The Ultimate Vegan Potato Soup
October 18, 2024
This vegan potato soup is the ultimate cold-weather treat, packed with flavorful herbs and veggies and made totally indulgent with coconut milk and vegan sour cream. It's half-blended, so it has a creamy texture combined with hearty potato chunks. Even better, it's so easy to make with just 1 pot and 45 minutes start-to-finish.
If you're looking for your next comfort meal, this is it. This vegan potato soup is seriously delicious. And it's ultra-creamy without the need for any dairy cream! While it's amazing on its own, you can also add as many toppings as you want or enjoy it with some crusty bread.
Ingredients & Substitutions
What kind of potatoes should you use? How can you make it gluten-free? I'll answer questions like these in this section, but if there's a question you don't see the answer to, feel free to leave a comment, and I'll respond as soon as I can.
extra-virgin olive oil: For sautéing the vegetables; if you want to go oil-free, you can use broth or water instead. You can also use another type of cooking oil or vegan butter, but if you're going to make my homemade vegan butter, leave out the cashew cream because it will cause the butter to burn.
yellow onion: You could also use a white onion or sweet onion, if you prefer.
garlic: I prefer fresh, but you could also use 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder.
flat-leaf parsley: Good substitutes for parsley include cilantro or celery leaves, but you may want to reduce the amount a bit, depending on your tastes. You can also use 2 teaspoons of dried parsley.
thyme: I recommend using fresh thyme, but 1 teaspoon of dried thyme would also work.
all-purpose flour: This thickens the soup. For a gluten-free replacement, you can use 1 1/2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Just dissolve it in some of the vegetable broth first, then add it together with the rest of the vegetable broth and coconut milk.
low-sodium vegetable broth: I prefer low-sodium broth because you can control the saltiness of your soup. Check the ingredients before you buy, because not all vegetable broth is vegan. You can also use vegan vegetable bouillon mixed with water.
coconut milk: For the best texture, use the full-fat version. If you prefer not to use coconut milk, you could also use 1 2/3 cups (400 mL) vegan heavy cream or make your own cashew cream by blending soaked raw cashews with water. Use equal parts cashews and water by volume (i.e. 1 cup cashews and 1 cup water).
potatoes: My favorite potatoes to use are Yukon gold potatoes, especially if you plan to blend half of the soup to make it chunky and creamy at the same time. Yukon gold potatoes are creamy enough to blend up but firm enough to hold their shape after boiling. If you want to blend the whole soup, you could use Russet (baking) potatoes, which are starchy and won't hold their shape as well.
sun-dried tomatoes: These add a burst of flavor and color to the soup and make a great replacement for bacon without using fake meat. You could also use vegan bacon bits if you prefer, just choose one that will hold up to the heat and moisture of the soup.
vegan sour cream: My absolute favorite brand is Kite Hill sour cream. But if you can't get it in your area or prefer not to buy store-bought, it's easy to make your own. See the next section for instructions.
salt and pepper: Wait until nearly the end to add these, then add to taste. The amount of salt you'll need will depend on the vegetable broth you use, plus your own preferences.
How to Make Your Own Vegan Sour Cream
Vegan sour cream takes the flavor and texture of this soup to the next level, and you don't have to miss out just because you can't find it locally. It's super easy to make with just a blender and these ingredients:
1 cup raw cashews, soaked
1/3 cup water
4 tsp. apple cider vinegar
2 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. salt
To soak your cashews, place them in a small saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and let the cashews soak in the hot water for 10 minutes, then drain.
Add everything to a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Start the blender on low speed, then gradually increase the speed. Depending on your blender, you may need to blend for up to 5 minutes to reach a smooth texture.
I've heard from some readers that their blenders aren't great for blending nuts, but you don't need an expensive Vitamix to get good results. I've been using this inexpensive Oster blender for several years, and it grinds all kinds of nuts into creamy concoctions pretty easily.
This recipe should make enough for 1 batch of potato soup, plus more for topping. If you have any left over, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5–7 days.
Vegan Potato Soup Toppings
With this soup, you can have fun and get creative with your toppings. You can also enjoy it with some crusty sourdough bread or a baguette.
