This Vegan Loaded Baked Potato Soup is everything you love about a classic baked potato, just in extra cozy soup form. It’s incredibly rich and creamy despite being dairy-free, thanks to tender russet potatoes and a silky roux. Make sure to load it up with all the classic fixin’s: vegan cheddar shreds, sour cream, fresh chives and crispy bacon. (I whip up a batch of my smoky baked Tofu Bacon Bits!)
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Loaded Potato Soup
If you want a cozy, ultra-creamy soup that captures everything you love about a classic baked potato, this one’s an instant cold-weather favorite.
- Comfy, nostalgic flavor. I feel like nobody makes baked potatoes anymore. Is that just me? Either way, they’re actually really good (I think we all collectively forgot this). They’re also delicious in soup form!
- Creamy without dairy. Homemade cashew milk (or your favorite plant milk) gives the soup a silky, satisfying texture without feeling too heavy.
- Hearty and filling. This soup is PACKED with potatoes, making it thick, cozy, and genuinely filling. It’s not one of those soups that needs a sandwich to hit.
- Simple, everyday ingredients. You only need pantry staples, some veggies, and potatoes. Easy!
- Easy to customize. Mash it chunky, blend it smooth, make it lighter, bulk it up, and fix up each bowl however you like. It’s the kind of recipe that adapts to whatever you’re craving!
Ingredients for Baked Potato Soup
Here’s everything you need to make this baked potato–inspired soup:
- Vegan butter. Used twice: first to sauté the aromatics, then to form the roux that gives the soup its rich, velvety texture.
- Onion, celery, carrot & garlic. A classic aromatic base that adds depth and that familiar chowder-like flavor. Dice everything finely so it softens and melts into the soup.
- All-purpose flour. Gets cooked with the butter to create a simple roux.
- Russet potatoes. The best choice for that fluffy baked-potato texture. When you mash them up, the entire soup kind of turns into a fluffy baked potato!
- Vegetable broth. A chick’n-style broth adds a nostalgic, savory flavor.
- Homemade cashew milk. Blends up silky and neutral, giving the soup its creamy base. You can also swap in a store-bought unsweetened plant milk.
- Nutritional yeast. Adds a subtle boost of cheesy flavor.
- Lemon juice. A small splash brightens the entire dish.
- Optional toppings. Vegan bacon bits, cheddar-style shreds, scallions or chives, and non-dairy sour cream give each bowl that classic “loaded” finish.
Find all measurements in the recipe card below.
How to Make Loaded Baked Potato Soup
- Sauté the aromatics. Cook the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic in vegan butter until soft and fragrant.
- Form the roux. Add the remaining butter and flour, stirring to coat the veggies and cook off the raw flour taste.
- Build the soup. Whisk in the broth until smooth, then add the potatoes, nutritional yeast, and seasonings. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the potatoes are very tender.
- Stir in the cashew milk. Add the cashew milk and lemon juice.
- Mash or blend to thicken. Lightly mash some of the potatoes (or pulse with an immersion blender) to give the soup that thick, fluffy texture. Then adjust salt and pepper to taste.
- Load it up and serve. Top each bowl with vegan bacon bits, cheddar shreds, chives, or non-dairy sour cream.
Sarah’s Recipe Notes
- Don’t skimp on the toppings. These are what really make this soup come together. Without the toppings, it’s still a good veggie-forward soup, but the toppings are what turns this dish into the soup version of a baked potato!
- Play around with it. Mash it lightly for an extra-chunky soup or blend it thoroughly for a smooth soup. It’s up to you!
Storage and Reheating
Store: Let the soup cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container. It will keep in the fridge for 3–4 days.
Reheat: Warm gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, adding a splash of broth or water if the soup has thickened in the fridge. You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave in short bursts, stirring between each.
Freeze: Potato soups don’t always freeze perfectly because the potatoes can become grainy once thawed. If you do freeze it, expect a slightly different texture, and re-blend lightly after reheating if needed.
Recipe FAQ
Yes, but the texture won’t be quite the same. Gold potatoes have a much sturdier texture so they won’t mash as easily. And if you choose to blend your soup, over-blending gold potatoes can make them gluey.
Plain, unsweetened oat or cashew milks are the best since they tend to be thicker and neutral in flavor.
Yes. If you want your soup to be smooth, peeling is necessary (even though it’s annoying, I know).
For an even more indulgent soup, you can add 1-2 cups of shredded vegan cheddar into the soup. It will make the soup thicker, so you may need to add more liquid (either water or veggie broth) to adjust the texture to your preference. Add the cheese when the milk goes in and stir to melt it into the soup.
Yes, simply replace the all-purpose flour with white rice flour or a gluten-free all purpose flour blend like the one from Bob’s Red Mill.
