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This Vegan Baked Potato Soup is creamy, cheesy, smoky & fully loaded with veganized classic toppings. It's pure comfort in a bowl!
If you're a potato lover like me, you must make this Vegan Baked Potato Soup Recipe! It has all the flavors of a fully-loaded baked potato, except it's in soup form. What could be better?
I must confess though, I didn't bake the potatoes for this recipe. I did try it, and it tasted delicious, but I found it to be more time consuming than anything. Cooking the potatoes in the pot yielded similar results, so I went with the easier and quicker route.
The method is similar to my Vegan Potato Leek Soup recipe, it just has different flavoring and toppings. It takes about 25-30 minutes on the stove too, so it's perfect for weeknight meals.
INGREDIENTS FOR VEGAN BAKED POTATO SOUP
A typical non-vegan baked potato soup recipe is cooked with bacon, bacon grease, butter, cream cheese, and heavy cream. Holy heart attack! This makes it over-the-top rich, super thick and definitely unhealthy. The ingredients provide a smoky, cheesy and creamy soup, but these flavors and textures can be created in a healthier way.
Take a look
For the cream base, I used unsweetened soy milk and raw cashews. When blended together, it creates a super creamy and slightly thickened consistency. That's all the soup needs since the potatoes become thick and creamy when blended.
I prefer soy milk for this soup, but you can use any non-dairy variety. Also, If you can't have cashews, you can substitute the soy and cashew mixture with full-fat coconut milk instead.
For the smoky bacon flavor, I added a small amount of liquid smoke and smoked paprika. The flavor is very subtle and won't overpower the soup. If you're not a fan of liquid smoke, you can omit it altogether. You can always add ¼ teaspoon more of the smoked paprika.
To give the soup base a cheesy and umami boost, I added a few tablespoons of nutritional yeast (a.k.a nooch). It also adds a nice golden color to your delicious soup. For the cheesy tang, just squeeze some lemon juice in at the end.
I think russet potatoes have the best consistency for this recipe. Some potatoes can become slightly gummy when blended and that isn't fun.
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN BAKED POTATO SOUP
To start, you'll have to soak the cashews in water for 2-4 hours. Alternatively, you can soak the cashews in very hot water. Boil water in a small pot. Remove from heat, add cashews, and cover for 15-20 minutes until they're softened.
Now blend the soy milk & cashews (discard soaking water) together until very smooth and creamy. Set aside.
In a large pot, heat oil & butter over medium heat. Sprinkle with salt. Now add onion and sauté until translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Now add potatoes, smoked paprika, thyme, salt, and pepper. Sauté for 2-3 minutes.
Pour in the vegetable broth to cover potatoes and add bay leaf. Stir in nutritional yeast and *optional liquid smoke. Raise heat so it starts to boil. Now reduce heat to a medium simmer. Cook for about 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
Remove from heat and stir in cashew cream. Taste for seasoning and add more if needed. Stir in lemon juice if desired (*1 tablespoon at a time). Using an immersion blender (or regular blender), blend until creamy and smooth. You can leave a little texture if desired.
TOPPING IDEAS
Load it up with your favorite toppings! I added vegan bacon, chives, vegan cheddar cheese shreds, and vegan sour cream. Fresh green onion adds a nice flavor too.
Alright potato lovers, let's do this!
I’d love to hear from you
If you make this Vegan Baked Potato Soup Recipe, I’d love to hear what you think in the comment section below. It would really make my day. You can also follow me on Instagram and share your creation with me. Just tag me @veganhuggs and hashtag #veganhuggs so I don’t miss it.
📖 Recipe
Vegan Baked Potato Soup
Ingredients
Cream Base (see note for alternative)
- ¾ cup soy milk , unsweetened (or any non-dairy milk)
- ½ cup raw cashews
Soup
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter
- 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil , or preferred oil
- 1 small yellow onion , diced
- 4 cloves garlic , minced
- 5 medium russet potatoes , peeled & cut into ½" chunks (about 2 lbs)
- ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon sea salt , more to taste
- Fresh cracked pepper to taste
- 5 cups vegetable broth , reduced sodium
- 1 Bay leaf
- 1-2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- ½ teaspoon liquid smoke *optional
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice *optional
Toppings
- Vegan bacon
- Chives
- Vegan sour cream
- Vegan cheddar cheese shreds
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
Cream Base
- If you don't have a high-powered blender (like a Vitamix), you will need to soften the cashews first. To soften, boil water in a small pot and remove from heat. Add cashews and cover for 20 minutes.
- Now drain, rinse and discard soaking water. Place the cashews in a blender along with the ¾ cup soy milk. Blend on high until very smooth. Set aside.
Soup
- In a large pot, heat oil and butter over medium heat. Now add onion and sauté until translucent, about 2-4 minutes.
- Add minced garlic and sauté for 30-60 seconds until fragrant.
- Add potatoes, smoked paprika, thyme, salt, and pepper. Sauté for 2-3 minutes.
- Pour in the vegetable broth and add bay leaf. Stir in nutritional yeast and *optional liquid smoke. Raise heat so it starts to boil, then reduce heat to a medium simmer. Cook for about 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender.
- Remove the pot from heat and discard the bay leaf. Now stir in cashew cream. Using an immersion blender (or regular blender), blend until creamy and smooth. Taste for seasoning and add more if needed. Stir in lemon juice if desired.
- Top with sour cream, chives, vegan cheddar shreds and vegan bacon bits. Enjoy!
Notes
- Cashew Cream - You can replace the cashew cream (soy milk and cashews) with 1 cup of full-fat canned coconut milk.
- If you're using the rice paper bacon, top it on the soup last. If it sits too long in the soup, it won't be as crispy.
- Yields about 7 ½ cups of soup.
