When I first wrote about my new love, my VitaMix blender, and mentioned that my daughter was making herself a batch of potato soup every day after school, I figured it wouldn’t be long before I posted the recipe. To tell the truth, it’s such a simple one, adapted from the VitaMix cookbook, that I decided to hold it in reserve for a time when I didn’t have anything new to post.
Well, that time has come. Lately my cooking muse must be on vacation, so while I’m waiting for her to drag her suntanned bee-hind back home, I’ve been relying on a lot of old standards (mostly of the Ridiculously Easy variety) to keep us fed. On nights when I just want to clean out the fridge, I do a vegan version of the old “meat and three veg” where the “meat” is a simple bean or tofu dish and one of the three vegetables is a light soup. Last night’s meal, for instance, consisted of baked tofu, roasted asparagus, salad, and potato soup—hardly gourmet, but somehow elegant in its simplicity.
I’ve mentioned before, I’m sure, that I have no compunctions about using the microwave oven to speed up meal prep. Using it to cook the potatoes and the VitaMix to cook the soup as it blends means that this soup is ready in about 12 minutes. On really rushed nights (and is there any other kind?) I can be serving the soup as a first course while the vegetables are roasting in the oven. I usually don’t even bother to peel the potatoes because blending completely pulverizes the skin, but including the peel makes the soup a sort of gray-green color, so if you want your soup to be creamy white like in these pictures, you’ll need to peel your ‘taters. Just let them cool a little so you don’t wind up with scorched fingers like I did!
Quick and Easy Potato Soup
Potatoes can be microwaved, boiled, steamed, or even baked beforehand, but microwaving is quickest.
Ingredients
3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, cooked and peeled, if desired
1/2 small onion
1 cup vegetable broth
1/4 teaspoon rosemary
1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon white pepper (using more will make it spicy)
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 tablespoon raw cashews or 1/2 tbsp. cashew butter (optional)
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 1/2 cups low-fat soymilk or other non-dairy milk
Instructions
High-Powered Blender Users: Place two of the potatoes along with the remaining ingredients into the blender in the order given. Start machine on low speed and increase to highest setting. Blend for about 4 minutes, until steaming hot. Dice remaining potato and divide it among 4 bowls. Pour the soup over the potatoes and serve hot.
Regular Blender/Stovetop Users: Chop the onion and sauté it until soft in a medium-sized saucepan. Cut the potatoes into cubes and add 2/3 of them to the pan, along with the broth, rosemary, white pepper, and salt. Simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes. Pour into blender along with cashew butter, soymilk, and nutritional yeast. Blend until smooth. Return to pan, add remaining potatoes, and cook, stirring often, over low heat until hot.
Preparation time: 5 minute(s) | Cooking time: 25 minute(s)
Number of servings (yield): 4
Makes 4 servings. Per serving, with cashews:
131 Calories (kcal); 1g Total Fat; (8% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 26g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 306mg Sodium; 2g Fiber.
Without cashews: Per serving: 119 Calories (kcal); trace Total Fat; (1% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 26g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 305mg Sodium; 2g Fiber.
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{ 55 comments… read them below or add one }
made this the other day because I had tons of fresh rosemary in the backyard. it was great!
Thank you for posting this recipe. I am recovering from a surgery in my mouth, so my options are limited to only soft foods.
I made this with walnut milk, which I made in same VitaMix and it turned out great!
Tastes great thanks!
Could I make this with rice milk? Or could you suggest another product besides dairy or soy? I have a son allergic to soy but we are vegan.
Thanks!
Kristina, any type of unsweetened milk should work. Rice or almond milk would both be great, I think. And someone above mentioned making walnut milk and using it in this recipe. I would have never thought of that, but it sounds delicious!
This has become my go-to easy cold weather soup this fall! Next time I think I'll try a leek variation/addition to the onions – I'll let you know how it turns out! Thanks!
No, the nutritional yeast is just a flavor enhancer. Just add a little extra seasoning and you should be fine.
Beautiful soup! We didn't have the yeast so we left it out but it still tasted incredible! Thank you!
This soup looks so gorgeous! Do you think I could sub tahini for cashews or cashew butter? I have everything else except that.
Sarah, I think tahini would work, but I would start with less because it has a stronger flavor. You can always add more as needed.
Susan, I just wanted to thank you for posting your amazing recipes. I purchased my vitamix through you last Sunday and received it Thursday. It's AMAZING!!! I had seen them advertised and had read about them and really wanted one. I've been visiting your blog for a while and it's one of my favs. When I saw your post for the green smoothie and E's potato soup I was sold. I also checked out Dr. Joel Fuhrman's books because of you and I cannot thank you enough. We've been vegetarian's in my household for a little over a year and are transitioning off dairy and eggs and your blog has been a great source of info. I think I want a pressure cooker now and wanted to know what kind you use. I read some reviews about some where the valve on top can pop off, so I was curious about what kind you are using. Thanks again. I will keep sending my friends to this site for the great food.
