Creamy Loaded Potato Soup
Nothing says comfort food during the winter like a big bowl of creamy potato soup. I’ve taken a fairly traditional recipe, added some extra veggies, and lightened it up a bit (no heavy cream!). It’s so filling and delicious and perfect with a big salad and/or crusty bread.
The toppings are of course optional but very highly recommended. Feel free to try out dairy-free subs if preferred.
Makes about 4-6 servings
- 5 medium Russet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds), chopped into cubes (you can peel if you prefer but I actually like to keep the peel on)
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1/2 cup of celery, diced
- 1 cup of carrots, diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 5 cups of veggie broth
- 2 cups of whole milk
- 1/4 Teaspoon Dried Thyme
- 5 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- Salt and pepper to taste (season well)
- Olive oil
Toppings
Lots of scallions, cheddar, and extra bacon
Heat a large pot on the stove over medium heat, and add in your olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add your onion, celery, and carrots. Stir until veggies begin to soften, about 5 or so minutes. Add garlic and stir for another minute.
Next, add in the diced potatoes, veggie broth, milk, thyme, salt, and pepper, making sure to stir everything well.
Lower the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender when touched with a fork. Once the potatoes are done use a potato masher (or a blender if you prefer but be careful to not over blend as your potatoes can get gummy) to mash until smooth. The key is that we still want some chunks in the soup while still keeping it creamy. If the soup is too thick, you can add a touch more milk until it’s thinned out to your likeness.Finally, serve up the soup in your favorite bowls and top with your desired garnishes. Enjoy!
Vegan “Cream” of Mushroom Soup
I love mushrooms. They are literally one of my favorite foods. This soup has SO much flavor due to the fresh herbs + coconut milk. I would have never thought to add coconut milk to a mushroom soup but the flavor is truly perfection. I like to serve this with fresh bread and/or a green salad.
Makes about 4 servings
- 1 x 10 ounce package of white mushrooms, sliced
- 1 x 10 ounce package of baby bellas, sliced
- 1 medium onion, small dice
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, rough chopped
- 1 13.5 ounce can full fat coconut milk
- A heaping T of flour
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 1 t dried oregano
- 1 t fresh thyme (about 4 sprigs)
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- Olive oil
- S+P to taste (season well)
In a large saucepan add butter + oil over medium heat. Add garlic, shallot + onion. Season with S+P, add oregano + thyme. Cook for a few minutes until fragrant.
Add mushrooms + soy sauce. Cook covered for about 10 mins so the mushrooms can release their water.
Sprinkle w/ flour + stir to thicken. Pour in wine. Give it one more good stir + simmer for another 10 mins.
Pour in coconut milk + stir well. Taste. Season as needed. Allow this to cook for a few minutes to let the flavors meld. Remove from heat. Using a hand blender, blend about 3/4 of the soup smooth. Do a final taste + season as needed.
Vegan “Cream” of Broccoli Soup
You would never in a million years know this soup did not contain cream. It’s super creamy + the nutritional yeast + flour gives this soup the most incredible texture. The recipe also has a boat load of fresh broccoli so you know you’re getting those greens in.
Makes about 4 servings
- 5 cups of raw broccoli, chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 cups vegetable broth or stock
- 1 teaspoon parsley
- ½ c of nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 6 ounces of full fat coconut milk
- S+P
Cook garlic + onion with a little olive oil over medium heat until fragrant. Add broccoli, broth, parsley, nutritional yeast, S+P. Bring to a boil. Sprinkle flour over the broccoli + stir to combine while the pot is boiling. Reduce heat to simmer until broccoli is tender + the mixture has thickened.
Turn off heat. Mix in your coconut milk. Using a hand blender, mix to your desired consistency (I like to keep this one a little chunky). Season again with S+P and enjoy with crusty bread or croutons!
Vegan Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Soups can pack a nutritionally dense punch, they’re easy to make, + oftentimes you can throw them together with items in your pantry. This one is creamy, vegan, + has a hint of sweetness with the squash. This recipe is wonderful served with garlic toast or homemade croutons. I’ve also poured this soup over roasted veggies. So good.
Makes about 4 servings
- 1 whole butternut squash, peeled + medium dice
- 2 cups vegetable broth or stock
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 4 cloves of fresh garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon of paprika
- 1 teaspoon of cumin
- 1 teaspoon of fresh rosemary, chopped
- 6 ounces of full fat canned coconut milk
- S+P
Preheat your oven to 400. Coat your squash in olive oil, S+P, + the chopped fresh rosemary. Roast for about 30 minutes until tender.
Add chopped garlic + onion to a large pot with a little olive oil. Add paprika + cumin. Cook over medium heat for a minute or two until fragrant. Add stock + bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Remove bay leaf, turn off heat, + cover to keep warm.
Add squash to the stock mixture. Season with S+P to taste (don’t be shy!). Using a hand blender, blend to desired consistency (for this soup, I like it very creamy + almost completely blended). Stir in coconut milk. Serve hot.
