What’s not to love about an easy slow cooker soup featuring fall flavors and easy leftovers? This is one of the many soups I like to make and then freeze in individual portions for school (or work!) lunches. And we all know how soups can be even better leftover.
The suggested sage topping is definitely an extra step in this recipe, but oh-so-worth it. And once you get the process down of making brown buttered sage leaves you’ll find they make a great addition to other fall soups and pasta dishes as well! Enjoy :)
Slow Cooker Sweet Potato and Apple Soup
Ingredients
- 1/2 onion, large, diced
- 1 lb potatoes, white, scrubbed clean and cut into 1 inch pieces with the skin left on, 2 small or 1 large
- 1 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes, scrubbed clean and cut into 1 inch pieces with the skin left on, 3 small or 2 large
- 2 apples, cut into 1" pieces with the skin left on
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups chicken broth, can sub with vegetable broth/stock)
- 4 tablespoons butter, divided
- 3/4 cup sage, fresh, cut into strips (using culinary scissors or a knife)
Instructions
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In the bottom of a slow cooker put in the onion, potatoes, apples, garlic, and salt. Pour the chicken broth/stock (or vegetable broth/stock) over top.
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Turn the slow cooker onto high and cook for 5 hours.
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Puree the hot soup either in batches in a countertop blender or by just sticking a hand immersion blender right into your slow cooker (recommended).
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Stir in 2 tablespoons of the butter.
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In a medium sized pan over medium heat melt the other 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the sage leaves and cook while stirring until butter browns and leaves are crisp, about 1-2 minutes. Top soup with brown buttered sage and serve immediately.
Tip: Freeze leftover soup in individual servings for an easy lunch.
Recipe Notes
We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
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Can you recommend a substitution for the white potatoes? More sweet potatoes?
Looks delish! Thanks!
You could try more sweet potatoes or go with parsnips or butternut squash as a Facebook reader recommended. We’ve not tried those combinations but they sound good to me. :) – Jason
Yes I did. I cubed and peeled it and followed the rest of the recipe as normal.
I just made this with butternut squash instead of potatoes and it was FANTASTIC!
Pandora
Did you peel the squash?
Yum! Any (non-processed) recommendations for butter substitution? Thanks!
Hello Christina. We use coconut oil as a sub for butter in many recipes. I am not sure how it would work in this one, however. ~Amy
Could you let this soup go for longer than five hours? Low setting for eight??
Beth – We’ve not tried it but I assume you could.
What would this be like without the butter??
Cathy – Do you mean without the butter, or without the browned buttered sage leaves? During development we tried with no butter, and it was not balanced. We added the butter and it definitely rounded out the flavor. So it’s certainly worth making without the sage leaves. BUT it’s much mo’ betta that way! – Jason
Okay, I was trying to “veganize” this for a friend who would LOVE this and I don’t know anything about vegan substitutes for butter. I kind of assumed the butter would add more to the texture than to the taste. Thanks for the input!
My daughter is allergic to dairy. You can try Earth Balance or Smart Balance buttery spread to get the buttery flavor into the soup. It’s quite processed and not very “real” but it works.
Cathy, my daughter is allergic to GMOs. Have you tried organic dairy? We use Earth Balance also though I have never cooked with it. We also use earth Balance Mayo.
To everyone who doesnt want the butter, are you aware that butter is ok? it actually helps in the digestion process. you can ask questions on the facebook page, Butter Believer, or read about butter on the Westin A. Price website!! Its great!
FYI the only reason we considered no butter at first is we always try to makes recipes as simple as possible (with as few ingredients as possible). We use plenty of good butter around here.
A lot of us don’t want the butter as we are vegan. Vegans don’t consume or use any animal products.
While I understand that butter is nutritionally sound, I am forced to avoid it due to a milk allergy, and thought my standby of organic coconut oil might change the flavor too much.
You could try Spectrum Organic refined coconut oil. I use that sometimes because my boyfriend can’t stand the taste of coconut oil. Depending on your allergy, you could also try Ghee. This is clarified butter, but it claims to have no lactose or casein at all. I’ve also been wondering how the soup would taste with bacon fat…
Could you sub avocados for the butter or would that drastically chand the flavor/texture?
