diced yellow onion
- 3-4 x-large garlic cloves minced (15g, about 1 1/2 tbsps)
- 3 heaping cups (450g) peeled & chopped 1/2 inch chunks sweet potato
- 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons fine salt (1 1/2 tsp if using broth, 2 tsp for water)
- 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons Penzey's Now Curry powder OR my HOMEMADE SPICE BLEND (SEE NOTE BELOW)
- Two 15 oz cans cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
- 1/4 cup (60g) tomato paste
- 1 cup cashew cream (if allergic to cashews, sub full-fat creamy coconut milk, not a light plant milk or water, or the soup will be too runny/watery! Please note that I have only tested this with cashew cream)
Instructions
- First, you will need to make your cashew cream. If you do not have a high-powered blender, soak your cashews overnight in lukewarm water. Drain, rinse and add to a blender (I used my Vitamix, unsoaked) and add the 2/3 cup water. Blend until completely smooth and no bits remain. Set aside.
- Next, you will roast you broccoli. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Spread your broccoli out and season well with salt and pepper. Bake 15 minutes or until just beginning to see the tips browning. Depending on your oven or the size of your broccoli florets, it may need longer, up to 10-15 minutes. The frozen ones I buy are always relatively small florets.
- While your broccoli is roasting, you will prepare the soup, which comes together pretty quickly. Add your chopped onion and garlic and the 4 cups water to a large pot. Turn to high heat and bring to a boil, once boiling, let cook for 5 minutes.
- Then add the sweet potatoes, salt and curry powder. Stir well and reduce the heat to medium-low and cover with a lid. Cook for 10 minutes.
Add the beans, tomato paste and 1 cup of the cashew cream and stir well. Turn back to medium and bring back to a simmer and cook another 5-10 minutes or so until it has thickened up some and the potatoes are tender. Taste and adjust salt or spices if needed. If you want it spicier, add a pinch of cayenne pepper.
- Your broccoli should be done by now. Top the soup with the broccoli and serve.
Recipe Notes
Regarding the curry powder, as stated above in my post, the Penzey's "Now Curry" is more potent, contains 15 spices and is more spicy, so if you can't find it or are not using it, make sure to use a good yellow curry powder. I recommend my homemade or the McCormick brand is a good sub, as it has similar spices in it, but it is definitely less spicy and not the exact same taste, so your ratio will be different. With the Penzey's being much spicier, 1 tablespoon may be plenty spicy for you. I did 1 tbsp + 1/2 teaspoon of Penzey's. If using a mine or the McCormick, you can probably use the full 1 1/2 tablespoons to make sure you get enough flavor and spice. Start out with 1 tablespoon and add more if needed.
Wow this is my kind of soup! I could eat soups, everyday! This recipe looks so delicious and inviting! Love that you use cashew cream, this adds smooch creaminess to the recipe. The addition of the broccoli and cannellini beans are just marvelous! Amazing recipe as always! Now I’m hungry and craving a big bowl!
Thank you so much Florian! Yes, I thought adding the roasted broccoli would be a nice touch, it was super yummy on top!
More soup!! And curry <3 Curry of all kinds if just the best!
Haha, that's what I got for Christmas this year! Cooking things and cleaning things (i.e. a Dustbuster!!! I am obsessed with sucking up ever crumb and piece of lint I find!)
Hey, remember I said I live on soup during the winter and it’s my favorite food haha! So funny, you sound like me then!
We have a Penzey’s close by and its my splurge shopping trip like some girls buy shoes….I buy food products to experiment with. ?
Can’t agree with you on loving to clean but clutter and dirt, usually from others..can keep me up at night till the house is organized again so I relate ?
I know, right? Kitchen shopping is so much more fun than clothes for me too!
Wow looks stunning. That sounds so perfect right now. I will try it with the coconut and see how it comes out. I have actually never had a true curry I use the spices all the time but I have never had something with coconut milk in it so I will be learning for the first time if I like that flavor combination. But I could seriously go for a big bowl of that right now it looks so good. And don’t worry I don’t think you are boring 😉 hahaha
Thank you so much Christina! I think it will still be delicious with the coconut milk, it’s just not my favorite, but it IS more traditional with curries, my version is not, lol. Either way, it should be creamy and yummy, I hope you love it!