RMud, thank you so much for buying your Vitamix through my link! I'm so happy that you're happy with it. Mine has turned out to be one of my most-used appliances.
About pressure cookers, I currently have a Kuhn Rikon, but in the past I've had a Fagor, and I think they are both very safe, with multiple safety-releases. I've been using them for 20 years and have never once had any kind of safety trouble. Whatever kind you get, I recommend stainless steel instead of aluminum, one of the new pressure release tops rather than the old-fashioned jiggle tops, and at least a 6-quart capacity if you're feeding a family.
I hope you have an easy transition off of egg and dairy, and I'm glad my blog has been of help to you!
This is positively delicious. Can’t thank you enough for your recipes. Just about everytime I make dinner it’s from one of your recipes.
I made this and served it to my husband who is a potato soup snob. He thought it was really good, which is high praise coming from him. He actually asked for leftovers the next day, so he really liked it! I thought it was awesome and my boys really liked it too. This recipe is definitely a keeper!
love my vitamix too! and the w-i-d-e array of wonders that can be created with it in minutes. well worth the investment. ~ your soup recipe was easy and delish!
Made this a few nights ago it was yummy. I had baked a few extra potatoes while I was at it. The next day, I took the left-over soup (I made a batch and a half) blended it, warmed it in a pan, add some fresh broccoli flowerets and served it over the warmed up left-over baked potatoes for lunch! YUMS again! Thanks Susan!
5 star recipe! Super easy to make – I went with the the stovetop to blender method, and super yummy.
i made this tonight for a friend of mine who is allergic to dairy and hasn’t had many creamy foods in a long time. Cream of potato is one of the things she missed a lot, so i added it into our dinner last minute and it was a huge hit, topped off by the fact that the recipe is not only delicious, but healthy too. This is sure to be a repeat on both our winter soup rotations.
This potato soup looks so delicious and creamy, and I love that it’s a quick and easy recipe, too. I think I might try adding in other veggies as well, like carrots and celery. Thanks for the recipe! I can’t wait to try it.
a google search for vegan potato soup led me to this recipe, which i made yesterday and, wow, i LOVED it. thank you so much. i can’t wait to try some of your other recipes.
I just thought to look for a potato soup recipe after cleaning up my kitchen from a potato soup dinner. I did not even think about using my blender. Thanks for the thought on that one. And the simple recipe.
I did, however, use a mimic cream because I was out of cashews. It was good, but did turn a grey color b/c I left on the peels. It was a great night to have a warm soup with this crazy below freezing weather we are having! Kinda nice for the south, huh.
Hello – Finally got my Vita-Mix and tried this as my first thing to make. Great recipe! Thank you for sharing!
I was in a pinch tonight for a good vegan soup recipe – I hadn’t been to the grocery store yet. This was quick and easy and tasty, too! This is definately going on my “make often” list of recipes! Used the blender method – it was easy, too.
My at-home hunter-gatherer (just kidding about the hunting) found a ten-pound bag of potatoes on sale for 99 cents. Looks like I’ll be trying every potato recipe in your collection!
This soup is delicious, even without the cashews. I followed the stove-top directions and found it was indeed easy. Even my carnivore hunter-gatherer loved it; in fact he is more and more of a FFVegan convert. I did it with the skins on so it wasn’t the snowy white version in the photos. But I suspect it was even more flavorful and nutritious.
Thanks for yet another hit Susan,
Kensington Cooker
Yum! Gonna try this…and maybe add some broccoli to mine:)
Oh my goodness. I just got a vitamix over the weekend and this was one recipe I was really wanting to try long before I got my machine. Wow, was it delicious! I was out of cashews so I skipped them. Steamy, healthy, vegan soup in under 15 minutes, and delicious too?? I am in love.
Definitely quick and easy! And also delicious
I used little red potatoes, skin on, and it was still nice and white. I added 1/3 of them at the end and pulsed them along with some turnip greens. Came out beautiful and delicious, with dashes of red and green!
I love your recipes and have made several of them more than once. I will try this one next. Thanks for what you do!
I forgot to mention that I wanted to tell you that I have been using an immersion blender to do your soups and it works out great and saves me lots of time. The best part is that the clean up is much less than when I was using the blender. I just put the business end of the blender in the soup and don’t even have to take the pan off the stove!
Perfectly yummy as always! I added some frozen broccoli florets and used almonds instead of cashews and it was delicious. Thanks for another great recipe. We just bought a VitaMix and this is one of our favorites so far.
This is one of my favorite soup recipes Susan! Love it! I made a big batch and am wondering if it freezes and re-heats well?