Hi Alyssa. I don’t think an avocado substitution will work here. This is coming from someone who puts them in everything! :) ~Amy
Does this lean more sweet or more savory? I’ve never made a savory dish with apples but it looks delicious!
Hi Kelly. It is savory. ~Amy
What kind of apples do you like for this?
We normally have honey crisp or gala in our house, so I’m sure we used one of those.
For those trying to veganize this dish, try substituting coconut oil for the butter. It has the same results as butter in dishes and provides essential fats as well. I have had great results with it. :)
It is apple picking time down here in GA. Your soup looks great yummy! I have been adding apples to everything lately. Love me some butter. Especially Kerry Gold.
I made caramelized apple/onions with Thyme and had it on top of farm raised roast pork. :)
Has anyone tried this on the stove top? This sounds delicious….thanks for another fabulous recipe!
Kristen – It would work on the stove top if you simmer for a long time (until potatoes are tender).
Made this tonight! Smells and tastes amazing. Couldn’t find safe leaves- but it’s still great and perfect for fall!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Sweet potatoes are one of the few things all four of my kids like, and I love a slow cooker meal where I can be done with making dinner before they all get home from school! This looks great!
I can’t wait to give this a try. Butter and all!!
Made this last night without the sage leaf topping (didn’t have them on hand) and it was amazing. I added some black pepper and extra salt to taste. So simple and yet so good! Thanks for another great recipe!
Yummy! I saw the post first thing this morning, had all ingredients on-hand, and so I made it! I have to admit, I am not the best at following directions when it comes to cooking and this time I left out the butter – I still think the flavors are robust and delicious. I tweaked it just a little by adding a little nutmeg and cinnamon, which are my go-to spices for fall soups. Thanks!
So glad you could modify it in a way that suits you :)
Made this tonight with butternut squash substituted for the white potatoes-mmmmmmm. Delish. Also used light butter.
I made this last night and subbed butternut squash for the white potatoes. Yummy! Even my picky 3 year old liked it. :)
I will try this. I was just diagnosed with “Fatty Liver” and I HAVE to set my mind to healing it and my stomach – this is one of my ways to begin. I have to cut out all processed foods, I HAVE to eat REAL FOODS and spend my time preparing them. I am a senior citizen living on a very fixed income and this month found that I can live on $135 a month using up some meat I have in my freezer. I will continue this until my freezer stash is used up and then I will (beginning the second Wednesday of October) eat only real food – more fruits and veggies, drinking more water that I produce using my Britta pitcher instead of buying bottled water and cooking more from scratch. Since I love soup, this will be one of my first new recipes to make and put into individual servings in the freezer. I also love barley & beef, green pea with carrots, chicken (I put the noodles in after defrosting) and corn chowder. They freeze well. I will make this soup and when I need it, defrost, zap it to boiling, put it in my little soup thermos and have it for lunch along with a “bring with me salad”, at the senior center on a day they are having a starch heavy, gravy loaded meal. Thank you!
My favorite soups are definitely pureed vegetable soups. Remind me of living in Spain, my host mom would make these soups so often. She never used this combo for sure – usually carrots, broccoli, potato, leek, etc. Looking forward to it and have an immersion blender EXACTLY for this purpose!
Wonderful! Used all fresh produce from my CSA share this week. I threw in some cut up bosc pears as well and added a bit of curry and apple cider to the stock…
I just made this following the recipe except I cooked it on the stove instead of in the slow cooker. It turned out great! Very yummy and I haven’t added the sage yet. I look forward to that addition tomorrow. Today is Sunday so I cooked several items this afternoon for the week ahead…This soup is a keeper, especially if you enjoy fall flavors.
Could you sub butter with avocados? Would that be wierd?
“You could try more sweet potatoes or go with parsnips or butternut squash as a Facebook reader recommended. We’ve not tried those combinations but they sound good to me. :) – Jason”
I should try squash instead of white potato and more of sweet potato. The combinations sound good to me as well. Thanks
Totally trying this!! Looks delicious!
does this really need to be blended at the end? I am currently without a blender but this sounds really good. I would guess the blending part is mainly to smooth out the potatoes so w/o blending it would be a ‘chunky’ soup?