I’m not vegan but enjoy veggies very much. My daughter and daughter in law have various food allergies so I’m always on the hunt for tasty recipes. I made this soup using coconut milk instead of the cashews, as nuts are an issue for the girls. It came out great! The one change I made was I used the entire little can of tomato paste as it is an easy way to sweeten up the curry just a touch.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Helen! Thank you so much for the feedback! Yes, the coconut milk is not nearly as sweet as cashew cream, so a little extra tomato paste is a good idea. Thank you1
Dearest Brandi . . . please forgive me for being so “familiar” in addressing you as “Dearest”, but that’s honestly how I feel about you. And no, I’m not a “stalker”, so don’t be scared!!!…haha!!…..let me explain a bit……The truth about me is that I am a very expressive, emotional guy, and I don’t “hold back” when I think and feel something (about pretty much ANYTHING!). You have such a MAGNIFICENT talent and creativity with these fantastic recipes, even though I have not yet tried them (I’m a cook, too, and I KNOW they’re gonna be UNBELIEVABLY DELICIOUS!), and your whole mindset with sharing your healthy recipes and techniques (as well as your GORGEOUS photos!!!) is so much like my own mindset, that, even though we’re total strangers, I just can’t help but call you “DEAREST BRANDI”, because you and your focus on healthy eating are so ABSOLUTELY DEAR to me, EVEN at this point, before I’ve even tried your recipes yet. And I can see that EVERYBODY ELSE on your website here feels EXACTLY THE SAME, even if they haven’t quite expressed it in this way. I can hardly WAIT to try ALL of your recipes, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH for them, and you are, indeed, DEAREST to us all!!!!………sincerely, Daryl
PS: I decided to go ahead and “rate” this recipe even though I haven’t tried it yet. I want to order that curry you recommend because I TRUST your opinion, and I only have the McCormick curry available around here (and in my cupboard!), and I agree WHOLEHEARTEDLY that it is definitely LACKING something. So, when that comes in the mail, I will IMMEDIATELY make this, and I just KNOW I’m gonna give it a 5-star rating…..to, here it is, “in advance”!….haha!
Wow Daryl! What an incredibly kind comment you left, I’m stunned at how sweet you are, thank you so much! I truly appreciate you taking the time to leave such kind words and I’m so happy you love my site and recipes. I can’t wait to hear what you think of the recipe when you do make it! And yes, the Penzey’s curry really is amazing, it has such a stronger, fresher taste than the average supermarket curry. Thank you so much again for your thoughfulness! 🙂
Hi there! I LOVE Penzeys. Just thought I’d share that my fave curry from them is Maharaja Style Curry. I’ve given it as gifts a billion times (ok, that’s probably impossible, but a lot). All of their curries, though, are a step above, as you mention. Hope your readers try them!
Oh thank you so much for sharing Ashley! I will definitely have to try that one as well then! I’m so glad to hear that so many readers love Penzey’s and are familiar with them!
Brandi this soup sounds wonderful. Especially with all the rain here, i’m on a soup kick, as you know since i made your tomato bisque =) I could totally go for a bowl of this today!
I think it’s probably obvious I’m on a soup kick too, haha! But hey, it’s winter and what I live on! Thank you!
I am now imagining you breaking out the vacuum in the middle of sleepovers, you know just some casual girls night cleaning hahahaha! That’s hilarious, but I am also a little jealous because I wish I loved vacuuming since with my furry dog its mandatory quite often. But high quality spices are actually a really neat gift! And leads to beautiful blog recipes. This looks delicious! I love curry, but I’m not very good at making it especially not with actual curry powder instead of paste. And the broccoli on top idea sounds perfect, I hate that limp dull brown overcooked broccoli situation that can happen otherwise. A perfect recipe for right now in the heart of cozy soup season 🙂
hahaha, seriously, my best friend used to get so annoyed with me! We still laugh about it this day! For some reason, I always have the most energy in the middle of the night and can you believe I’m still that way today, even though I’m almost 41 years old?! Haven’t change one bit, lol!
I know, right? That’s why I always roast my broccoli and then add it, no room or chance for soggy, limp broccoli then!
