Author: This Creamy Vegan Potato Soup is thick, creamy, comforting, and so easy to make. Think loaded baked potatoes in soup form, with tender chunks of potato in every bite! Pile it high with vegan bacon, vegan cheese, sour cream, chives, or all your favorite potato toppings.
I'm not even the biggest potato person, but I LOVE this vegan potato soup. It's warm, cozy, ridiculously creamy, and loaded with tender chunks of potato in every spoonful. Basically, everything I love about a loaded baked potato, turned into a big comforting bowl of soup! And the best part? It's an easy one-pot recipe, so I make this one again and again as soon as the weather gets chilly.
I use full-fat coconut milk to make the broth extra rich and creamy, and before you ask: nope, it doesn't taste like coconut! (I've had tons of readers make this soup over the years who agree.) Then comes my favorite part: the toppings. Vegan bacon, vegan cheese, sour cream, green onions, crispy onions... load it up!
Why You'll Love This Loaded Potato Soup
- Rich and creamy: Coconut milk makes the broth rich and creamy, while partially blending the potatoes thickens it even more. No dairy needed!
- Chunky in all the right ways: I only partially blend the soup so you still get tender chunks of Yukon Gold potato in every bowl. So satisfying.
- Easy one-pot dinner: Everything comes together in one big pot in about 35 minutes. Easy peasy.
- The toppings are half the fun: Vegan bacon, cheese, sour cream, green onions, crispy onions, hot sauce... pile on whatever you love!
Ingredients for Vegan Potato Soup
- Vegan butter: Vegan butter adds a little extra richness, but you can use olive oil if you prefer.
- Yellow onion and garlic: The savory base of flavor.
- All-purpose flour: For thickening the soup. A 1:1 gluten-free flour blend works too.
- Yukon Gold potatoes: My favorite for this soup! They get wonderfully creamy when blended but still hold their shape, so you get those delicious potato chunks too.
- Vegetable broth: Start with 4 cups, then add more at the end if you'd like a thinner consistency.
- Full-fat coconut milk: Makes the broth extra rich and creamy, and no, the finished soup doesn't taste like coconut! Vegan heavy cream or homemade cashew cream (omit vanilla and sweeteners) works too, or try plain unsweetened vegan yogurt for a slightly tangier flavor.
- Nutritional yeast: Optional, if you want a cheesy vegan potato soup.
- Seasonings: Dried thyme, salt, and black pepper.
- Toppings: Like vegan bacon bits, shredded vegan cheese, vegan sour cream, green onions or chives, croutons, crispy onions, smoked paprika, hot sauce, and/or fresh parsley.
How to Make Creamy Vegan Potato Soup
- Sauté the Aromatics: Melt the vegan butter in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened and fragrant.
- Add the Flour: Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir well. Cook for about 60 seconds, stirring often. This cooks away the raw flour taste.
- Simmer the Potatoes: Add the potatoes, 4 cups of vegetable broth, coconut milk, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, and thyme. Stir well and bring everything to a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
- Blend Until Creamy (But Keep It Chunky!): Use an immersion blender or countertop blender to partially blend the soup. If your soup is thicker than you'd like, stir in additional vegetable broth until it reaches your perfect consistency. Season to taste, then divide into bowls and add toppings.
Tips and Variations
- Try Russet potatoes: Yukon Golds are my first choice because they stay creamy while holding their shape, but Russets work too. They'll break down more, resulting in a softer texture.
- Make it oil-free: Sauté the onion and garlic in a splash of vegetable broth or water instead of vegan butter. You can blend a little more of the soup to make it extra creamy.
- Control the consistency: Potato soup is very forgiving. Blend more for a smoother, thicker soup or less for a chunkier soup. Add additional broth if you need to thin it out. Just note that as you adjust the consistency, you may need to adjust the seasonings too.
- Don't want to use coconut milk? Swap it for unsweetened vegan heavy cream or cashew cream. Plain unsweetened vegan yogurt also works and gives the soup a slightly tangier flavor.
What to Serve with Vegan Potato Soup
This creamy vegan potato soup is hearty enough to be a meal, but if you want to stretch it further, you can serve it with:
- Crusty bread or vegan garlic bread
- A fresh salad like my avocado cashew Caesar salad or Olive Garden Salad
- Vegan sandwiches or vegan mozzarella grilled cheese
- Vegan cheddar biscuits or soft dinner rolls
- For extra protein, add vegan bacon to your bowl or serve the soup with tofu chicken fingers or seitan on the side
Storage and Freezing
- Refrigerator: Store leftover vegan potato soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It will thicken as it chills, so stir in a splash of vegetable broth or water when reheating if you want it a bit thinner.
- Freezer: Freeze the soup for up to 3 months. The potatoes will become slightly softer after freezing and thawing. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave.