- Nutritional info doesn't include toppings.
Natalie
This soup is amazing. I’d love to see an instant pot version! Also, I was wondering…do you think this soup will freeze well?
Megan H
I am not vegan, but I tested this recipe out to make for Christmas Eve for family members who are gluten free, vegetarian, and dairy intolerant... and I really liked it! In comparison to a traditional dairy-full potato soup, this one is a little less creamy-tasting and smooth since there isn't any heavy cream involved, but overall I thought it was a great soup! I was concerned about the soy milk/cashew base since I don't like either of those things, lol, but nothing in the flavor profile stuck out to me as being "nutty" or "soy-milky". I am usually wary of vegan recipes since the flavors can get a little muddled and funky due to all the replacement ingredients, but I was really pleasantly surprised here. One thing I did add to the soup after it was blended was some diced potato chunks. I love having some additional texture, and I thought that the extra potato added some more oomph to the recipe. I'm looking forward to trying out some vegan sour creams and cheeses to use as toppings. Thank you for a really wonderful recipe. 🙂
Melissa Huggins
Hello Megan, thank you for trying this recipe despite your initial reservations. I am so pleased that you liked and and made it work for you. 🙂
Wendy
This soup was outstanding! I left out the liquid smoke, used yellow potatoes instead of russet, and used regular unsalted cashews instead of raw. I also don't have an immersion blender, so I just used a potato masher at that stage (I prefer some potato chunks anyway, so this worked out fine for me). The soup was rich, creamy, and cheesy, and my partner has declared it "the best soup ever." I'm so glad I came across your site and I'm looking forward to trying more of your recipes. Thank you!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Wendy! I am glad that you made the recipe work for you and your husband. Thank you for leaving such a fantastic review and I am also looking forward having you try the rest of my recipes.
Tom
This soup was soooo good! Thick, smooth, rich & creamy with umami nootch goodness. Thanks!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Tom, I'm so happy you liked the soup! Thanks for giving it a try and sharing your feedback 🙂
Kim
I'm currently making this and can't wait to try it! I'm intrigued by the addition of liquid smoke. Maybe I'm just missing it but I've checked several times and I don't think the instructions include making the cashew cream. I know it's as simple as blending the cashews and non-dairy milk together, I just don't see where you actually say that. While we're at it I suggest removing the bay leaf before blending. May be obvious to many, but any cooking novices following this recipe might not know this. Thanks for the recipe!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Kim, thank you for catching this mistake. I've gone ahead and made both corrections to the recipe card. I'm so glad you're trying the recipe. 🙂
MOLLY ANN THORPE
The cashews and liquid smoke make this recipe absolutely delicious!!! I've made this recipe a dozen times and can't get enough of it!
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Molly! We are so happy to hear that you loved the soup and that you make it often! Thanks so much for stopping by 🙂
Cathy
Melissa- Made this for dinner tonight! So yummy!!! We both loved it! I also made the bacon which was also great. Thanks fir such a delicious, satisfying recipe.
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Cathy! We are happy to hear how much you loved the recipe - thanks so much for trying it out!
Jenny
I have an obscene amount of red potatoes I am trying to use up--5 lbs! Do you think they would work in this recipe? I have a Vitamix so maybe that would help them be less waxy? Love your recipes and site!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Jenny, I'm sorry for the late reply. I just found this message in the spam folder. Yes, you can use red potatoes for this recipe. 🙂
I'm so glad you like the recipes on my site. Thank you so much!
Stacey Hoff
I love this 💕
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Stacey! We're so happy to hear that you love it! Thanks for stopping by!
Shelby McDuff
I am a potato soup afficionado and this will be my go to now. I've always used Bernard Clayton's recipe for a simple potato
soup. Tomorrow I will make a loaf of peasant bread to go with this tasty soup. Love the lemon and smoked paprika. I used ghee and coconut oil because that's what I had.
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Shelby! We're so happy to hear that you loved the recipe! Thanks so much for trying it!
Courtney R
My family loved this! My hubby isn't feeling well and he said this soup was exactly what he needed.
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Courtney! We're so happy to hear that the soup was a hit and hope he feels better! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Jae
This recipe is SO good! It is my go-to recipe for a comforting soup, for vegans and non-vegans alike.
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Hi Jae! Thank you so much for the review - we're so happy to hear that you love this recipe! 🙂
Nancy
I made this last night and it was so good! I added broccoli because I had a bunch and that's what I would eat on a baked potato. I put the stalks in with the potatoes and the florets after blending everything. It added a nice crunch and healthy veggie to the delicious creamy soup.
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Nancy! The added broccoli sound delicious! We are so happy to hear that you loved the soup, thanks for giving it a try 🙂
Nancy
Forgot to rate it!
Beth
I tried this recipe today. I really like it but it needed more heat for my hubby. I will definitely make it again and recommend it to my whole food plant based friends.
Karen (the good kind)
Just made this tonight. Oh my goodness SO DELICIOUS! Just WOW! Thank you so very very much for this!
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Karen! Yay! We are so thrilled that you loved the soup! Thank you so much for sharing! 🙂
Darlene
HOLY WOW - this is the best soup I've ever made, vegan or not!! I loooove baked potato soups, anything with tons of a carbs and cheesy goodness. This recipe captured all the flavors I love (the smokiness, salitness, cheesiness) while making it very healthy. I used tempeh bacon for one of my toppings and with that, I definitely didn't miss the liquid smoke. I just added more paprika. Also, I used canned coconut milk and blended with the cashews for the creaminess, and used only half low-sodium stock required. I used water to make up for the rest of the stock to cut down on more sodium. It came out perfectly.
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Darlene! We are so happy you loved the recipe and that it turned out just as delicious with the substitutions! Thank you so much for sharing 🙂