Vegan Loaded Baked Potato Soup Recipe

The classic potato has been providing delicious and satisfying meals to us for years. Baked potatoes are favored by many and for good reason; they're comfort food at its finest, and they can be stuffed with so many delicious fillings like sour cream, chives, and bacon. This soup packs everything great about baked potatoes into a bowl of creamy deliciousness, and you'll love this vegan version whether you follow a plant-based diet or not. It has all the fixings of a standard bowl of baked potato soup but with a vegan twist that rivals the real thing. 

Recipe developer Miriam Hahn says, "In this recipe, I'm using blended cashews for the creaminess and seasoned coconut for the bacon. You just have to try it to believe how good these vegan substitutions are." 

To make this recipe you'll start by picking up some russet potatoes and while you're in the produce aisle grab an onion and some garlic as well. For the creaminess factor, you'll need some raw cashews, plant-based milk, and vegan butter. "Make sure to look for raw cashews that haven't been roasted or salted. This type will become nice and creamy when blended," Hahn says. 

For the coconut bacon, pick up some coconut flakes, liquid smoke, soy sauce, and maple syrup. Opt for Coconut flakes as they replicate the size and texture of bacon bits better than shredded coconut. Finally, you'll need vegetable broth, nutritional yeast (which adds some cheesy flavor), salt, thyme, smoked paprika, and pepper. 

To soften up the cashews for blending add them to a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Let them sit for 20 minutes or more. When they are done, drain them and add them to a blender along with the milk. Blend for about two minutes until the cashews are fully broken down. If you want to prepare this step in advance, you can soak them in room temperature water overnight.

You're going to be cooking the coconut bacon in the oven so go ahead and get it preheated to 350 F. Then add the butter to a large soup pot and bring the heat to medium-high. Add in the onion and garlic and cook for five minutes while stirring frequently. When the onion and garlic are soft add the potatoes, broth, nutritional yeast, salt, thyme, some smoked paprika, pepper, and some of the liquid smoke. 

"I am a huge soup fan because there's nothing simpler than dumping everything into one pot, smelling the aroma as it cooks, and then enjoying the soup all week long," Hahn shares.

Pull out a small bowl and add the coconut flakes, soy sauce, maple syrup, liquid smoke, and smoked paprika. Stir the mixture then spread this out on a baking sheet. At this point, the coconut will be fairly light in color, but it will darken as it bakes in the oven. 

Pop the baking sheet into the oven and bake. Stay close by and check your oven often. Because of the delicate nature of the coconut flakes, they can burn rather quickly. When they are done, they should be dark brown and resemble the color of cooked bacon. Let them cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes so they can crisp up then break them apart with your hands and set aside.

By now the potatoes should be tender but check to make sure by inserting a fork into one to see if it comes out easily. If they are tender, transfer the soup to a blender and blend until smooth. "You may have to work in batches here or if you have an immersion blender you can use that instead," Hahn shares. 

Return the blended soup to the pot and add the cashew and milk mixture. Top with the coconut bacon. Chives and vegan sour cream can be added here, if you like. The soup pairs nicely with a fresh green salad and crusty bread for dipping and should last for up to five days in the fridge. 

"The soup will thicken a bit while it's in the fridge so you can add a little broth or water when reheating if you prefer it thinner," Hahn explains. This hearty soup will be a hit and now that you know how to make coconut bacon you just might want to add it to your next cobb salad or tofu scramble!