The Best Easy Creamy Vegan Potato Soup
Truly the best vegan potato soup out there! This recipe is made with coconut milk for rich and creamy texture and meaty sun-dried tomatoes to mimic the flavor of bacon. It's really easy, because you just cook everything in one pot and then blend some of it at the end for incredibly thick and creamy texture. Trust me when I say you're going to want to make this one on repeat!
It might be a pretty bold statement to say that this is the best plant-based potato soup, but I really think it's true! Let me tell you why.
I'll start with the texture. There are chunky pieces of potatoes and white beans to give this soup a hearty, rustic feel.
It's super satisfying and works great as a make-ahead lunch recipe if you're into batch cooking.
And, thanks to the coconut milk, it's lusciously creamy, too. Like velvety smooth soup heaven. I'm hungry just thinking about it.
An accessible mix of aromatic veggies and fresh herbs lend plenty of flavor (without any difficult-to-find ingredients). You just can't go wrong with onion, carrot, celery and garlic in pretty much any soup recipe. This one is no exception.
But the real key to this particular potato soup is the addition of sun-dried tomatoes. They imbue sweet, smoky, umami, and meaty flavors that take things to another level.
The sun-dried tomatoes are rehydrated as you stir them into the warm broth, but they still maintain some of their firm, chewy texture. Consider it a little plant-based nod to bacon if you will.
I can't really imagine a better soup. But if you're in the mood to try out a few more, check out my full roundup of the Best Healthy and Easy Vegan Soup Recipes. You'll find recipes like Vegan Lasagna Soup and Taco Soup with Rice and Beans. They almost give this potato soup a run for the money. Almost.
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Ingredients
These are the ingredients you'll need to make this recipe at home.
- Grapeseed oil - or whatever oil you like to use for cooking.
- Onion
- Carrot
- Celery
- Garlic - along with the onion, carrot, and celery, garlic acts as the aromatic foundation for this soup.
- Gold or russet potatoes - gold potatoes will give this soup a more vibrant, yellow color. I also prefer them because you don't have to peel them first. If you only have russets, they'll work just fine for this recipe!
- Vegetable broth
- Fresh rosemary
- Fresh thyme
- Cannellini beans - also called white kidney beans. Use canned or cook dried beans in advance.
- Canned coconut milk - make sure it's full fat to get the creamiest texture
- Julienne-cut sun-dried tomatoes - you'll need one 3-ounce package of pre-cut sun-dried tomatoes. If you can only find them jarred in oil, you'll just want to drain them first. If you can't find them sliced, just run a knife through them on your own.
Optional for serving:
- Fresh chives
- Fresh dill
Exact quantities are included in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Instructions
Here's a basic run-down of the steps for making this potato soup recipe. You can find more detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Heat oil in a large pot and cook onion, carrot, celery, and salt. Once the onion is translucent, add the garlic and cook for another minute.
Add the potatoes, vegetable broth, and water, and bring to a boil.
Add the fresh rosemary and thyme and boil uncovered for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
Turn off the heat and stir in the coconut milk and beans.
Pour about half of the soup into a blender and blend until smooth. Then pour the blended soup back into the pot and mix with the unblended portion.
Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes.
Hint: If you use gold potatoes, you don't need to peel them first. I like to leave the skin on for added fiber and a rustic feel. If you use russet potatoes, peel them first to improve the overall appearance and texture of the finished soup.
Substitutions
- Fresh rosemary and thyme - substitute 1 ½ teaspoons each crushed rosemary and dry thyme if you don't have the fresh herbs.
- Canned coconut milk - instead of coconut milk, use 1 ⅔ cup full fat extra creamy oat milk. If you don't need the recipe to be vegan, you could also substitute dairy-based cream.
- Garlic - substitute 1 tablespoon garlic powder for fresh garlic.
- Cannellini beans - use a can of chickpeas or navy beans instead of cannellini beans.
Variations
- Spicy - add crushed red pepper or cayenne pepper to taste.