Hi Casey. It would be chunky without the blending. ~Amy
I’d like to make this soup today, but I have no white potatoes. Is there a substitute I could use or would it be okay to just leave them out? I will substitute butternut squash for the sweet potatoes. I’m not very good at improvising recipes! I also don’t have fresh sage leaves. Of course, I find this recipe AFTER I’ve been to the grocery store today! I don’t have time for a 2nd trip. Thanks!
Hi Caroline. We are rarely able to answer reader questions in real time. I hope you had good luck with your soup! ~Amy
Thanks, Amy! I didn’t end up making it, so if you have any suggestions for substitutes at anytime, that would be helpful!
Hi Again. Another reader suggested parsnips. You might try that. And, you can leave out the sage leaves but as Jason mentioned it is better with them. :) ~Amy
Just made this on my stove for lunch (& leftovers) and it’s delicious! Perfect day for it!
Thanks :)
Hi Libby, How long did you let this cook when you make it on the stove? (wondering if it is quicker than the slow cooker)
Hi Amy, I cooked the onions first then threw everything in for about 20 minutes or until I thought everything was soft. Didn’t take long at all but the crockpot is nice if you have to leave for the day! I did it both ways and it was great!
I meant to give five stars! Replying from my phone and it’s picky :)
I made this today by subbing the white potatoes with butternut squash. I felt the flavor was still missing something after I added the butter, so I added about a teaspoon of cayenne pepper and dried thyme. I think I’ll have a BLT with it for dinner. Thanks for the inspiration!
Made this for dinner this evening and I have to admit I was rather disappointed. It was a little bland and I felt like it was missing something. Love 100 Days of Real Food, but won’t be making this again.
Wonderful! I substituted the white potatoes with a hakkaido pumpkin/squash and used 4 medium-sized garlic cloves. This is Definately a keeper! Will serve with a sprinkle of nutmeg or all spice.
I can’t wait to try this! It will be perfect for a simple soup & salad dinner w/friends :-) Lisa & friends, you are a true blessing to those of us trying so hard to eat real food in a processed food culture. Thanks for the encouragement!
This was delicious and so simple! Such a layering of different flavors and the crispy, buttered sage was great. Unfortunately, our 4 yr old didn’t care for it (& she loves apples & sweet potatoes) but definitely a keeper for the adults in the house! We’re going to double the next batch and can it.
Hello, First of all, I want to say I’ve been following this blog for years and made many of the recipes! This is the first recipe that didn’t come out right, which is probably user error. I cooked on low overnight, and I think my leeks (subbed for onion because I needed to use them up) were overcooked, because the soup has an overall pungent taste. Any thoughts on how to balance out the flavor when we are re-heating?
Next time I am sticking to the onion, and will not cook overnight! BTW, we made the stuffed florentine the night before and it was awesome!
Hi Sara. I have had similar experiences when I have overcooked soups. The leeks themselves should not lend a more pungent flavor than an onion. The apple and the sweet potato should balance the flavor on their own. ~Amy
Made this for dinner last night. I had some leftover whipping cream around the house so I added about a half a cup of cream instead of butter. It was great!
Can I substitute yams for the sweet potatoes? That’s what I got from my CSA this week.
I think yams are the same as sweet potatoes, aren’t they? They are frequently in my grocery store with the same label. If there is some difference, it must be small!
Hi Angela. True yams are a little sweeter than sweet potatoes but they should work fine. :) ~Amy
My family and I enjoyed this recipe. It was very easy to make – pureed nicely in my blender. It did require some extra spice for the adults but my toddlers (1 and 2) ate 3 bowls each! My husband couldn’t decide whether he liked the sage leaves or not. Overall a big hit.
I wonder whether russet or red potatoes would work instead of white potatoes? That’s what I have on hand.
Hi Melanie. I think red potatoes would work, too. ~Amy
I tried this recipe today and wasnt a fan. But to be fair, I’ve tried at least 12-15 of your recipes and this is the very first one that I didn’t like… Actually all of the others I tried were amazing! (The butternut squash soup is my favorite, I could eat it every day). Who knows, I probably did something wrong. But my one year old loved it! We froze it for him and will put it in his reusable baby food pouches. Strangely, it was similar to the taste and consistency of baby food, which might be why he liked it so much.
