Vegan Creamy Potato Soup

Creamy Potato Soup was probably a great eye-catching headline for this recipe post because pretty much everyone loves cream of potato soup, right? But why vegan, you ask? Well, ‘cuz, I really like making healthy alternatives to some of my favorite foods and this recipe does just that. Fear not. This is not about freaky technique that manipulates the potatoes with weird imitation soy products or nutritional yeast. I’m simply simmering and pureeing, and low and behold, wouldn’t you know it those potatoes thicken themselves right up!

Ok, if you’re still reading it must mean you’re on board with the switchin’-things-up-for-better-health approach. So, I’ll share another secret with you. I also really like to sneak healthy ingredients into recipes to get a little more ooomph of nutrition. Soup is actually one of the best meals to pack in all kinds of hidden goodness, which is why I cook soup for my health-conscious clients so often!

For example, in this recipe, I add cauliflower and almonds. Cauliflower is a super food, people. Do you know what that means?  We should eat a lot of it, quite often in fact. In this particular recipe the cauliflower not only adds nutrition, but it helps the texture of the final soup remain creamy and airy instead of gummy, which can sometimes result when you puree potatoes. The almonds also add heart-healthy benefits and are high in fiber. Nom, nom, nom! Basically, every bite of this soup is intended to pack a nutritional punch, and isn’t that what we want with every bite of food we take? Ideally, yes.

PSA – if you are counting calories, consider leaving out the almonds simply because, while heart-smart, they are caloric.

Check out the photo above. Don’t you just love how it speaks to the inner beauty of this soup? Potatoes, cauliflower, celery, carrots and onions are the foundation of this soup. Sure, heavy cream would richen it up a bit, but we won’t miss it either, so that’s what makes it a painless compromise. Especially when we are eating mindfully, it’s important to find those compromises, wouldn’t you agree? And let’s face it, with the holidays just week’s away, it’s good to make some smart choices before we pack on the pounds!

Vegan Creamy Potato Soup

★★★★ 4 from 1 reviews

• Author: Emily Wilson
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 6 cups 1x
• Category: Soup

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Description

This dairy-free version of “creamy” potato soup packs in so many nutritional elements it will leave you feeling really good about dinner and about your healthy choices!

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 cup carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 cup celery, diced
• 1 cup onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 4 cups russet potatoes, peeled and diced (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 3 cups cauliflower florets, plus extra for final garnish
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds, skinless
• 4–6 cups water
• Hot sauce, optional
• Garlic oil or other infused oil flavor, optional
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Black pepper, to taste

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Instructions

1. Set a large, heavy bottom pot over medium-heat.  Add olive oil and warm. Once warm, add carrots, onions and celery along with dried thyme and salt and pepper.  Saute until softened and onions are translucent, stirring often.
2. Add potatoes, cauliflower and almonds and stir to combine, then pour in the water. Use just enough to come right to the top of the veggies. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer gently until all the veggies are extremely tender, about 10-15 minutes depending on the size of your dice. Potatoes should fall apart when you pierce them with a fork. Add more water as necessary, but not too much as we don’t want our final soup to be too thin.
3. Once veggies are extremely tender, remove pot from heat. Use a ladle to scoop the soup into a blender. You will likely have to work in batches. Remember to always use caution when blending hot liquids. Make sure the speed is set to low and the lid is on tight before turning on the blender. Starting at a low speed, if your blender offers adjustable power, slowly increase speed until the soup is blending well. Add more liquid from the pot as necessary. Pour pureed soup into a separate bowl and repeat with the rest of the veggies until everything is blended.
4. FYI – with potatoes, you want to blend only as much as necessary to get a smooth texture. Blending them too long can make them gummy.
5. Once all the soup is pureed you can pour it back into the pot and rewarm, or simply scoop and serve!  I love to top mine with mini cauliflower florets to add crunch and texture, as well as some hot sauce and a flavored oil. Nuts, croutons or a small crumble of goat cheese would also be good!

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Notes

Normally I blend soups with my hand-held immersion blender right in the pot, but because I use almonds in this recipe, I prefer to use my Vitamix to blend the soup really smooth. If you don’t have a good blender, no worries, use an immersion blender and just know you’ll have a little more texture. Or, leave out the almonds to get a smoother texture even with the hand-held.