If you are craving a cozy, satisfying soup that feels like a warm hug on a chilly day, this Creamy Vegan Potato Soup Recipe is exactly what you need. It’s delightfully smooth and rich without a drop of dairy, using simple ingredients to create a luscious texture and comforting taste. Each spoonful combines the earthiness of potatoes with subtle herbs and spices, making it a perfect meal for any occasion, vegan or not. Once you try this soup, it might just become your go-to comfort dish.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This Creamy Vegan Potato Soup Recipe is a celebration of simplicity where every ingredient shines. With pantry staples like potatoes and onions, complemented by a handful of aromatic herbs and plant-based milk, each element plays a crucial role in building flavor, creaminess, and that beautiful inviting color.
- Olive oil: Adds a subtle fruitiness and helps soften the aromatics during sautéing.
- Medium onion, chopped: Provides a sweet base flavor when cooked until translucent.
- Garlic cloves, minced: Infuses the soup with a warm, savory kick.
- Large potatoes, peeled and cubed: The heart of the soup, bringing creaminess and body when cooked down.
- Vegetable broth: Adds depth and keeps the soup light but flavorful.
- Unsweetened almond milk: Creates a smooth texture without overpowering the taste.
- Salt: Enhances all the flavors delicately.
- Ground black pepper: Offers just the right amount of mild heat.
- Dried thyme: Provides an earthy, herbaceous note that complements potatoes well.
- Smoked paprika: Adds a gentle smokiness to brighten the profile.
- Bay leaf: Intensifies aroma during simmering.
- Nutritional yeast (optional): Gives a mild cheesy flavor, enhancing the vegan creaminess.
- Fresh parsley, chopped: A fresh, colorful garnish that lifts the dish visually and with flavor.
How to Make Creamy Vegan Potato Soup Recipe
Step 1: Sauté the Aromatics
Start by heating the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Toss in your chopped onion and cook until it turns translucent and sweet, about five minutes. This step creates an essential flavor foundation for the soup, drawing out the natural sugars in the onion that will balance the earthiness of the potatoes.
Step 2: Add Garlic
Next, introduce the minced garlic and cook for one additional minute while stirring often. Garlic breathes a beautiful warmth and depth, but you want to be careful not to burn it — stirring frequently keeps that flavor bright and fresh.
Step 3: Cook the Potatoes
Toss in your cubed potatoes and stir well to coat them with the aromatic mixture. Let them cook together for about three minutes. This pre-cooking step begins softening the potatoes and helps them absorb the lovely flavors already in the pot.
Step 4: Add Broth and Seasonings
Pour in the vegetable broth, making sure the potatoes are completely submerged so they cook evenly. Add in the bay leaf, dried thyme, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Give it a good stir before bringing everything to a lively boil. At this stage, the spices are infused into the broth, enriching each bite.
Step 5: Simmer Until Tender
Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and cover the pot. Let everything simmer gently for 20 to 25 minutes, or until your potatoes are tender and yield easily to the fork. This gentle simmer allows the flavors to meld beautifully, creating the soup’s signature heartiness.
Step 6: Blend to Creamy Perfection
Remove the bay leaf, then immerse your blender directly into the pot to puree the soup until it’s silky smooth. No immersion blender? No problem! Carefully transfer the soup in batches to a regular blender. This blending step is what transforms the chunky mixture into the creamy dream that makes this recipe so special.
Step 7: Finish with Almond Milk and Nutritional Yeast
Return the blended soup to the pot and stir in the unsweetened almond milk and optional nutritional yeast. Warm the soup gently over low heat while tasting and adjusting the seasoning. This final addition rounds out the creaminess and adds a subtle cheesy undertone without dairy.
Step 8: Serve and Garnish
Dish up your freshly made soup while it’s still hot. Top each bowl with a sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley for a pop of color and an herbal lift that complements every spoonful.
How to Serve Creamy Vegan Potato Soup Recipe
Garnishes
While the chopped fresh parsley is a classic choice, don’t hesitate to get creative. A drizzle of good-quality olive oil, a sprinkle of smoked paprika, or even some crunchy roasted chickpeas add exciting contrasts in texture and flavor that take the soup from simple to spectacular.
