Vegan Baked Potato Soup
- Level: Easy
- Yield: About 2 quarts; 4 to 6 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 6 servings
- Calories
- 357
- Total Fat
- 20
- Saturated Fat
- 8
- Carbohydrates
- 33
- Dietary Fiber
- 5
- Sugar
- 2
- Protein
- 14
- Cholesterol
- 28
- Sodium
- 1001
- Total: 40 min
- Active: 40 min
Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
1 bunch (about 6) scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups vegetable broth (see Cook's Note)
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cashew milk
2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into big chunks and peelings reserved
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Smoked paprika (hot or sweet), for dusting
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons vegan sour cream, plus more for serving
4 to 6 ounces vegan cheddar shreds (1 to 1 1/2 cups)
Directions
Special equipment:
an immersion blender or regular blender- Heat a medium-size heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the scallion whites and all but about 1/4 cup of the scallion greens and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook, stirring, until tender and aromatic, about 1 minute. Add the broth, cashew milk, potatoes, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a generous amount of pepper. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender and crumble when pierced with a fork, about 10 minutes. The cashew milk will look curdled when it first comes to a boil and for a few minutes after it simmers, but it will smooth out when the soup is pureed.
- While the potatoes cook, dry the reserved potato peelings well. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the potato peels flesh-side down in a single layer and fry, turning once or twice, until crispy and golden brown, about 4 minutes total. Transfer to paper towels using a slotted spoon, then immediately season with salt and a generous dusting of smoked paprika and transfer to a plate or rack—the longer they stay on towels, the quicker they de-crisp.
- When the potatoes are done, turn off the heat and use a slotted spoon to scoop one-third to one-half of the chunks into a bowl. Puree the remaining mixture in the pot with an immersion blender until smooth. Alternatively, allow the mixture to cool slightly and then puree in batches in a regular blender. (See Cook's Note.) Stir in the nutritional yeast and vegan sour cream until smooth.
- Return the potato chunks to the soup, crumbling them a bit as you drop them into the pot. Heat over low heat until hot; it doesn’t have to come to a boil. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper as needed.
- Divide the soup among shallow bowls and top each with some vegan cheddar, a dollop of sour cream and some reserved scallion greens. Crumble the potato peels over the tops.
Cook’s Note
Boxed vegetable broth comes in a wide variety of colors and flavors; if you want a whiter potato soup, look for one of the clear, light broths, not the carrot-heavy orange versions. Pureeing the soup right in the pot with an immersion blender keeps it rustic; do it in a regular blender and it will be silkier and a little more elegant. The regular blender can also make the soup a little pasty because it smashes the potato starch so thoroughly.