Vegan Potato Soup

This creamy vegan potato soup is the stuff dreams are made of! Cozy and rustic, you’d never guess it was plant based.

Here’s a recipe that’s cozy and creamy, perfect for wrapping your hands around a cup in chilly weather. Try our best Vegan Potato Soup recipe! This one is so full of flavor and impossibly dreamy that you’d swear it had cream or milk in it. Turns out, it’s easy to make a potato soup without dairy that’s the equivalent of wearing a cozy sweater next to a roaring fire. There’s no blender needed: this soup is beautifully chunky and flavored with savory Old Bay. Load it up with toppings and it’s a stunner. We couldn’t stop shoveling in bites!

Ingredients in vegan potato soup

What’s the magic behind this vegan potato soup? This one is a spinoff on our Loaded Potato Soup, with a few simple tweaks to make it plant based. The flavor is out of this world good. Here are the ingredients you need for a vegan potato soup:

Shallots: The delicate flavor of this small onion is just what’s needed for a potato soup.
Garlic
Russet potatoes: Make sure to use russet potatoes here: they have just the right texture. Waxy potatoes don’t quite work!
Coconut oil: You can also use olive oil: it will give the soup a slightly more yellow hue
All purpose flour: Substitute gluten-free flour for gluten free
Vegetable broth
Oat milk: Oat milk is the creamiest, best option here: see below!
Old Bay: Old Bay is an American seasoning blend invented in Maryland that’s popularly used to flavor seafood or potato chowder. Find it online or make it homemade.

The best non-dairy milk for potato soup?

Vegan potato soup is tricky: not only can it not use cream and butter, there’s no dairy milk allowed. What’s the best non-dairy milk to stand in that can still provide creaminess? Here’s what we’ve found:

Oat milk is perfect in vegan potato soup. It has a creamy enough texture and a neutral flavor that makes it perfect for vegan soups.
Almond milk works, but it’s less creamy. The texture of almond milk is very thin, close to water.
Not recommended: coconut milk or soy milk. Both of these non-dairy milks have too strong of a flavor for this potato soup.

No blender needed: use a potato masher!

This vegan potato soup recipe is naturally creamy: there’s no need for a blender! Cook the potatoes until they’re falling apart, then mash them right in the pot using a potato masher. This cuts down on mess, and makes for a great creamy but chunky texture (my favorite part about this easy potato soup). Personally, we love potato soups with a bit of texture: not ones that are perfectly smooth. This one hits the mark for us!

Toppings for vegan potato soup

The next challenge to a vegan potato soup recipe: what to use for toppings? With no cheese, bacon, or sour cream allowed, there’s still plenty of options! Here are our favorite toppings to make a loaded vegan potato soup:

Coconut bacon: It might sound odd, but coconut bacon really hits the mark here! Chewy and smoky, it infuses bacon-y goodness without the meat. Or try shiitake bacon or tempeh bacon.
Vegan sour cream, cashew cream or yogurt: There are a few creamy options: you can make homemade vegan sour cream or cashew cream. Or try store-bought vegan yogurt (what we used).
Chives or green onions: Thinly sliced chives or green onion tops is ultra classic for a potato soup.
Sliced orange pepper: To incorporate the orange color of shredded cheese, we used thinly sliced orange pepper: the look is remarkably similar! The flavor is good enough that you don’t need vegan cheese, though you could use it if you have a brand you love.

Variation: vegan potato leek soup

Want to make a vegan potato leek soup instead? Potato leek soup is one of life’s great pleasures: the leeks add even more savory, oniony flavor to the potato puree. Here’s what to do if you’d like to transform this soup:

Chop 3 leeks: Substitute 3 large leeks for the shallots. Chop off the dark green stems of the leeks and the bottom root, then slice them in half lengthwise. Place each leek half cut-side down on the cutting board, then chop it into thin slices, resulting in half-moon shapes, then rinse them thoroughly in a colander.
Add them in place of the shallots: Add the leeks with the garlic and cook about 4 minute until tender, then follow the remainder of the recipe.

Ways to add more protein!

Last idea for mixing up this potato leek soup: want to add more protein? You can add sliced vegan sausage to the soup and simmer until heated through, just a few minutes. We happened to have a vegan sausage in the refrigerator when we made this soup, so the next day we tried it. It’s even more filling!

When you’re shopping for a vegan meat substitute, check the package ingredients to make sure it’s not too processed. There are several brands on the market now that are made with real food ingredients: but you’ll have to review the ingredient list. Also make sure the ingredients fit your dietary preferences (some contain gluten or egg).

Sides to serve with vegan potato soup

Once you’ve got your vegan potato soup recipe, what to serve with it? There are lots of great sides to go with potato soup. Here are a few that would be fantastic here:

Salad: Try any of our vegan salads, like Vegan Tossed Salad or Spinach Apple Salad
Cornbread: Add Vegan Cornbread for a homey meal
Bread: Make your own No Knead Bread
Biscuits: Try our Best Vegan Biscuits
Garlic toast: Accessorize with quick and easy Garlic Toast

This vegan potato soup recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free