With only a few simple ingredients, this Vegan Baked Potato Soup is super easy to make and oh-so delicious. Topped with Smoky Maple Tempeh Bacon It has all the flavors of a classic potato soup, without the meat or dairy!
This soup is sure to warm you up on a cold day, but don’t discount it as a winter-only option… this soup is especially tasty in the summer when all those herbs are in season and can be used fresh!
Serve with crusty bread and you’ve got yourself a complete meal.
For more delicious vegan soup recipes check out my Vegan Italian Wedding Soup, Vegan Corn Chowder, or Vegan Dumpling Soup.
Or for a different vegan potato soup recipe, try this Vegan Spinach and Potato Soup.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Packed with flavor – Your non-vegan guests will never guess this delicious soup contains no dairy!
- Quick & easy – The best part about this soup is that it takes only 30 minutes from pantry to bowl, making it a quick weeknight option.
- Easily customized – Change up your cheese choice or add in some veggies that you need to use up. As long as you include the potatoes, you’re going to end up with a hearty soup with tons of flavor. Don’t forget to get creative with the garnishes!
- Crowd-pleaser – Leave the vegan cheese out of the last step and offer it on the side with both vegan and non-vegan (ahem, crispy bacon!) garnish options to please a crowd.
Ingredients
- Russet potatoes – Russets give that classic baked potato flavor, but you could easily use Yukon gold potatoes or even red potatoes if you prefer
- Yellow onion – You could easily use any variety of onion here without compromising flavor.
- Carrots – I think these add some great texture and color to this soup, but you can omit them or replace them with another vegetable like red bell pepper for a slightly different flavor.
- Dried herbs & spices – This soup is packed with so much flavor from thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, salt, and black pepper. As always, feel free to adjust any of these quantities to your liking.
- Vegetable stock – Swap for water and double the spices if you do not have vegetable broth or stock. Use non-dairy milk for a creamy potato soup. Swap for chicken broth if you don’t follow a vegan diet.
- Plant-based cheddar cheese – This ties together all those traditional baked potato flavors.
- Plant-based parmesan cheese – This adds an extra sharpness to the overall flavor.
- Optional: Bay leaves for added flavor, or nutritional yeast for more umami flavor
- Optional Garnishes: scallion, tortilla chips, vegan sour cream.
Helpful Equipment
In addition to measuring cups and spoons, the following equipment is helpful for this recipe:
- Soup pot
- Immersion blender or high powered blender (optional)
- Chef’s knife
- Cutting board
- Potato peeler
How to Make Vegan Baked Potato Soup
This is a detailed step-by-step guide on how to make this recipe including photographs. For the quick version, skip ahead to the recipe card below!
First, peel and chop your carrots and onion and add them to a large pot with a bit of olive oil or vegan butter. Sauté the veggies over medium heat for 1-2 minutes.
Next, add all the spices, stir, and sauté until the onion begins to soften.
While the onion and carrots cook, wash, peel, and chop your potatoes. If you plan to fully blend this soup, the size of the potato chunks doesn’t matter as long as they are uniform. Larger chunks will take longer to cook. However, if you plan to partly blend the soup or not blend it at all, make sure your chunks are bite-sized.
Next, add the water or broth to the pot and bring it to a steady boil. Once boiling, add the potatoes and reduce to a simmer. Allow the soup to simmer for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
Once all of the veggies are tender, remove from heat and allow the soup to cool slightly. Use an immersion blender to blend until you’ve reached a smooth consistency. If you are using a blender, carefully pour half of the soup into the blender and blend until smooth, then repeat with the other half. If you prefer a chunky potato soup, only blend half of the soup – totally personal preference.
Next, add in the vegan cheese and stir, allowing it to begin to melt. Then use the immersion blender again to fully mix the cheese into the soup.
Top with vegan bacon bits, diced green onions, or more vegan cheese! Enjoy!
Variations
- Add more veggies like green beans or chopped bell peppers.
- Use full-fat coconut milk or vegan heavy cream for a super creamy soup. Just note that coconut milk will give this soup a slight coconut flavor.
- Add 1/3 cup flour after the potatoes have cooked to thicken the soup slightly. Swap for cornstarch for a thicker gluten-free potato soup.
How to Store
- Fridge: Store leftover soup and airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
- Freezer: You can freeze this soup in portions for up to 6 months.
- Reheat: Allow frozen soup to thaw fully in the fridge then reheat in the microwave or on the stove.
More Tips
- Not Vegan? Use real cheese in the same quantities. Use chicken stock or beef broth instead of vegetable.
- Tree Nut Allergy? Many vegan cheeses use coconut, so make sure to check labels and opt for a tree-nut-safe vegan cheese.
- Don’t have an immersion blender? That’s ok! Carefully blend 1-2 cups at a time in a standard blender and return to stock pot. You could also use a potato masher to break up some of the potatoes. Or just leave it as is and it will still be delicious!
FAQ
Yes! Add all ingredients except the vegan cheese into the slow cooker, set on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours. Every slow cooker is different, so make sure to watch carefully so it doesn’t burn. Stir in the vegan cheese before blending
Totally! Use sauté mode to cook the veggies and boil the potatoes until everything is tender. Then follow the instructions to blend.
Add a dash of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes for a little heat.
Why not! Sweet potatoes will give this soup a totally different vibe, but it’s your kitchen, your rules! And I’m sure it will still be delicious.
Vegan Baked Potato Soup
Equipment
- Potato peeler
- Immersion blender (optional)
Ingredients
- 3 lbs russet potatoes (about 5 medium potatoes)
- 1 large yellow onion
- 2 medium carrots
- 1 tbsp olive oil for sauteing
- 6 cups vegetable stock or water
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 cup plant-based cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup plant-based parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Peel and chop the onion and carrots and toss into a large stock pot.
- Sauté the veggies in a bit of olive oil over medium heat for 1-2 minutes.
- Add all spices and stir. Sauté veggies 5 more minutes until onion begins to soften.
- While the vegetables sauté, wash, peel and chop the potatoes. Set aside.
- Add vegetable stock to the pot and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, add the potatoes and lower the pot to a simmer.
- Simmer for 15 minutes or until potatoes are fork-tender.
- Remove from heat and use the immersion blender to partially puree the soup. You can puree fully if you choose.
- Stir in the began cheeses until melted.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Garnish with your favorite toppings and enjoy!
Notes
- Not Vegan? Use real cheese in the same quantities. Use chicken or beef broth instead of vegetables.
- Tree Nut Allergy? Many vegan cheeses use coconut, so make sure to check labels and opt for a tree-nut-safe vegan cheese.
- Don’t have an immersion blender? That’s ok! Carefully blend 1-2 cups at a time in a standard blender and return to stock pot. You could also use a potato masher to break up some of the potatoes. Or just leave it as is and it will still be delicious!
Nutrition
Please note, while all ingredients used in this recipe have been verified to be vegan and free of applicable allergens at the time of recipe creation, different brands may differ in their ingredients or processing procedures and may change their ingredients at any time. For some recipes, I do include ingredients that are processed in a facility that processes other allergens. Please make sure to check the ingredients and processing procedures for your specific purchases to ensure they meet your dietary needs.
Last Updated on March 7, 2025
This soup is hearty and flavorful. My whole family loves it!
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