Fitness / March 14, 2024

Vegan Potato Soup

This Vegan Potato Soup is made with vegans in mind but flavor as its focus, combining potatoes and a garden of vegetables in a creamy broth.

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With so many of my recipes, I lay out the ingredients then mention as an aside how to make it vegan. Well, not with this one! Here, the intention from the outset is to make a vegan potato soup! It’s delicious, and its lack of animal products and byproducts doesn’t mean any lack of flavor.

I like making vegan meals for a few reasons. One is my love of hosting. In particular, I love to make food for friends, but I encounter the occasional wrinkle when certain friends are limited in what they can eat. Another reason is that I like to challenge myself as a chef. The times they are a-changing, and the amount of diet-friendly options at most grocery stores is astounding. So I like to impose restrictions upon myself and see whether I can make meals that are still scrumptious.

With this Vegan Potato Soup, I think I succeeded.

Is Vegan Potato Soup Healthy?

For this recipe, I have focused on whole ingredients, in particular with the veggies. The result is a soup that is totally healthy—packed with numerous nutrients—and made for more than just a vegan diet. Those on a dairy-free diet or gluten-free diet can also partake. To make it keto, you would need to replace the potatoes with, say, cauliflower or turnip. For paleo, replace the flour with almond flour.

Which potatoes can I use?

You’ll want to use potatoes high in starch. When they are cooked, the starch breaks down and makes for a thick and creamy broth. With that in mind, look for Russet, Idaho, or Yukon Golds. Russets and Idahos, in particular, have a lot of starch, which make them great choices for soup. The Yukon Golds are slightly waxier but still have enough starch to attain the texture you desire. Waxy potatoes can be a “solid” choice, too; they keep their shape well in soups. If this is what you’re after, look for red potatoes.

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp vegan butter or olive oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 ribs celery, diced
2 large carrots, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp salt, more to taste
1/2 tsp ground black pepper, more to taste
4 tbsp all-purpose or gluten-free flour
2 cups unsweetened non-dairy milk
2 1/2 to 3 cups vegetable broth, divided
6 medium potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg (optional)
1 bay leaf

INSTRUCTIONS

Saute

Melt vegan butter and cook onions, celery, and carrots until softened. Add garlic and continue to saute.

Thicken

Season and add flour to create a roux. Gradually mix in non-dairy milk and vegetable broth, then add potatoes and spices.

Simmer

Allow the soup to simmer until the potatoes are tender. Adjust the thickness and seasoning as desired.

Serve

Discard the bay leaf, garnish with your favorite toppings.

Devour!

FAQs & Tips

What exactly is a roux?

A roux comes from French cuisine and serves as the base of many sauces and soups. You’ll encounter it many times if you have ever worked with Cajun/Creole recipes. It consists of equal parts fat (e.g., oil or butter) and flour, though some might say patience is the key ingredient, as you shouldn’t rush a roux. You need to make it over low heat, stirring constantly to achieve the desired smooth finish and caramel color.

How do I store this soup?

Let the soup cool completely in the pot. Put on the lid then store it in the fridge for up to five days. You can also relocate the soup to an airtight container if you don’t trust your pot’s lid to keep the soup fresh. To freeze the soup, pour it into mason jars or several airtight containers (using more than one makes reheating easier). It should last for up to three months. Before reheating, let the soup thaw in the fridge overnight.

Do I need to peel the potatoes?

You don’t have to. The skin contains nutrients and provides a change in texture; if you don’t care about these elements, then peel them off.

Can I leave the bay leaf in?

Bay leaves add flavor and spice to the soup so you definitely want to cook with them. They don’t soften despite the hot water, however, which is why they are removed. Eating one will lead to an upset stomach (and chewing a tough leaf isn’t much fun, either). If you leave it in, at least give your guests a heads-up so they know to look for them while they eat.

How do I adjust the thickness?

Soup too thick? Add more broth or water. Too thin? Add more potatoes and let the starch thicken it up. You can also keep the lid off, allowing some of the water to evaporate and reduce the soup. The roux can also help you out here. Make some more by combining the flour with the butter/oil. Once it has achieved a caramel-like consistency, add it to the soup.

Serving Suggestions

As with most soups, the meal wouldn’t be complete without a loaf of crusty bread (though I would allow crackers if you were partial to their crunch). This is a hearty meal, perfect for lunches where it’s the entree, so you may not need to add much in terms of side dishes. You can, however, add toppings like vegan croutons, tempeh, parsley, green onion, and/or vegan cheese.

Vegan Potato Soup

This Vegan Potato Soup is made with vegans in mind but flavor as its focus, combining potatoes and a garden of vegetables in a creamy broth.

Course entree

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Total Time 45

Servings

Calories 255kcal

Author FoodFaithFitness

Ingredients

2 tbsp vegan butter or olive oil
2 medium onions finely chopped
2 ribs celery diced
2 large carrots diced
4 cloves garlic minced
2 tsp salt more to taste
1/2 tsp ground black pepper more to taste
4 tbsp all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour
2 cups unsweetened non-dairy milk
2 1/2 to 3 cups vegetable broth divided
6 medium potatoes Yukon Gold or red, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg optional
1 bay leaf

Instructions

In a large saucepan, melt vegan butter over medium heat. Add onions, celery, and carrots, cooking until onions begin to soften. Stir in garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.
Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle in flour and stir for about a minute. Gradually add non-dairy milk, stirring to prevent lumps. Pour in most of the vegetable broth, reserving about 1/2 cup. Add potatoes, nutmeg, and bay leaf.
Simmer for 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender. For a thinner soup, add the reserved broth as needed. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Remove bay leaf. Serve hot with your choice of toppings like tempeh bacon or roasted potato chunks. DEVOUR!