More Comforting Plant-Based Soups
- Broccoli Cheddar Soup — Creamy and indulgent, but packed with veg.
- Zuppa Toscana — A plant-based take on the Olive Garden favorite. Spicy sausage, creamy broth, and tender kale.
- Creamy Carrot Ginger Soup — Roasted carrots puréed in a ginger-coconut broth. Nourishing and restorative.
- Roasted Tomato & Lentil Soup — Like a classic roasted tomato soup, but with the added heartiness and protein of red lentils.
Vegan Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Video
Equipment
- large heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons vegan butter divided
- 1 medium onion diced
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 1 medium carrot peeled and diced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 pounds russet potatoes about 4-5 medium, or 3 very large potatoes
- 4 cups vegetable broth I use chick'n style bouillon
- 2 cups homemade cashew milk recipe follows; or sub unsweetened plant milk
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice from about 1/2 lemon
Homemade Cashew Milk
- 1/2 cup raw cashews soaked 4+ hours
- 1 2/3 cup water
Toppings (Optional)
- 1 batch crispy tofu bacon bits recipe here
- vegan cheddar-style shreds
- scallions or chives finely chopped
- nondairy sour cream
Instructions
Ahead of Time
- Prep the potatoes: Peel the russet potatoes and cut into roughly 1" chunks. You can keep them in a bowl covered with cool water until ready to use.
- Make the cashew milk: Drain the soaked cashews and place in a high powered blender with 1 2/3 cups fresh water. Blend until completely smooth.
Loaded Baked Potato Soup
- Sauté aromatics: Heat a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add in 2 tablespoons vegan butter, along with the diced onions, celery, carrots, and garlic. Sauté for 4-6 minutes, until onions are translucent.
- Form the roux: Add in the remaining 2 tablespoons vegan butter. Sprinkle the all-purpose flour over the vegetables and stir to coat. Cook for about 1-2 minutes, stirring continuously, to cook out the raw flavor of the flour.
- Build the soup: Pour in the veggie broth slowly, whisking the whole time to break up any clumps of roux. Then add in the cubed potatoes, bay leaf, and nutritional yeast. Bring the mixture up to a boil, then reduce to medium-low to establish a rapid simmer. Simmer 15-20 minutes, until potatoes are very tender.
- Add milk: Stir in the cashew milk (or plant milk of choice) along with the lemon juice.
- Mash and/or blend the soup to thicken: Remove the bay leaf from the soup. Use a potato masher to roughly mash some of the potatoes in the pot to thicken the soup. Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender to partially blend the soup — pulse just a few times.
- Adjust: Give the soup a taste and adjust salt, pepper, and lemon juice to preference.
- Add toppings and serve: To serve, add vegan bacon bits and any of your favorite baked potato toppings, such as vegan cheddar shreds, chopped chives (or scallions), and nondairy sour cream.
So so good!! Comfort in a bowl. Definitely make the tofu bacon bits and add as many toppings as you can.
There’s no white pepper listen in the ingredients and the recipe doesn’t say how to prep the celery. Is it diced? How much pepper?
The celery is diced. I just updated the recipe card to reflect that, thank you. As for pepper, pepper is always to taste.
Had to try this out for dinner tonight after seeing it on YouTube! It did not disappoint! I used rainbow plant life’s mushroom bacon, but I want to try with Sarah’s tofu bacon next time. YUM!
There’s no white pepper or bay leaf listed in the ingredients but theyre both in the instructions? How much white pepper?
Love this soup! It truly was hearty and comforting. My favorite part was the simple recipe and minimal ingredients. I had everything on hand except for the plant milk, I just skipped that part and thought the soup was delicious even without it.
I didn’t have celery, so I added some zucchini that was dying a the end of my fridge🤷‍♀️🤣. It worked out pretty well tho!
Love your recipes 🥰🥰🥰
Delicious! I saw this on your YouTube soup episode and was glad I had a chance to try it out the other day. The family loved it as well!
I made this recipe for dinner tonight and words cannot describe how good this soup is! Sarah, thank you for your delicious easy recipes with easy to find ingredients. I love watching your youtube channel with Eric. You both are an adorable couple. Blessings to you both for a long happy marriage! We are coming up on our 30th next year and love just keeps growing.
That soup was absolutely incredible – pure comfort food in the best possible way! The flavors were so rich, cozy, and satisfying. It’s exactly the kind of recipe you crave on a cold or stressful day.
I topped it with vegan cheese, vegan bacon, vegan crème fraîche, and fresh green onions – and it was PERFECT.
Thank you for such a delicious and comforting recipe – this is definitely going into my regular rotation!