I made this today and it was VERY yummy and oh so EASY! It really came together quickly and has so many good-for-us foods, broccoli, beans, sweet potatoes, curry (think turmeric) and cashews. AND no oil! Hubby loved it too. This will definitely be one of our go-to soups from now on!!! Thank you!!!!
I’m so happy to hear you made it already and loved it Victoria! Thank you so much for leaving feedback, I really appreciate it! And I agree, it’s so healthy and good for us, I wanted a feel-good soup!
I admire a really clean house, even if I can’t quite pull it off myself. And I also love Penzey’s Spices. When we lived in Wisconsin, I used to love going to the Penzey’s store to buy my spices. We have one here in Seattle, but it’s inconvenient to get to, so I don’t go as often. I recently acquired a jar of Now Curry, and your soup looks like the perfect recipe to try it with. I’m a big fan of adding cashew cream to my soups, too!
Oh wonderful, this soup sounds like it’s perfect for you then! Let me know after you try it, thank you Andrea!
So you know how much I love you and your food. And this look gorgeous! But I am going to have to love it from afar…I just can’t do curry. But I promise to pass this on to ALL my curry loving friends! I love how you didn’t use coconut milk, nice one 🙂
Haha, aww thanks so much girl! And yes, I understand, I know how much you “love” curry, lol!
Well we all have something right? LOL
I love this! I hate most curries because they’re so high-fat and I don’t enjoy coconut milk in mine either! This looks fabulous. I’m headed to the store tomorrow and will pick up some white beans to make this. Thank you for the delicious recipe. Sweet potatoes are like my daily dessert!!:)
Thank you so much Heather! I agree, they almost all contain coconut milk, but I LOVE cashew cream a million times better and it really complimented the curry flavor well, since it has a slight sweetness to it! 🙂
I’m totally laughing about the vacuuming! Haha!! I LOVE anything kitchen related, so I’d be pretty stoked to get spices for a gift! That curry seasoning blend sounds wonderful. I’m a huge fan of curry anything, so I’m obviously in love with this recipe already. And topping it with roasted broccoli is even better!!! YUM! Looks fantastic, my friend!! xo
I know, I probably sound so boring, haha! But, hey, just keeping it real! I hope you try this girl and love it! 🙂
Yummmmmmmmm! This soup looks amazing Brandi, I love anything curry flavoured – so this soup sounds incredible! Love the addition of white beans too, I definitely don’t use them enough at home. I can’t wait to try this recipe 🙂
Thank you so much sweet Harriet!! I know curries typically have chickpeas and coconut milk, but I had to go with what I would love personally and this sure made my tummy happy! The white beans made it more creamy and cashew cream made it slightly sweeter!
yummm this looks so warming! it’s freezing here -3 today! so this would be perfect! and that broccoli on top is calling my name! 😉
Haha, love seeing what your family got you for Christmas! It sounds very similar to my gifts :).
And that soup……I’m ready to make a big pot right now.
I adore curries! I’m definitely checking out that sauce~
I am hooked on soups now, seriously! Made sweet potato soup over the weekend and was amazing, so will give your one a go too. As always Brandi stunning photos xxx
So sweet of you Hedi, thank you so much! xx
This soup is just the thing. Curry powder is so unique.. I love Ship’s brand which is an old brand we get here in India. McCormick is also OK – one plus is it is readily available in small towns too…
Roasting the broccoli is a plus. As soups go, I’d call this a special occasion soup because there’s so much happening! ?
Awesome, thanks!
I’m loving the cashew cream in this
I absolutely love curry. It’s great in the summer or the winter. We must have the same brain because I just posted a yellow curry potato soup today! This sounds so good with the sweet potatoes and white beans. I have to try it.
And too funny about your vacuum obsession. I used to vacuum twice a day when we had our lab, Guinness. I hated it! But when he passed away and I didn’t need to vacuum as often I missed it. Obviously it was him that I missed, but the vacuum made me feel a litter closer to him.
Thank you so much Linda! Yes, the white beans make it extra creamy and of course the sweet potatoes give a great balance of sweetness with the spicy curry. It was so good!
