You’re going to love this fully loaded vegan Baked Potato Soup. It’s a rich and creamy potato soup topped with coconut bacon, vegan cream cheese, caramelized onions, and fresh chives. It doesn’t get much cozier than that!
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For the past 4 years, I have wrapped up the MDV year with a Christmas eve soup recipe. Here is a look back on the past three Christmas soup recipes:
Ending the year with a vegan soup recipe has become a tradition here because growing up it was a Christmas tradition of ours. Every year was the same (which is what is so incredible about tradition). We would come home from a Christmas Eve service to a lit tree and the festively decorated house smelling of spiced cider and warm soup.
Once the bowls were scraped clean, my mom would bring out the last of the Christmas cookies and we would gather around the tree to open presents. For us, Christmas eve was when the magic happened.
And so, to continue to tradition, I have a new soup for you. It’s a vegan Potato Soup. This soup recipe is warm, comforting, delicious, hearty, AND super easy to make which gives YOU more time to spend with your family this holiday season.
Let’s take a closer at how to make this fully loaded Baked Potato Soup.
Recommended Ingredients & Equipment
This vegan potato soup is super simple to make. Other than the coconut bacon, it can be made in just one pot in under 30 minutes. Let’s look at this step by step.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Olive Oil
- Russet Potatoes
- Yellow Onion
- Garlic
- All-Purpose Flour – Use 1:1 Gluten-Free blend for a gluten-free soup.
- Non-Dairy Milk – Any thick, neutral flavored milk will do. I recommend soy, cashew, or macadamia nut. Whichever you choose, make sure to get unsweetened.
- Vegetable Broth
- Vegan Sour Cream – I like Tofutti brand but if you don’t have access to store bought, you can make homemade vegan sour cream.
- Salt and Pepper
- Toppings (optional) – Choose toppings based on your favorite baked potato toppings. Common favorites are chives, coconut bacon, vegan sour cream, caramelized onions, broccoli, and vegan cheese.
Recommended Equipment
Most importantly, you will need a good soup pot. I love my Dutch Oven from Le Creuset for soups. Made from cast iron, they are perfect for slow cooking and simmering soups and stews. Although it’s a bit pricey, you will use it over and over again (for soups, stews, sides, bread, and even desserts!) and it will last you a lifetime.
In addition, you will need a good chef’s knife, cutting board, baking sheet, vegetable peeler, immersion blender (or potato masher), and basic kitchen utensils. (<<affiliate link)
Check out the full list of my recommended kitchen tools and gadgets.
How to Make Vegan Potato Soup
Step One – Make the Coconut Bacon
If you are garnishing with vegan bacon, you can get store-bought vegan bacon, which you can buy at most well-stocked grocery stores. You’ll find it in the refrigerated section.
Or you can also make coconut bacon at home.
Coconut makes a great bacon choice where you need a thin, crispy, bacon-like alternative. Coconut works best when replicating bacon bits for salads, soups, and even pastries. It absorbs the flavors of liquid smoke and maple syrup and crisps up perfectly.
To make the coconut bacon, whisk together the liquid ingredients in a small bowl. Add the coconut chips and toss them together so that the coconut chips are completely coated. Spread the coconut chips onto a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the coconut chips are crispy and very fragrant. Keep a close eye on the coconut bacon; it will burn quickly!
Remove the coconut bacon from the oven and allow it to cool to room temperature before using it.
Pro Tip: This can be made several days in advance. I like to make a big batch of coconut bacon so that I always have some on hand. It’s the perfect thing to sprinkle onto your salads, soups, and even pancakes.
Step Two – Bake the Potatoes
Before we make our soup base, we must bake the potatoes. I choose to do this in the microwave. To microwave, pierce it several times with a fork. This allows steam to escape. Cook them for about 12 minutes, until they are soft to the touch.
If you prefer the more traditional method, you can also bake these potatoes. To bake them, wrap them in tin foil and bake them at 350F for about 60 minutes.
Step Three – Make the Soup Base
In a medium soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes until onions are translucent and fragrant. Stir in the flour, whisking constantly to avoid any lumps. While you whisk, slowly add the soy milk and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the soup thickens slightly.
Stir in the sour cream and remove from heat.
Add the potatoes, mashing them with a potato masher as much as you like. If you want a completely puréed soup, you can also use an immersion blender.
Serving and Storing
Serve this soup immediately. Serve with vegan bacon, fresh chives, vegan sour cream, and freshly ground pepper.
Store leftover soup in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. To serve frozen soup, let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Once it’s mostly thawed, gently reheat the soup in a small soup pot.
Tips and Tricks
- This potato soup is very versatile. If you don’t have access to cream cheese, you can add an additional 1/2 cup of non-dairy milk, creamer, or cashew cream.
- Keep a close eye on the potatoes. Cook them until they are pierceable with a fork but not overly soft. If they are cooked beyond 10-12 minutes, the potatoes will get mushy.
- Make sure to use unsweetened non-dairy milk. Typically non-dairy milk is slightly sweetened and, when used, creates an overpowering sweetness to this soup.
- Top with toppings of choice. I love these options listed below but other choices are steamed broccoli, vegan cheese, and caramelized onions.
