Creamy Vegan Potato Soup
on Aug 29, 2022, Updated Aug 14, 2024
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This creamy vegan potato soup is easy to make in 40 minutes and delicious served with your favourite toppings. If you’re looking for a creamy and comforting dairy-free soup that’s easy to make, you’re going to love this recipe!
Potato soup is a comfort food classic and it’s even better when served with baked potato-inspired garnishes like sour cream, vegan cheese and green onions.
This soup can be made smooth and creamy, or half-blended for some chunky potato goodness, both ways are yummy and satisfying!
Potato makes a great creamy base for dairy-free soups. You can also try it in this Chickpea Vegetable Chowder and Instant Pot Kale Potato Soup.
Recipe Highlights
- Vegan (dairy-free).
- Budget-conscious simple ingredients.
- Family-friendly meatless meal idea.
- Enjoy as a main dish, starter or side dish.
- Ready in 40 minutes.
- One-pot meal.
Ingredient Notes
- Butter: Use vegan butter for a dairy-free and vegan recipe. Otherwise, any butter works. You can substitute 3 tbsp olive oil and a generous pinch of salt, but butter provides the best flavour for this recipe!
- Shallot: I really like shallot for this recipe but you can use red onion if you don’t have shallot available.
- Celery: You’ll need a couple stalks of fresh celery for the flavour base.
- Garlic: You’ll need fresh garlic though you could substitute 1 tsp garlic powder if that’s what you have available.
- Flour: You’ll need all-purpose flour to create the thick and creamy base for the soup. This can be substituted with gluten-free all-purpose flour.
- Vegetable Stock: Any homemade or store-bought stock or bouillon works.
- Old Bay Seasoning: Old Bay Seasoning is easy to find in stores or online. You can substitute cajun seasoning, or 3/4 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp celery salt, 1/8 tsp dry mustard, 1/8 tsp black pepper and a pinch of nutmeg, cinnamon and cayenne.
- Smoked Paprika: Adds a bit of smoky flavor to the soup.
- Potato: You’ll need russet potatoes. The amount doesn’t have to be exact so 3 large/average-sized russet potatoes are perfect.
- Non-Dairy Milk: Any non-dairy milk works though unsweetend cashew milk or almond milk work well.
This list is not complete. Please see the recipe card at the end of the post for the complete ingredient list with measurements and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Add up to 1 cup of corn before or after mashing or blending the soup.
- Swap half of the potato for cauliflower to make potato cauliflower soup.
- Old Bay Seasoning does contain some heat but if you want a little more spice, you can add up to 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: In a large dutch oven or any heavy-bottomed soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallot, celery and garlic and cook for about 4 minutes, stirring frequently.
Step 2: Add the flour and cook the mixture for another 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Step 3: Next, add the vegetable stock and whisk to fully incorporate the flour until it’s smooth and any clumps have been broken up and mixed in.
Step 4: Add the rest of the ingredients – potato, stock, milk and seasonings- bring the mixture to boil then reduce the heat until the soup is gently simmering.
Simmer it for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid any sticking to the bottom or a film forming on top.
Step 5: You have a few options for this step. You can use a potato masher or immersion blender directly in the pot, breaking the potatoes up/blending until you reach your desired consistency.
You can blend or mash it all for creamy potato soup or leave it half-blended for a chunkier texture.
I like to transfer a couple of scoops to a blender, blend until smooth then pour back in with the blended portion but any of those methods work well.
Once blended or mashed, stir well and adjust the seasoning if needed. You can also stir in a squeeze of lemon juice for a bit of brightness if you like.
That’s it! Serve your soup as is or with any of the topping suggestions listed below and enjoy!
FAQs
If you can’t find Old Bay seasoning, you can substitute cajun seasoning, or 3/4 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp celery salt, 1/8 tsp dry mustard, 1/8 tsp black pepper and a tiny pinch each of nutmeg, cinnamon and cayenne.
I would suggest store-bought or homemade unsweetened almond milk or cashew milk though you can also use soy milk or another non-dairy milk you enjoy.
You can use light coconut milk or carton coconut milk for the milk but the soup will have a bit of coconut flavour to it. If you’d like to use coconut milk, I’d suggest carton coconut milk or 1 can of light coconut milk and then adjusting the consistency with extra stock or water, if needed.
Yes. To make this recipe gluten-free, use gluten-free all-purpose flour such as Bob’s Red Mill instead of all-purpose flour.
How to Store
- Let the soup cool before storing.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheat in a pot on the stovetop or in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval, until heated through.
More Vegan Soups
- Vegan Potato Leek Soup: Similar to this recipe but classic potato leek.
- Lemon Chickpea Orzo Soup: A must! This soup is so tasty.
- Vegan Lasagna Soup: Classic lasagna soup for the ultimate comfort food.
- Mushroom Wild Rice Soup: Super hearty creamy mushroom soup.
- Cauliflower Wild Rice Soup: A fan-favourite!
- Summer Corn Chowder: Creamy corn and potato soup with white beans.
- Vegan Tomato Soup: Creamy roasted tomato soup with peppers.
Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Scroll down to comment section below to leave your star rating and review.
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Creamy Vegan Potato Soup
Ingredients
- ¼ cup plant-based butter, 60 g
- 2 shallots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup all-purpose flour, 60 g
- 2 cups vegetable stock, 500 mL
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 3 large russet potatoes, about 780 g
- 3-4 cups unsweetened non-dairy milk, 1000 mL
Topping Ideas
- diced red bell pepper
- vegan bacon/tempeh bacon/coconut bacon
- green onions
- diced shallot or red onion
- grated vegan cheese
- cashew cream or sour cream or yogurt
Instructions
- Saute Aromatics: In a dutch oven or large pot, melt the butter over medium heat then add the shallot, celery and garlic. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Add Flour: Add in the flour and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Add Stock: Stir in the vegetable stock and whisk until the flour is completely incorporated and the mixture is smooth with no clumps.
- Add Remaining Ingredients: Add the old bay seasoning, salt, smoked paprika, potatoes and 3 cups of milk, and stir to combine.
- Simmer: Heat until boiling then reduce the heat to until gently simmering. Simmer for 15-20 minutes uncovered, until the potatoes are very tender. Stirring often to prevent sticking and a film from forming on top.
- Mash or Blend: When the potatoes are tender, blend or mash the soup to your desired consistency using an immersion blender, blender or potato masher. You can blend or mash all of it for a completely creamy soup or you can blend or mash half the soup for a chunkier texture. If needed, stir in the additional cup of milk to adjust the thickness. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed.
- Garnish & Serve: Scoop into bowls and garnish each with your desired toppings. Enjoy!