If you try this creamy vegan potato soup recipe, let me know by leaving a comment and rating it. I'd love to see what you made. Share your creation in the It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken Community (this is where we're all hanging out now!) or tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram.
Bon appetegan!
Sam Turnbull.
(click stars to vote)
Creamy Vegan Potato Soup (Loaded Baked Potato Style)
This Creamy Vegan Potato Soup is thick, creamy, comforting, and so easy to make. Think loaded baked potatoes in soup form, with tender chunks of potato in every bite! Pile it high with vegan bacon, vegan cheese, sour cream, chives, or all your favorite potato toppings.
Servings:
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter, or olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1-inch cubes (about 6 medium potatoes)
- 4 - 5 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup full-fat canned coconut milk, or vegan heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, (optional for cheesy taste)
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- Toppings of choice: vegan bacon bits, shredded vegan cheese, vegan sour cream, chopped green onions or chives, croutons, crispy onions, smoked paprika, hot sauce, fresh parsley
Instructions
- Sauté the onion and garlic: In a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, melt the vegan butter or heat the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened.
- Add the flour: Sprinkle in the flour and stir well to coat. Cook for 60 seconds, stirring often, to toast the flour.
- Simmer the soup: Add the potatoes, 4 cups vegetable broth, coconut milk, nutritional yeast (if using), salt, pepper, and thyme. Stir well and bring to a gentle simmer.Cook uncovered for about 10 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender.
- Blend for creaminess: Use an immersion blender to partially blend the soup, leaving plenty of potato chunks. Alternatively, carefully transfer about half of the soup to a blender and blend until smooth, then return it to the pot. Or, if you prefer a completely smooth potato soup (no chunks), blend the entire soup until smooth.If the soup is thicker than you like, stir in more broth as needed.
- Serve: Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Ladle into bowls and pile on your favorite toppings.
Notes
Potato Tip: Yukon Gold potatoes become creamy while still holding their shape, making them perfect for loaded potato soup. Russet potatoes also work well and break down more, giving a softer, creamier texture.
Cream Options: Full-fat canned coconut milk gives the richest texture without a noticeable coconut flavor. Unsweetened vegan heavy cream or homemade cashew cream (omit vanilla and sweeteners) also work well. For a slightly tangier soup, use plain unsweetened vegan yogurt instead.
Texture Tip: Blending only part of the soup gives it that thick restaurant-style potato soup texture while keeping satisfying chunks.
Oil-Free Option: Sauté the onion with water or broth instead of oil. Skip the vegan butter and blend a little more of the soup for extra creaminess if desired.
Gluten-Free Option: Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.
Storage: Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days. The soup will thicken as it sits, so add a splash of broth or water when reheating if needed.
Freezing: Freeze for up to 3 months. The texture may soften slightly after thawing.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving without toppings (recipe makes 6 servings) | Calories: 329kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1065mg | Potassium: 1132mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 343IU | Vitamin C: 47mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 4mg
Tina W. says
This soup is freaking amazing!! It's super delicious, fast/easy to make, and I already had all of the ingredients in my pantry. My husband is a card-carrying member of the "Carnivore Forever" club, but even he raved about this soup! This recipe is definitely a keeper. I'm adding it to my rotation of favorite recipes that I make on a regular basis.
Thank you, Sam!!!!!!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hahaha, winning over a card-carrying member of the Carnivore Forever club!! 😂 I love it! So happy you both enjoyed the soup, Tina! Thank you so much for the lovely review! 💚
Paula says
I love potato soup but try to avoid coconut milk in all my cooking. Thanks for providing alternatives!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
You're so welcome, Paula! Hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Chantelle G. says
I didnt make this vegan, but it is an amazing creamy potato soup!! Thank you! So delicious!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
So happy you enjoyed the soup, Chantelle! Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try! 🙂
Mary Templeton says
This soup was so satisfying! We ate for a couple days in a row. Husband loved it. I will definitely make this again.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Aww, love hearing that you and your husband both enjoyed it, Mary! So happy it's going on the make-again list! 🙂
Michele says
We have not made the soup as outlined - BUT - we used sweet potato!!!! It was amazing.
For our Thanksgiving, I was going to start with soup, and then move on and cook another of your recipes for our main dish. Never happened. We killed the soup and a loaf of fresh bread for our Thanksgiving dinner!
Tomorrow we are trying it using celery in place of onion. Fingers crossed!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Haha, I love that the soup and bread became the entire Thanksgiving dinner, Michele! 😂 So happy the sweet potato version was such a hit! Fingers crossed for the celery experiment too!
