A creamy, dreamy vegan baked potato soup recipe that is as comforting as it is easy to prepare. Topped with all the best baked potato fixings, this soup is one you’ll want to add to your regular recipe rotation.
I developed this recipe while reviewing vegan products, including Nature’s Fynd Dairy-Free Cream Cheese and LightLife Smart Bacon. Since I was heavily focused on cheesy, bacon goodness, I felt a baked potato soup recipe would be the best way to try and test these delicious products.
This vegan baked potato soup is loaded (literally!) with all the good stuff. It starts with plenty of aromatics, a simple roux, and lots of potatoes, and it’s finished with oat milk, dairy-free cream cheese, and shredded cheddar.
How to make this vegan baked potato soup recipe
This recipe comes together quickly with just a few ingredients. You can blend the entire soup or half the soup. Leave the soup chunky if you don’t want to fuss with a blender.
What you need
- Aromatics: Use onion, garlic, scallions, and celery. You can also use a leek instead if you prefer.
- Roux: Use a little extra virgin olive oil and flour to create the roux.
- Potatoes: I used Yukon gold potatoes, but Russets are beautiful for this potato soup.
- Spices: I spice this soup with paprika, cayenne, and white pepper.
- Dairy-free dairy: I use oat milk, dairy-free cream cheese, and plant-based cheddar shreds.
- Toppings: The best part of the soup! I top the soup with plant-based crispy bacon. I also finish it with scallion greens, plant-based sour cream, sliced jalapeño, and red pepper flakes.
How to make it
- Step 1: The soup starts with a simple base of aromatics. Sauté them in oil and then add flour. Cook the flour until it smells a little nutty and aromatic. From there, begin working in half the vegetable broth to create a thick slurry.
- Step 3: Add the potatoes, the rest of the vegetable broth, and all your spices. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- Step 4: Blend the soup if you like. You can transfer half the soup to a traditional blender or use an immersion blender to blend the soup.
- Step 5: Finish the soup! Add the cream cheese, oat milk, and shredded cheddar. Stir until everything melts.
- Step 6: While the soup finishes simmering, fry up the plant-based bacon until crispy.
From there, serve it up! Ladle the soup into bowls and top with your favorite garnishes.
I hope you loved this recipe as much as I did! If you make it, please be sure to rate the recipe and drop a comment below to let me know what you think. I’d love to hear from you.
Vegan Baked Potato Soup Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon neutral oil, divided
- 1 yellow onion, peeled and diced
- 1 rib celery, trimmed and diced
- 5 scallions, trimmed and minced; white and green parts kept separate
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- ¼ cup flour
- 4 cups water or vegetable stock
- 2 pounds Russet or Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and medium-diced
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon cayenne powder optional
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper optional
- 2 cups oat milk
- ¼ cup Nature’s Fynd Dairy-Free Cream Cheese
- ½ cup Daiya Cheddar Cheese Shreds plus more for serving
- 6 slices LightLife Smart Bacon cut into thin strips
- Salt and pepper
For serving:
- Plant-based sour cream
- Sliced jalapeño
- Red pepper flakes
Instructions
Sauté the aromatics:
- Heat 1 tablespoon neutral oil in a large pot over medium heat.
- Add the onion, celery, and scallion whites. Cook for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Make the roux and simmer the soup:
- Sprinkle the flour on top and stir to coat. Cook for 1 minute until nutty and fragrant. Slowly whisk in 2 cups of water or vegetable stock until smooth.
- Add the potatoes. Pour in the rest of the water and add the paprika, cayenne powder, and white pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 20–30 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
Blend the soup (optional):
- Use an immersion blender or food processor to blend half of the soup until smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Finish the soup:
- Add the plant-based milk, cream cheese, and cheddar shreds. Whisk until the cream cheese and cheddar cheese melts. Taste and season. Simmer over low heat as you cook the bacon.
Fry the plant-based bacon:
- Heat 1 teaspoon neutral oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook for 3–5 minutes until crisp. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
To serve:
- Ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish with the crispy bacon and reserved scallion greens. Serve with plant-based sour cream, sliced jalapeño, and red pepper flakes. Enjoy!