My daughter and I made this lastnight and it was so yummy!!! Mixing at the end with a hand wand mixer worked perfectly!! we did a double batch! thanks for the recipe!
I make this and add nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger for spices. No boring flavour
We made this last night and enjoyed it. It was a bit bland so we added cheddar cheese which was a nice contrast. My husband added Siracha and loved it! It was an nice and easy fall recipe.
Has anyone had luck freezing this recipe? I live alone and am a student so I’m always looking for recipes I can make and freeze for easy weeknight meal.
Hi Kristen. Lisa freezes all of her soups in individual portions. It is super convenient. ~Amy
I made this last night for our Meatless Monday dinner. I didn’t have the sage leaves, but we felt like the flavor was a little flat. We added a little bit more salt, some fresh ground nutmeg, and Chinese five spice powder (star anise, cloves, cinnamon, fennel, and black pepper). That really helped bring out the fall flavors in this dish.
By the way – if anyone is on Weight Watchers I entered this into the recipe builder and calculated it for six 1-cup servings and it came to a value of 6 points plus per serving (not including the brown buttered sage leaves). That is using real butter and my own homemade chicken broth in the soup. It would be fewer points if you substituted butternut squash.
Thanks for sharing the recipe with us Lisa!
I just made this last night. It was actually sweeter than I was hoping but I wanted to thank you for the recipe anyway. What a great, easy method to make a creamy potato soup. I plan to try again, leaving out the apple and adding a chili pepper or two. I will let you know how it goes.
That’s a great idea! I’m not a big fan of sweet soup, but I LOVE spicy sweet potatoes.
I served this soup tonight with the applesauce/carrot muffins and it was a big hit! All the way from my husband down to my 5 year old daughter with a 16 year old and 21 year old in between ;) It was deemed “yummy” by the 16 year old and the oldest gobbled hers up and said it was “beautiful”. Thanks for these recipes.
I made this soup as the recipe said and my family (husband and two year old) loved it. I added just a pinch of nutmeg to the soup before serving. I am wondering if those who said it lacked flavor did not use homemade chicken stock. Thanks for all of your wonderful recipes!
I made this back in October and it was amazing! The only thing I omitted was the sage topping (for the sake of simplicity). I initially forgot the butter and it did taste like something was missing, but after I remembered to add it in, it was perfect!
Now, I’d like to make this as a side dish for Thanksgiving. We are visiting family an hour and a half away, so I want to make it overnight on Wednesday, blend it Thursday morning, then reheat it when we get there.
Can someone suggest a good cooking time in the slow cooker on low so that it comes out right in the morning? Or, will it only work well on high for 5 hours? I noticed someone had an issue with the flavor by doing it overnight on low and I’d rather not mess it up since it was so delicious the first time around! Thanks!
Hi Joanna. Sorry that we are often unable to answer in real time. How did it work for you? ~Amy
can you add this to your recipe index? I could not find it when searching there after seeing it earlier on your blog. Thanks! I cant wait to try it!
Hi there. We will make sure it is added. ~Amy
I am having the same problem as Amy, I had to search for the recipe instead of using the recipe index. My husband loves this so I doubled the recipe last time I made it and froze some! It turned out to be a great take along gift for a friend who just had a baby. Great alternative to the carb filled lasagna’s and casseroles she was getting. Thanks!
Hi Andrea – I’ve updated the recipe index. Thanks to you and Amy for letting me know. Glad to hear you enjoyed it :) – Jason
A great, simple base recipe for being creative with sweet potato soup. I cooked it on the stovetop with 4 medium sweet potatoes (no white), 2 fuji apples, and added a tablespoon of peanut butter and dashes of nutmeg, cinnamon, and ground black pepper. It’s a nice delicate soup. Flavors aren’t overwhelming, but they are nuanced. I don’t have sage on hand, but there are numerous garnish choices. I think I may go with a dollop of marshmallow and some crispy pancetta. This one’s a keeper, thanks!
Yum!
what kind of apples did you use in the SLOW COOKER SWEET POTATO AND APPLE SOUP?