Aww, I’m so sorry to hear about your dog. 🙁 I still miss our Doberman!
This is such a perfect winter-time soup. Hearty and chunky. Just the way I like it.
Thank you, so glad you liked it!
That’s 2 for 2 with your soup recipes. Made this tonight and previously the Tomato Bisque. Both are awesome! Already posted a pic on IG and tagged you. Thanks for sharing your delicious recipes!
Wonderful Mikey! I’m so happy to hear it was a hit!
This soup looks fabulous! I can’t wait to make it tonight.
Awesome Kathy! Can’t wait to hear!
I love curry! And this soup looks so super creamy and cozy! Love it!
Thanks Jenn!
mmm yum! This soup sounds perfect for this cold weather! Warming, healthy and with some curry…just how I like it 🙂 Wonderful recipe, Brandi!
This soup looks so comforting, Brandi! I love curry! 🙂
Thank you Sina, it’s very comforting!
This looks so good Brandi! I love creamy soups like this. I just got that same Penzy’s curry powder for Christmas, can’t wait to try it!
It’s the best curry powder!
Just made thus tonight and it is delicious! I left off the broccoli cuz I didn’t have any but it would be yummy for next time. Thanks for posting delicious food all the time!
Just wondering if you really roast the broccoli from frozen, or do you thaw it first? Would love to think you can just toss the frozen stuff in the oven….
Hi Carrie! Yes, straight from the freezer! ? Cone back and let me know what you think!
Made it tonight – As with ALL your dishes, IT ROCKED! I absolutely love your recipes – They are nearly ‘fool-proof!’
I used Trader Joe’s curry powder because that’s all I had (other than some fancy garam masala…maybe that next time?). Even my 4 AND 5 yr olds loved it…win!
One caveat: roasting frozen broccoli for 15min at 375 was not long enough – I added 10min more.
Thanks!!
Sam
Hi Sam! Wow, thank you so much for the awesome feedback and kind words, I really appreciate it! Loved reading it. Even better that the kiddos loved it, yes! Oh, and sure, if your broccoli needed more then go for it. Mine is always just right at 15 mins everytime, but ovens vary, so definitely just do what is best. Thanks again!
This looks amazing…and so many fun add-ins! White beans (my fav!!), cashew cream…even the broccoli on top! YUM!
Thank you so much Danielle!
I had this soup last night and it was simply incredible. I used the Penzey’s Now Curry and the soup had so much flavor, and the flavor was simply perfect. Yum. I loved the flavor contrast that the sweet potatoes and beans gave the soup. I have been sick for several days so the soup was so comforting to eat and of course delicious. Another perfect recipe Brandi. I am always anxiously awaiting your next recipe post, I actually get excited when a new one comes out 🙂
Thank you so much Christina! I’m so very happy you loved this soup so much and it helped to make you feel better, thank you so much for making it!! Thank you for your kind words, so sweet!
I’m late to this soup party but here are a few comments running through my head…”how can something this great be so easy to make” and “how did I live without this soup” and “I hope Brandi never stops blogging” and “I have to call Lisa now” (my BFF) and “life just keeps getting better on a WFPB eating plan.”
Thanks Brandi, I am such a fan of your work!
Awww Judy, that is just the best feedback ever!! Thank you so much for such a kind comment and I’m so happy you love this soup so much! I always aim to have my recipe be both amazing in flavor, yet easy and simple too, so I’m glad that you said that, thank you!
Hi!!
can you link to the garlic your referring to at Pensy’s? they have a couple and I want to get the “best on the planet”! 🙂
thanks….can’t wait to try this!!
susan
Hi Susan! Sure, here is the link to their minced garlic! You can peruse their site for other stuff as well. I really, really love their roasted garlic powder too, omg, it’s amazing! https://www.penzeys.com/online-catalog/garlic-minced/c-24/p-1006/pd-s
Let me know what you think after you make the soup!
hi Brandy,
thanks so much for the info. I am ordering now 🙂 Can’t wait to make the soup and the roasted red pepper sauce (over the rice and broccoli )….OMG, looks yum!
ps…..have you ever used the IntantPot, electric pressure cooker? just curious, because I’m trying to make rice in that and not having luck . I love rice and need to find a better way of getting “just right” fluffy rice 🙂 help !!!
thanks for such great recipes!!
susan
You are so welcome Susan! I can’t wait to hear what you think of both recipes! Be sure to come back and rate them after, that means so much and helps me out!
