Author: Secret # 1: I never crave soup.
Secret #2: Potatoes are not my favourite ingredient. Sure they make awesome fries, but other than that I always find them bland, boring and beige. Three of my least favourite adjectives.
Secret #3: That couldn't be less true about this Creamy Vegan Potato Soup, so gorgeous, so creamy, so decadent, so comforting...
Secret #4: After taking the photo below ↓ I not only polished off both bowls of the soup but managed to squeeze in a third. Soup obsession. Potato soup doesn't judge.
Secret #5: I now always crave soup.
Yes, it's sadly true, I pretty much devoured a good portion of this soup before it was even dinner time. I quickly turned into a couch potato... a potato soup couch potato. This is a smooth, luscious, warming from the inside out, perfect fall soup. Just what I need when it's already dark at 6pm (grumble).
After making this creamy vegan potato soup I declared that from now on, I am going to make soup. All the time. Like every single day. I went from someone who felt "meh" about soup, to someone who feels "give it to MEEEEEE" serious about soup. That's pretty serious.
I think maybe it's the pure simplicity of this soup. Just veggies, broth, non-dairy milk, and a little salt. It's really all you need. So clean, simple, and scrumptious. 3 great adjectives!
To make Creamy Vegan Potato Soup: Roughly chop up the onion, carrots, celery, and potatoes and garlic.
Heat a large pot over medium-high heat, and add the olive oil. When it is hot, toss in the celery, carrots, and onions. Sauté the veggies, until they start to look a bit caramelised and delicious. Add the garlic and sautée for one minute more.
Add the potatoes and veggie broth. Cover and simmer for about 15-20 minutes. The soup is cooked when a fork easily pierces all the way through the veggies.
Blend up that creamy vegan potato soup up! Use an immersion blender straight in the pot. Blend until it is perfectly smooth.
If you don't have an immersion blender, you can carefully scoop some soup into a standing blender, and blend in very small batches. Remember to not fill your blender up too high or you will have a hot soup explosion!
I like my soup creamy and silky, but if you prefer some veggie chunks in yours remove some of the soup, blend, and then mix the two back together again.
Stir in the coconut milk or non-dairy milk of choice. Taste, and add salt according to your preference. This will vary depending on how salty or not salty the broth you used is, so just add a little at a time until you think the taste is perfect. I ended up using 1.5 teaspoons of salt. Heat the soup until simmering and you are ready to serve.
Sprinkle on some delicious toppings, if you are into that kind of thing (you should be into that kind of thing), and try not to become a potato soup couch potato.
(click stars to vote)
Easy Vegan Potato Soup (Creamy & Dairy-Free!)
Servings:
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, (or sub water or broth for oil-free)
- 3 ribs celery, chopped
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and chopped (about 3 medium)
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup full-fat coconut milk, (or other unsweetened vegan cream, see notes)
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt, or to taste
- Optional toppings: Chopped green onions or chives, vegan bacon bits, shredded vegan cheddar cheese, croutons, a swirl of coconut cream or vegan sour cream, crispy shallots or fried onions, smoked paprika, black pepper
Instructions
- Sauté the veggies: In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat the oil (or a splash of water/broth for oil-free). Add the celery, carrots, onion, and garlic. Cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the veggies soften and start to brown.
- Simmer the potatoes: Add the chopped potatoes and vegetable broth. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15–20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- Blend until creamy: Use an immersion blender directly in the pot to blend until smooth. Prefer some texture? Blend just half the soup, then stir it back in.No immersion blender? Carefully transfer the soup in batches to a standing blender. Only fill the blender halfway and start at the lowest speed to avoid overflow. Hot liquids expand quickly when blended, so working in small batches keeps things safe and mess-free.
- Add creaminess: Stir in the coconut milk or vegan cream of choice. Taste and adjust salt as needed. Reheat gently, but avoid boiling after adding the cream.
- Serve and top: Ladle into bowls and garnish with your favorite toppings. Serve hot and enjoy!
Notes
Full-fat canned coconut milk is my go-to for richness and body, but feel free to substitute with:
- Homemade cashew cream (omit sweetener and vanilla)
- Store-bought unsweetened vegan heavy cream
- Homemade hemp cream (omit sweetener and vanilla)
- Plain, unsweetened non-dairy yogurt (adds a hint of tang)
- Or skip it entirely, many readers say the soup is creamy enough without it!
Nutrition
⭐ Did You Make This Recipe?
I’d love if you left a rating and comment, it helps others find the recipe and makes my day! 💕Bon Appetegan!
Sam
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J says
Secret number one: we shouldn't have to scroll through a novel's worth of text to get to the recipe.. Just post the recipe!
Sam Turnbull says
Secret number two: it took you 10 times longer to leave that comment than it did for you to scroll past the text to the recipe.
Shelley says
Yeah girl! Seriously it takes no time to just scroll down to the recipe
Sam Turnbull says
Haha, thanks Shelley!
M says
Delicious recipe! Turns out wonderful every single time I make it! Also your response to that comment made my day! 😉
Sam Turnbull says
Haha, thanks so much, M 😀
Laurie says
haha, some people!!!
Roberta says
Option on top says skip to receipe.
Hannah Timm says
I made this soup just now and it is totally amazing. I can't stop eating it either. I had to do the blend in small batches trick, and it is a little chunky but soooo delicious. I can't wait to share with the family.
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful! Thrilled you love it, Hannah 🙂
Cassie says
I am trying to convert my family to a vegan (I'll even take vegetarian) way of eating, and we had this for dinner tonight. HUGE hit! Thank you!
