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blue crock of potato soup with spoon and garnished with shredded cheese and parsley on rustic surface
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5 from 2 votes

Creamy Vegetarian Potato Soup

Easy to make, comforting and delicious soup using everyday ingredients.
Course Soup
Cuisine American, Vegetarian
Keyword vegetarian potato soup
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 4 - 2 cup servings
Calories 602kcal

Ingredients

  • 4 lbs potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
  • 1/2 cup celery, chopped small
  • 1 1/2 cups onions, chopped small
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp salt
  • 5 cups water
  • 2 bay leaf
  • 2 1/2 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley
  • 3 cups half & half or whole milk, set aside 1 cup
  • 1/2 stick butter
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • grated sharp cheddar cheese for topping (optional)
  • chopped parsley and chopped green onions for garnish (optional)

Instructions

  • Peel 4 pounds of potatoes and cut into small cubes, approximately 1"
  • Dice the onions and celery (chop small)
  • Mince the garlic (chop finely)
  • Add the potatoes, the onions, celery and garlic to a heavy bottom soup pot or a Dutch oven
  • Stir in 5 cups of water and 1 ½ Tablespoons of salt and the bay leaves
  • Bring the pot to a boil and cook on medium high until the potatoes are cooked. Check them with a fork. If they fall apart when pierced, they are done.
  • To the pot add the fresh chopped parsley, 2 cups of the half and half or milk, the butter and black pepper and stir all together.
  • When this is all mixed together, remove 4 cups of the potatoes with a slotted spoon or "spider" without any of the broth.
  • Add the potatoes and the reserved 1 cup of half and half or milk and process until there are no large chunks remaining and the mixture is quite smooth. But do not over process to avoid any possibly of a gluey texture. This does not have to be silky smooth.
  • Stir this blended mixture back into the pot.
  • Ladle portions into bowls and top with shredded sharp cheddar cheese. (optional)
  • Garnish with chopped parsley and green onions. (optional)

Notes

  • Best potatoes to use for this soup are russets because they have a high starch content and will become more fluffy and also help to thicken the soup. They don't need to perfectly hold their shape in this soup.
  • Yukon gold potatoes are also considered an all-purpose potato with a higher starch content that can be substituted in this recipe.
  • Half & half or whole milk is recommended because it will yield a creamier soup but any milk will work with a little less rich result.
  • To make this soup VEGAN, substitute soy milk for the dairy milk and substitute vegan butter for the dairy butter. The result will not be quite as rich and creamy but still delicious.
  • When blending or processing the 4 cups of potatoes with the milk, be careful not to over process and produce a gluey outcome! This mixture does not have to be silky smooth but instead just somewhat smooth to help thicken and without large chunks of potato. A blender or hand-held electric beaters and even a fork or potato masher can be used instead of a food processor for this step.
  • This soup will keep about 5 days in the refrigerator in a container with a tight fitting lid.  To reheat, add a little milk, broth or water to thin it out just a little, stir as it heats to your desired temperature. 
  • This potato soup can be frozen in zip top freezer bags or containers with tight fitting lids for about 3 months. Don't forget to add the name and mark the date on the bag or container so you won't forget how long it's been in the freezer. 

Nutrition

Serving: 2cups | Calories: 602kcal | Carbohydrates: 98g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 2848mg | Potassium: 2276mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 917IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 305mg | Iron: 4mg