More Vegan Soup Recipes
- Creamy Tomato Soup
- French Lentil Soup
- Italian Minestrone Soup
- Broccoli and “Cheese” Soup
- Vegan Butternut Squash Soup
- Vegan Corn Chowder
Vegan Baked Potato Soup
Ingredients
Baked Potato Soup
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 3 large Russet Potatoes
- 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups unsweetened non-dairy milk
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 1/2 cup vegan sour cream
- 2 tsp salt
- pepper, to taste
Toppings, optional
- fresh chives
- coconut bacon
- vegan sour cream
- caramelized onions
Instructions
- Start by making coconut bacon (if using). In a small bowl combine soy sauce, maple syrup, liquid smoke, and salt. Place coconut chips in a larger bowl and toss with maple syrup/soy sauce mixture. Transfer to a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Keep a close eye on the coconut to prevent burning. Remove from oven and set aside to let cool while making the soup.
- Prick several holes in the potatoes with a fork and microwave them for 12-15 minutes, until they are easily pierceable. Alternatively, you can bake the potatoes by wrapping them in tin foil and baking them at 425F for 60 minutes. Once the potatoes are done, let them cool slightly before removing the skin and cuting them into 1" cubes.
- Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, until the onions are translucent and fragrant.
- Stir in the flour, whisking constantly to avoid any lumps. While you whisk, slowly add the soy milk and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the soup thickens slightly.Stir in the sour cream and remove from heat.
- Add the potatoes, mashing them with a potato masher as much as you like. If you want a completely puréed soup, you can also use an immersion blender. Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve immediately with coconut bacon, vegan sour cream, caramelized onions, and fresh chives.
Notes
- This potato soup is very versatile. If you don't have access to cream cheese, you can add an additional 1/2 cup of non-dairy milk, creamer, or cashew cream.
- Keep a close eye on the potatoes. Cook them until they are pierceable with a fork but not overly soft. If they are cooked beyond 10-12 minutes, the potatoes will get mushy.
- Make sure to use unsweetened non-dairy milk. Typically non-dairy milk is slightly sweetened and, when used, creates an overpowering sweetness to this soup.
Hi, I’m Sarah. I’m a 14-year (and counting) vegan, professionally trained photographer, former pastry chef, founder of My Darling Vegan, and author of the
Elle says
Absolutely delicious!!! Currently scoffing it down like it’s my last meal. Even my non vegan husband likes it. I had some vegan Boursin garlic and herb cheese spread so I used that instead of the sour cream. This is a perfect, hearty soup. The coconut bacon is a great accompaniment too! Thanks for a great recipe.
Stacey says
Recipe tip #1 mentions vegan cream cheese & I can not find where this is in the recipe? Where does the cream cheese go? Did I miss something or is this an editing error?
I love your recipes, however there is quite often an editing issue in the ingredients or directions.
Diana says
I don’t have a microwave or an oven (building our house, so dealing with with cooking in our RV…anyway). I’m hoping to try this recipe with just boiling the potatoes (skins on), then cooling and peeling. I think it shouldn’t change much. But if anyone, has tried it and it did mess it up any, please let me know. Thanks, Looking forward to trying more of your great looking recipes.
Sarah McMinn says
That should be fine!
Tara says
This soup is delicious! I was very impressed with it being vegan. I used quinoa flour instead of all purpose and it worked great. I also put in a little shredded vegan cheddar at the same time as the sour cream. It’s perfect consistency and flavor
Colleen Smith says
Is it possible to make this in the crockpot?
Renee says
I was in the grocery store when my hubby mentioned that he would like some baked potato soup. I checked pinterest and came across this recipe and decided to give it a try since I would only need to buy some potatoes. To cut down on prep time, I baked the potatoes the day before and also made the cashew cream. As I started making the soup, I was convinced that it was going to be a hot, bland mess, lol. There didn’t seem to be much flavor to the non-dairy milk/veggie broth mix. I added the salt and some pepper (recipe didn’t mention when to do this) and it seemed better. I also realized the recipe didn’t specify what I needed to do with the potatoes after baking before adding them to the soup. I decided to peel and cut them into chunks. Since my baked potatoes had been in the fridge, I added and mashed them before adding the cream to make sure everything was warm. I was pleasantly surprised that the soup was now tasting pretty good! Then I added the cashew cream and it really added some nice depth to the flavor! Of course I added more pepper along with some seasonings and it was really great! This recipe definitely exceeded my expectations and was easy to make. I guess sometimes you just have to trust the process! 🙂
PS: I also made the coconut bacon but they came out a little sweeter than expected but I’m sure this was because I used coconut aminos instead of soy sauce. However, they are still quite tasty and I almost caved and made the maple donuts too but I need to cut back on my quarantine snacking!
Kathleen Mitchell says
I haven’t tried this soup recipe yet, so cannot rate it. I think your Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies are wonderful! They were a hit with my family. I had trouble with the Vegan Pumpkin Bread with Brown Sugar Glaze recipe, however. I was careful to follow the recipe exactly, but the batter was pretty runny, and although I baked it for 90 minutes, the toothpick never came out clean. When I removed it from the oven to cool, it shrank down into the pan. When I cut it, the bottom was still not cooked. It tastes fine, but the texture is dense. Any suggestions about how I can improve the results? Thanks for your help!
Sarah says
It sounds like a measuring error. Did you use the metric or US customary measurements?
Angel Dunning says
Is this recipe really for the baked potato soup? The list does not contain soy sauce or maple syrup, but they are in the first step
Sarah says
Yes, those first ingredients are for the coconut bacon chips.