- Cheesy - add ¼ cup nutritional yeast.
- Sweet Potato - use sweet potatoes instead of gold/russet potatoes.
- Thai - omit the rosemary and thyme and stir in Thai curry paste to taste. Serve with cilantro instead of chives/dill.
- More topping ideas - add croutons, plain dairy-free yogurt alternative, nutritional yeast, and/or dairy-free shredded cheese
Equipment
You'll need a knife and cutting board to chop the veggies. Use them to dice (cut into small pieces) the onion, carrot, and celery, and mince (chop into very fine pieces) the garlic. The only other knife work is cutting up the potatoes into cubes that are about ½-inch large.
Choose a large stockpot to cook this soup. (A large Dutch oven or any big pot can also work.)
Lastly, you'll need a blender in order to puree (blend until smooth and creamy) a portion of the soup. This adds to the overall creaminess to the finished dish. Feel free to use an immersion blender if you have one.
If you don't have access to a blender, it's okay to skip the blending step. The soup won't be quite as thick and creamy, but it will still taste delicious.
Making Ahead
Potato soup is a great make-ahead meal. You can prep the whole thing up to five days in advance.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to five days. Wait to add the fresh chives and dill until right before serving.
Freezing: Store in a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Top tip
Make sure you cook the soup long enough for the potatoes to be really soft and tender. You should be able to pierce them very easily with a fork. This is essential for getting a velvety smooth and creamy texture after blending. I boil this soup for about 15 minutes, but you may need to adjust the time slightly depending on how large you cut your potatoes.
FAQ
Most traditional potato soup recipes use cream so they aren't vegan. They may also include chicken broth. For a vegan variation, use vegetable broth and coconut milk or your favorite non-dairy milk alternative.
Potato soup can be thickened by blending a portion of the soup in a blender and then returning it to the pot and mixing it with the unblended portion. You can also add cream (or canned coconut milk for a vegan alternative) to thicken potato soup.
You can leave the skin of gold or red potatoes on if you prefer a more rustic soup. It's best to peel russet potatoes because the skins can alter the appearance and texture of the soup after it's pureed.
Related
Looking for more vegan soup recipes? Try these:
Pairing
I recommend pairing one of these recipes with your vegan potato soup:
📖 Recipe
The Best Easy Creamy Vegan Potato Soup
Equipment
- Knife and cutting board
- stockpot
- blender or immersion blender
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil or oil of choice
- ½ cup diced onion
- ½ cup diced carrot
- ¼ cup diced celery
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic (about 5 cloves)
- 6 cups cubed gold potatoes or peeled russet potatoes (½-inch pieces)
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans drained and rinsed (also called white kidney beans, see note)
- 1 (13.66-ounce) can canned coconut milk (full fat)
- 1 cup julienne-cut sun-dried tomatoes drained if jarred in oil (3 ounces)
Optional for serving:
- Chopped fresh chives
- Fresh dill
Instructions
- Add oil to a large stockpot over medium heat. Once the oil is shiny, stir in the onion, carrot, celery, and salt, and cook 5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent.
- Stir in garlic and 1 minute, or until the garlic is aromatic.
- Stir in the potatoes, vegetable broth, and water and bring to a boil.
- Add rosemary and thyme sprigs and boil uncovered for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
- Turn off the heat and remove the rosemary and thyme sprigs. Stir in the beans and coconut milk.
- Transfer about half of the soup to a blender and blend on high for 30 seconds, or until smooth. Stir the blended soup back into the pot with the unblended portion until evenly mixed. (You can also use an immersion blender for this step if you have one. Blend until about half of the soup is pureed but some chunks remain.)
- Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes.
- Divide between bowls and garnish with fresh chives and dill if desired.
This soup is so good, especially on a snowy day. I added crushed red pepper flakes and nutritional yeast. Definitely will be making again <3
Thanks, Natalie! So glad you enjoyed this!