I’m so glad you liked it! I’ve never frozen it so I’m just not sure. Please let me know what happens if you try.
I just made this and its delicious. So easy. I did have a few variations (added paprika, some chopped Orange pepper) and I only had sweetened vanilla soy.milk on hand, but it turned out great!
Making this soup for a second time in a week, and in August!
Using leek instead of onion and adding a touch of cayenne. Thank you so much for the quick and yummy recipe. I can’t wait to try more of them!!!!!!!!!!!
Could this be made with cauliflower instead of potato to keep it low-carb?
Or would that taste totally weird haha
You could do that, but I also have a roasted cauliflower soup that’s really good: http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2008/02/roasted-cauliflower-soup.html
I made this tonight and it tasted great! The texture turned out a little grainy though, not completely smooth. I’m wondering what I did wrong. Maybe I didn’t blend it long enough?
wow great recipe. Found you through google. This was a hit with the family, and I love that it was easy and quick to make. We are lactose-intolerent in my house, so this met the mark.
I made a few alteration though: I used real butter, I sauteed the onions and added garlic right before the onions turned clear; I fried the onions and garlic in olive oil and added uncooked potatoes to the pan and stir fried it for about 2 minutes before adding the vegetable broth!
I think I’ll add cooked frozen mixed veggies to it next time just to add some color. thanks for the awesome recipe… HAPPY COOKING
Hi Susan,
Thank you for the recipe. I switched sweet potatoes for yukon gold (I didn’t have them)
Great RECIPE and so easy.
I made this tonight. It was delicious and all my kids ate it even my picky eater! Thank you!
i just made this soup using a reg. blender and it turned out marvelous and my three 5 yr olds begged for fourths!!! I added the 1/4tsp. of white pepper and a drizzle of olive oil to the soup after it was cooked. I also used red potatoes instead of yukon. I added some chives and organic soy bacon bits on top for garnish too. It was awesome!! I almost forgot to say i also made my own cashew butter using 2.5 cups raw cashews, 4tbs. walnut oil and grinded in my processor and used this nut butter in my soup i almost didnt get seconds cuz of the kids lol. Thnks for the easy recipe.
Absolutely DELICIOUS! Great soup for our rainy day! We will be making this again.
Thank you!
I have a vitamix and while I use it everyday, I haven’t really use it to make soups. This looks simple and delicious. I am thinking this would taste just as good using sweet potatoes. Thanks for the idea.
i actually exclaimed, “oh my goodness!” when i saw the beautiful texture that turned out in my food processor. what a delicious, simple soup — my favourite combination!
Just a quick question about the raw cashews or cashew butter (optional). Either or are optional? I’d like to make this now, but I just finished my raw cashews making a raw cilantro dip. Wish I saw this recipe first.
Shellie, the cashews are totally optional, and if you look at the end of the recipe, I give the nutritional info for omitting them.
SO COOL that the photo prints on the “print” version – AND that you broke down the instructions into Vita-Mix or Blender options – VERY COOL!! Thanks, Susan – I’ll give you a shout-out via FB when I get it made.
xxMarian
IT IS YUMBO!!! I tripled the recipe (serving it for a birthday party dinner tomorrow) & used my Oster blender, so blended it in 3 batches. SOOOOOoooo creamy! Also, I added 2 cups of defrosted frozen white corn (from Costco) for the triple batch. One suggestion: please give a weight for the potatoes – how many ounces (a pound?) for the 4-serving recipe. I just guessed because I didn’t have Yukon Gold potatoes & used 12 smallish russets for the triple batch. IT IS VERY GOOD!!!
Wow, this looks great – can’t wait to make it! Any suggestions for what to serve it with to make it a dinner? I always struggle with matching up food!!
Thanks so much for all the delicious recipes!
This is our Favorite Soup! I always double the recipe and serve with broccoli!
Tried this soup last week and it was amazing! I can’t believe something this easy/few ingredients tastes that good!! I want to make it for a potluck. Do you think keeping it in a crock pot on low would work?
Hi Susan,
This is one of our very favorites of your recipes. Just wanted to tell you about a variation. Yams and sweet potatoes were dirt cheap at the local produce store, so I mixed russets, yams, and sweet potatoes in a double batch of this. It came out a pretty golden color ( I always cook this with the skins on) and had a subtle sweetness. I used a little more spice and salt to offset the sweetness, but ahh– it was yummy!
Thanks for so many good meals, KK
For those who were wondering how this soup freezes and thaws, I tried it. The taste was just as good, but I’d say the texture suffered a little, becoming grainier and losing some of its silkiness. I think I’ll make only a batch at a time in future.
Thanks so much for the feedback! I suspected that the texture would change, but it’s good to have that confirmed.
I made this tonight. It added leeks absolutely delicious
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