If you're serving this soup for a large group, you could even set up a toppings bar so everyone can choose their favorites. Here are my "top" topping suggestions:
vegan croutons
green onions
chopped chives
chopped parsley
sun-dried tomatoes
vegan bacon
vegan sour cream
vegan shredded cheddar cheese
Storage and Reheating
This recipe makes for delicious leftovers, so it's great for meal prepping. You can keep it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or freeze it for up to 3 months. If you're freezing it, you can choose a freezer-safe container or freeze individual portions in freezer bags.
When you chill this soup, it will thicken, so you'll want to add some water or vegetable broth when you reheat it. If it's frozen, defrost first in the refrigerator. Then add the soup to a saucepan and reheat over medium-low heat on the stove, stirring constantly until it's warmed all the way through.
More Yummy Vegan Potato Recipes
If you're like me, there will never be too many potato recipes to enjoy. Here are some others you might also like:
The Ultimate Vegan Potato Soup
Yield6 servings (7 1/2 cups / 1.75 L)
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil or vegan butter
- 1 medium (8-oz.) yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp. fresh flat-leaf parsley or cilantro, chopped
- 1 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
- 3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 3 1/4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 can (13.5 oz) full-fat coconut milk
- 2 lb. yellow potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch (1 1/4-cm) cubes*
- 6 pieces (1.4 oz.) sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped*
- 3/4 cup vegan sour cream*
- salt and pepper, to taste
Toppings (Optional)
- vegan sour cream
- shredded vegan cheddar cheese
- green onions (scallions), chopped
- sun-dried tomatoes or vegan bacon, chopped
Instructions
Chop your vegetables and pre-measure your other ingredients so they’re ready to go when you need them.
Heat your olive oil or vegan butter in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat.
Add your chopped onion and cook until it’s softened, stirring frequently (about 3-5 minutes).
![Chopped onions in a pot with a wooden spoon.]()
Add your chopped garlic, parsley, and thyme, then cook another 1 minute, stirring regularly.
![Onions, garlic, parsley, and thyme cooked in a pot.]()
Add your flour to the pot and cook for about 1 minute longer, stirring constantly.
![Vegetables and seasonings cooked together with flour in a pot.]()
Pour in your vegetable broth and coconut milk, then whisk well until there are no lumps of flour remaining.
![Pot with cooked vegetables, vegetable broth, and coconut milk whisked together.]()
Add your potatoes to the pot, then bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and cover, and allow the potatoes to simmer until they’re fork-tender (about 15-20 minutes).
![Vegan potato soup after potatoes have cooked.]()
Carefully transfer about half of the soup to a blender jar. Remove the center cap from the blender lid, then cover the blender jar with the lid and cover the opening in the lid with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel. Blend the soup until it’s smooth.*
![Half of the vegan potato soup blended in a blender jar.]()
Return the blended half of the soup to the pot and mix together with the unblended half. Add your vegan sour cream and sun-dried tomatoes and mix well.
![Vegan potato soup mixed with vegan sour cream and sun-dried tomatoes.]()
At this point, you can add salt and pepper to taste. Allow the soup to simmer 5-10 minutes longer.
Serve your potato soup plain or topped with vegan sour cream, sun-dried tomatoes, vegan cheddar cheese, and green onions.
Notes & Hints
I recommend using Yukon gold or other potatoes that are between starchy and waxy, so your potatoes can both hold their shape and blend into a creamy soup.
If you're weighing your sun-dried tomatoes, note that your tomatoes will weigh more if they're retaining oil from the package.
For vegan sour cream, I prefer Kite Hill, but you can also easily make your own. See the section in the blog post labeled, "How to Make Vegan Sour Cream."
This recipe creates a soup that's creamy, but also has chunks of potato. You could skip the blending or blend the whole soup if you prefer. You can also use an immersion blender, being careful to only blend half of the soup.
Nutrition Data
Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe; Calories: 371; Fat: 22 g.; Saturated Fat: 15 g.; Cholesterol: 0 mg.; Sodium: 280 mg.; Carbohydrates: 40 g.; Fiber: 5 g.; Sugar: 6 g.; Protein: 5 g.; Vitamin A: 149 mcg. RAE; Vitamin B12: 0 mcg.; Vitamin C: 40 mg.; Vitamin D: 0 mcg.; Calcium: 52 mg.; Iron: 2 mg.; Potassium: 1018 mg.; Zinc: 0 mg.Note: This data should be used only as an estimate. Please see the nutrition section of my terms and conditions for more information on how this data is calculated.
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