Jennifer says
Although, we are not vegan or vegetarian just dairy free; this recipe was fantastic on a cold snowy day in Wisconsin. I adapted the recipe for my Instant pot. I also added 1/4 c nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, and added steamed asparagus after pureeing the soup. We did add bacon. My 7 year old added chipotle peppers to his. He loves all things spicy. Thank you for a great recipe.
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you loved it, Jennifer.
tc says
Out of celery (oh, the horror!), subbed red onion for yellow, as my yellows decided to sprout (how rude). Added handful of dehydrated leeks and served sprinkled with a little celery salt. Delicious with and without the coconut milk! Thumbs up from all 7 of us! Husband insisted that its only missing a bacon crumble garnish.
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you enjoyed it!! You can always top it with vegan coconut bacon 🙂
Steve from Owen Sound says
I'll make this as brief as I can! My wife is the primary cook in our house and I would (confidentially) describe her as "fussy". This goes back even before our family became vegan overnight (August 2015). Yesterday I said I wanted to try to make THIS soup recipe. Her reply was "I don't like creamy soups. Never have, never will." Well...never say never. Yesterday was batch #1.Today is batch #2! We've used your recipes before and have never been disappointed. This was a home run for sure. I mean if a creamy-soup hater gives it a 5 star rating.....nothing more to say! Thanks and keep up the great work.
Sam Turnbull says
Hahaha! Love it so much. Thrilled you and your wife are enjoying my recipes 😀
Ashley says
Oh my gosh this was soooo good! Thanks for sharing your amazing recipe. 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
You're most welcome, Ashley!
Tanya says
Thank you for another amazing recipe. I made this last night for dinner and loved it so much. I'm having the rest for lunch tomorrow. I also made broth using your idea to save veggies in a freezer bag. Thanks again!!<3
Sam Turnbull says
You're most welcome! So happy you enjoyed 😀
Felice says
Delicious! Used the coconut milk. It was rich, creamy and tasty! Thank you for the recipe!
Sam Turnbull says
You're most welcome! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Carla says
This was perfect! I used about a cup of frozen mixed veggies to get a little more nutrition in. I grew up on creamy potato soup but I don't like all the dairy in it now so this was a great find! Even better because the coconut milk makes it slightly sweet.
Sam Turnbull says
SO happy you loved it, Carla 🙂
Heather Love says
This was so good!!! Thank you for the recipe.
Sam Turnbull says
Thrilled you enjoyed it, Heather 🙂
Edith Goldman says
I've found that using the immersion blender or the food processor on potatoes makes them gummy and gross. How do you avoid this? Thank you.
Sam Turnbull says
Use russet potatoes! Not all potatoes are alike, but russets are dry and mealy meaning they won't get gummy.
Edith Goldman says
Aha! Thank you.
Anna says
Thanks! I doubled this recipe, added several tablespoons of nutritional yeast, a teaspoon of smoked paprika, and only one can of coconut milk as well as an extra cup of vegetable broth. Very tasty. I like my potato soup only partially blended so there's still something to chew on.
Sam Turnbull says
Glad you enjoyed it!
Jacob says
Oh-so-tasty vegan potato soup! I added a dash of hot cayenne to give it a kick. The thing I love about this recipe is that it's simple--from the ingredients to the preparation, it's not daunting and is easy to follow and customize. I made mine thicker, more like a chowder, and used almond milk for a low fat dish. Really great recipe, thanks for posting!
Sam Turnbull says
You're most welcome, Jacob! So happy you loved it so much 😀
Jessica says
This soup was perfect for the entire family. It's hard to get everyone to agree on somehting as I have a picky husband and 2 toddlers. This recipe made the rotation! Hallelujah!! Something we all liked!!! Thanks!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay!! So happy to hear that, Jessica. Glad it was enjoyed by all 🙂
Chloe says
I absolutely adore this recipe! I can't even begin to explain how since I've made it I find myself craving it during all times of the day and it was so easy to make! Much like I already do with my regular mashed potatoes I added some vegan mayo to get it a bit or a silkier taste and I don't think I can ever go back!.
Sam Turnbull says
Awww shucks! So happy you and this recipe have found each other, Chloe. 😀
Ranae Bauserman says
Where did you find vegan mayo?
Sam Turnbull says
There are different kinds in the grocery store such as Vegenaise brand or Hellmann's vegan mayo, or I also have a recipe for Mayonnaise for Days in my cookbook Fuss-Free Vegan (page 208).
MARY says
THeres a brand Walmart sells it’s called just mayo or there’s also just ranch
Marc says
Wow! Delicious! I baked the peelings from the potato and added it as a garnish.
Sam Turnbull says
Sounds lovely!
Jessica says
Thanks for the great idea! All this time I've been throwing away my peels. The peels were delish!
Feona says
Yummmm very good. I added in a swede and a bit of cauliflower. The swede goes very nicely with coconut milk.
Sam Turnbull says
Sounds delicious, so happy you enjoyed it, Feona 🙂
Kathy Ingallinera says
This is my go-to potato soup or late Sunday evening and it's dang cold out soup now! Every time I make it, it tastes a little bit different and better. Even my omni husband loves it, as does the dog who gets to lick the pan after it is all eaten with leftovers in the fridge. Thanks for the recipe!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! SO happy you love it so much, Kathy 🙂
Mark says
This was good for our rainy Sunday luncheon. I like bland foods sometimes and this was just right - too much gourmet is just too much after a while, just some good down home cooking is really satisfying. ... I'm transitioning two family members over to vegan and we need transitional dishes, this worked well. And lastly, one person I am transitioning loves her navy bean soup w/ ham hocks, and I found this recipe - you do not miss the ham hocks! 😉
Thank You!
http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2012/06/senate-bean-soup-vegan-version.html
Sam Turnbull says
So happy it hit the spot, Mark 🙂