Side Dishes
This soup pairs beautifully with crusty bread, like a warm sourdough or a rustic baguette, perfect for dipping right into that creamy goodness. For a more substantial meal, a crisp green salad or roasted seasonal vegetables add fresh brightness and balance.
Creative Ways to Present
For dinner parties or cozy nights in, consider serving the soup in small cups or mason jars as a delightful starter. Alternatively, adding a swirl of coconut cream on top can make the presentation look professionally indulgent while enhancing the texture.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
This Creamy Vegan Potato Soup Recipe keeps exceptionally well in the fridge for up to four days. Store it in an airtight container to preserve the fresh flavors and creamy texture until you’re ready to enjoy it again.
Freezing
If you want to meal prep or save some for later, this soup freezes wonderfully. Pour it into freezer-safe containers, leaving some space for expansion, and you can keep it frozen for up to three months without losing its deliciousness.
Reheating
To reheat, warm the soup gently on the stove over low heat, stirring often to prevent sticking. If it thickens up too much in the fridge or freezer, simply add a splash of plant-based milk or broth to loosen it back up to that lovely creamy consistency.
FAQs
Can I use a different type of plant-based milk in this recipe?
Absolutely! While almond milk works wonderfully here, you can substitute oat milk, soy milk, or cashew milk depending on your preference. Just make sure to use an unsweetened variety to keep the soup balanced.
Is nutritional yeast necessary?
It’s completely optional. Nutritional yeast adds a subtle cheesy, nutty flavor, but if you don’t have it or don’t want to use it, the soup will still be deliciously creamy and flavorful.
Can I add other vegetables?
Definitely! Carrots, celery, or leeks can be sautéed with the onion for added complexity. Just keep in mind that adding extra veggies might slightly change the texture and cooking time.
How thick will the soup be?
This soup finishes with a rich, creamy texture thanks to the potatoes and blending process, but if you prefer it thinner or thicker, adjust the broth and plant milk quantities accordingly during cooking or reheating.
Can I make this soup in a slow cooker?
Yes! Start by sautéing the onions and garlic on the stove, then combine all the ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours. Blend the soup toward the end for that creamy finish.
Final Thoughts
This Creamy Vegan Potato Soup Recipe has so much heart and soul packed into every bowl, proving that plant-based cooking can be indulgent, comforting, and utterly delicious. I warmly encourage you to give this recipe a try—you might just find a new favorite that feels like a warm kitchen hug on any day of the year.
Print
Creamy Vegan Potato Soup Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Vegan, American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This creamy vegan potato soup is a comforting and flavorful dish made with simple, wholesome ingredients. It features sautéed onions and garlic, tender potatoes simmered in vegetable broth, and a blend of spices like thyme and smoked paprika. The soup is pureed to a silky smooth texture and enriched with plant-based milk and nutritional yeast for a subtle cheesy flavor, making it a perfect dairy-free and vegan option for a cozy meal.
Ingredients
Soup Base
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 bay leaf
Seasonings & Flavorings
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional for added flavor)
Dairy-Free Additions & Garnish
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or any plant-based milk)
- Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Sauté Onion: Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté until it becomes translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add Garlic: Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
- Cook Potatoes: Add the cubed potatoes to the pot, stirring to combine with the onion and garlic. Continue to cook for about 3 minutes.
- Add Broth and Spices: Pour in the vegetable broth, ensuring that the potatoes are fully covered. Add the bay leaf, thyme, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Simmer Soup: Reduce the heat to low, cover, and let the soup simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.
- Blend Soup: Remove the bay leaf. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until it’s smooth and creamy. If you do not have an immersion blender, carefully transfer the soup in batches to a blender, blending each portion until smooth.
- Add Milk and Nutritional Yeast: Return the blended soup to the pot, stir in the almond milk and nutritional yeast if using. Heat gently over low heat and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Serve: Serve the soup hot, garnished with chopped fresh parsley.
Notes
- For a thicker soup, reduce the amount of almond milk or use less vegetable broth.
- Use other plant-based milks such as oat, soy, or cashew milk if preferred.
- Nutritional yeast is optional but adds a nice cheesy flavor and boosts vitamin B12 content.
- To make the soup spicier, add a pinch of cayenne pepper or red chili flakes.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month.