I don’t have an instantPot, but I do have a steamer pot thing and it is tricky because the manual doesn’t say how much water to use, or well, what they suggest doesn’t work, so last time I had to guess and ended up with the most amazing rice I’ve ever had. But I do it on the stovetop all the time now. The trick is to use LESS water than the packages on rice suggest. They always suggest a 1 to 2 ratio of rice to water, which just results in overly wet sticky rice. For example, on the curry rice recipe I just posted yesterday, for white rice, instead of a 1 to 2 ratio, I did 1 cup rice to 1 1/2 cups water and it resulted in fluffy amazingness. Brown rice requires a bit more water than white or it can get crunchy. All brown rices are different too, so I would suggest using a jasmine brown rice, it gives the best texture. Use 1 cup rice and 1 1/2 cups water, at the most 1 3/4 cups water, 1/4 teaspoon salt and it should be much more fluffy. Hope that helps!
This soup was delicious and I used off brand curry. Roasting broccoli was a little too much work for a taste I didn’t really care for, but still a great soup. I wanted to put it all in a blender and puree it. Thank you Brandi.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Shawn! Oh really, wow, roasted broccoli is like my favorite thing ever, haha! But if you don’t like roasted broccoli, then just leave it out or puree it into the soup 🙂
Wow! This soup was absolutely amazing. So rich and flavorful, it’s hard to believe it’s healthy! I used coconut milk because I didn’t plan ahead and soak my cashews, but to me it was still perfect. I always count on your recipes to be some of my favorites! Thank you and keep up the great work!
Thank you so very much Lisa for the awesome feedback! This is my favorite soup recipe, too! Thank you for your kind words 🙂
I made this with sautéed broccoli and included the cashew cream. I used curry powder I picked up in India. We absolutely loved this soup- in in fact we are eating it for the 3rd day in a row!!!
Thank you so much Ruth, so happy to hear that! Would you mind star rating the recipe as well, that helps me out so much! THank you!
Could you use curry paste in place of powder?
Hi Jade, curry paste has a completely different flavor profile than the curry powder, so I wouldn’t recommend it here since I wrote this recipe based off using the powder. The curry powders can be found at any grocery store or I also provide a link to make it yourself if you prefer.
I dont have cananelli beans. Would chickpeas work?
Yes, definitely! Please come back and star rate the recipe after you make it please, thank you!
Just finished eating this and my tummy is happy! I just threw all the ingredients (except for the broccoli) in the instant pot and cooked for 10 minutes. I can’t wait until your cookbook comes out!
Yay Judy!! So thrilled to hear that, thank you for the lovely review!
Best Curry I’ve ever made! Thank you for creating such an amazing perfect curry recipe!
I’m amazed mine came out so perfectly considering my scale was acting up when I made your curry spice blend! I will definitely make this more often!
I made my beans from scratch and steamed the broccoli. Since the curry with the sweet potatoes was in an extra large skillet, I just dished everything up separately into each persons bowl because there was no more room in the skillet to put the beans!
Thank you so much for your time and talent creating these amazing recipes on your blog! It’s helped me stay on track with my plant based lifestyle.
Wow, thank you Jeanette for this amazing review!! This is my favorite curry soup of all time and so glad you l loved it that much too!! Oh it’s fine to just use tablespoons for the curry blend, that will be more accurate in smaller measurements than the scale. So you are fine there!
Oh and if you could leave a star rating by clicking the stars, that is so helpful too! You’ll have to comment again for it to go through, thank you!
Made this soup last night and was so happy with how quickly it came together. I’ve never roasted frozen broccoli before, but I love how it didn’t dry out! What a creative idea. The flavors in this soup are awesome. Too spicy for my kids, but that’s okay. 🙂
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review Amanda, I’m so happy you loved the soup! Yes, this is too spicy for my daughter too, haha!
I’ve made this 3 or 4 times now and it has become one of my favourite soups. So easy and tasty.
So very happy to hear that Anita!