Stephanie says
A hearty, rich soup- perfect for chilly weather!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
So happy it hit the spot, Stephanie! Thanks for cozying up with a bowl of my soup 🙂
Holly says
This soup was amazing and such a comforting meal! I made it without the oil, used gluten-free flour, and cooked it in the Instant Pot. It turned out great, and I’ll definitely be making it again!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
So happy you enjoyed it, Holly! Thanks for sharing that your oil-free, gluten-free Instant Pot version worked well for you 🙂
Tristen King says
I made this tonight I used the vegan heavy cream. Toped with cheeze, sour cream, chives and bacon bits. Really good everyone really liked it. Can't wait to have it tomorrow for lunch.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Now that's a fully loaded bowl, Tristen! So happy everyone enjoyed it. Hope lunch is just as delicious 🙂
Sally says
You nailed it 👏 so creamy, melt in your mouth good 🤤 spices where dead on... it is not a rush kinda soup... when it melts in your mouth you are forced to sit and enjoy 😋 no one has done it better 😘
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Aww, Sally, what a lovely compliment! So happy this soup gave you a reason to slow down and savor every spoonful 🙂
Adrienne says
Made this tonight, and it was so very yummy. I did skip the coconut milk (to save WW points). My fave substitution is to use a cup of plant based milk, to which I add 1/4 tsp.of coconut extract. I topped mine with a sprinkle of fresh parsley, black sesame seeds and more nutritional yeast sprinkled on top.
I did use an immersion blender. I think I need a new one, I kinda melted it before, and so I don’t think it as effective as it could be. Heeheehee!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
So happy you enjoyed the soup, Adrienne! Thanks for sharing how you adapted it. Sounds like that immersion blender might be ready for retirement, haha!
Eleanor says
this is a pretty perfect potato soup. it uses a little bit too much onion for my taste, but that’s just me, & next time i’ll just use half — but it still turned out spectacular, especially with plenty of vegan cheese & sour cream!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
So happy you enjoyed it, Eleanor! I’m all for loading it up with vegan cheese and sour cream. Thanks for the review!
Addison says
This potato soup is so good and so easy to make! I love it with all the toppings and use the IDTLC tofu bites as my "bacon" and it is perfection! To note I used almond milk as that's what I had and it worked great.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Love that you’re using the tofu bites as your “bacon,” Addison! So happy you enjoyed it, and thanks for sharing that almond milk worked well for you 🙂
CJ Weyandt says
This recipe was really good. The flavors were amazing and the soup rich and creamy. I put about 1/2 of it in a blender. No toppings needed!
I followed the recipe exactly except I only added 1/2 the nutritional yeast. I might cut the potatoes up a little smaller next time, just personal preference.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
So happy you loved the soup, CJ! Thanks so much for sharing your tips and leaving a review!
Chelsea says
Soup season is upon us, and this was exactly what I needed for a cozy weekend. I used the cashew cream to thicken mine up, then just added the potatoes with some broth to the blender on top of the cashew cream to blend them together, an easy way to get cashew cream out of the nooks and crannies around the blender blades.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Ooh that's such a clever little blender trick, Chelsea! Love that you're getting every last bit of cashew cream! 😂 So happy the soup hit the spot for a cozy weekend!
Cara says
I made this soup tonight on a cold rainy night and turned out amazing. I already had all the ingredients on hand and followed the recipe exactly and it’s so good. No one would know it’s vegan, it’s so creamy and delicious! This will definitely be a recipe I make often!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Yay Cara!! A cold rainy night is the perfect excuse for a big bowl of creamy potato soup! So happy you loved it and that it's going into your regular rotation!
Tammy Wallace says
I added a tsp of black truffle oil and a sprinkle of aged balsamic vinegar, as well as some chopped carrots and canned corn to make it a really filling meal. Easy and tasty!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Ooh Tammy, you've really made this soup your own! Love all those creative additions. So happy you enjoyed it! 💚
Livia says
Easy, versatile and delicious recipe: I added some dried white fava beans today and it was super tasty! …living with a “potato whisperer” makes me a bit nervous anytime I attempt to cook them, but this recipe saves my evenings!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Haha, a potato whisperer! 😂 Love that this recipe has given you some potato confidence, Livia! So happy you're enjoying it, and the fava beans sound like a fun addition!
Erin says
Even my nonvegan mother loved this soup, and she doesn't like anything. I didn't peel the potatoes because I am lazy, and it was fine. I served it with shredded cheeze, crispy fried onions, chives, croutons (another IDTLC recipe), and paprika. Super good!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Haha, winning over a picky non-vegan mom is a HUGE compliment! 😂 So happy you both loved it, Erin! And those toppings sound absolutely delicious!
Lauralee says
This soup is delicious! My husband is a huge potato soup fan and he has declared this his favorite. It will definitely go on the repeat list.
I have no notes. 🙂
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Aww, I love this, Lauralee! So happy it got the seal of approval from your potato soup-loving husband! Thank you for the lovely review 😊
Dana says
The BEST potato soup I've ever made! It is rich and creamy and completely satisfying. The Yukon Gold potatoes make all the difference. This is my new comfort food.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Yay!! So happy this is your new comfort food, Dana! Thank you so much for the amazing review 💚