This dairy free baked potato soup is thick, creamy and comforting, loaded with crispy bacon, dairy free cheese, and spring onions. It’s everything you love about a baked potato made into an easy and deliciously cosy soup!
This recipe is part of my budget-friendly meal series and comes in at approximately $2.80 per serve!
It’s funny how tastes change over time. I used to hate having a bowl of soup for lunch or dinner, but now as soon as there is even a hit of chill to the air I can’t stop! Soup is of course cosy and comforting, but it also feels nourishing for both my body and soul, and I am all about that.
Potatoes are one of life’s greatest gifts, and this soup is an absolute celebration of that. We are channelling a classic favourite of mine, potato and leek soup, and then making it extra by giving it all the comfort food love of a loaded baked potato.
That’s right, we have a creamy and thick potato soup, loaded with all the classic baked potato toppings of cheese, bacon and spring onion. I then of course grab some fresh bread, lightly toast it and slather it in dairy free butter and get to dunking. Because soup is made for dunking.
This winter, remember you can use cheap ingredients to make something super delicious and incredibly cosy. It will feel like a big hug for your family.
Key Ingredients
Soup is a great inexpensive dinner option as it uses simple, everyday ingredients, and this baked potato soup is no exception!
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Potatoes – to keep this recipe budget friendly, I used brushed potatoes which are a great allrounder and usually the cheapest. As we want to peel the potatoes anyway, these are a great option, just make sure to wash them really well to remove the dirt.
- Onion and garlic – Adds flavour to the base of the soup.
- Chicken stock – I like chicken stock and it’s most commonly what I have in my pantry but you can also use vegetable stock. Use stock cubes to keep costs down!
- Oat milk – this is going to help the soup have a creamy finish without any dairy. I like oat milk but soy milk will also work well here, just make sure whatever plant milk you’re using is unsweetened.
- Nutritional yeast – an essential ingredient in any dairy free pantry! This is going to add a little savoury, cheesy flavour to the soup. It is optional but I think it really elevates the flavour of the soup.
- Toppings – now this is where we channel a baked potato. Toppings here are quite simple with bacon, dairy free cheese and some sliced spring onions.
Equipment and Tools
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- Stick blender – This has been such a fantastic investment to make blended soups so much easier and less messy.
- Cast Iron Dutch Oven – there are so many different brands (and colours!) of these types of pots but investing in one that matches your budget is going to be such as asset to your kitchen! I use mine at least once or twice a week.
Step-By-Step Instructions
To make this soup, there isn’t a tonne of prep work, but as always I like to get this done initially so that the cooking process runs smoothly.
Peel and finely dice the onion and garlic, and peel, wash and chop the potatoes. They don’t need to be too perfect as we’re going to blend them, but just try and keep the pieces even so that they do cook evenly. You’ll also need to dice the bacon and spring onions for the toppings.
Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven or large pot and cook the onion until it’s softened. Add in the garlic and continue to cook until fragrant.
Add in the potatoes and the stock. Allow it to come to a boil and then turn down and let it simmer until the potatoes are really soft.
While the potatoes are boiling you can fry the bacon pieces in a frying pan. You want to cook these until super crispy as they are going to add essential texture to the soup as a topping.
Once the bacon is cooked, you can set it aside on a plate lined with paper towels to remove any excess oil.
When the potatoes are soft, you can use the stick blender to carefully puree the soup until it’s super thick and creamy. If you don’t have an immersion blender, then you can use a regular one, but first allow the soup to cool slightly before blending in batches as needed.
Place the soup back over a medium/low heat and stir in the oat milk and nutritional yeast.
Allow the soup to simmer for 2–3 minutes or until the nutritional yeast has fully incorporated into the soup. It will basically melt as it heats. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Ladle the potato soup into bowls and top with the crispy bacon pieces, dairy free cheese, and spring onions. Serve immediately with chunks of crusty buttered bread!
Storage Instructions
Leftover soup reheats really well, just be sure to store the soup and the toppings separately.
Store leftover portions of the potato soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to two months.
Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently on the stove. When reheating the soup, you can add a splash of water or stock to loosen the texture as it may thicken up when chilled.
Recipe FAQs
Brushed potatoes or sebago are a great option for this soup as they are a starchy, all rounder variety that is common in all supermarkets. They break down and thicken the soup naturally. Avoid waxy varieties like chat or kipfler.
Definitely! Just skip the bacon topping, or swap it for something like air fryer crispy chickpeas, or use a store-bought plant-based bacon alternative. Also make sure to use a vegetable stock or a plant-based chicken style stock in the soup itself.
To ensure this soup is gluten free, you will need to double check your stock is gluten free as some store-bought stocks contain wheat-based thickeners or flavourings.
Also keep in mind that most oat milk in Australia is not certified gluten free due to how oats are processed. If you’re cooking for someone with coeliac disease or a strict gluten intolerance, opt for a safe alternative like unsweetened soy or almond milk.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More dairy free soup recipes:
Dairy Free Creamy Chicken Soup
Easy Vegan Tomato Soup
Mum’s Pumpkin Soup
Vegetable Soup with Barley and Lentils
Dairy Free Baked Potato Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 750 grams brushed potatoes peeled and diced
- 3 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
- 1 ½ cups unsweetened oat milk
- 3 to 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast optional
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Toppings:
- 150-200 grams bacon chopped (approx 4 rashers)
- ½ cup dairy free cheddar-style cheese
- 2 spring onions thinly sliced
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 4–5 minutes until softened. Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add diced potatoes and stock to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15–20 minutes or until potatoes are fork-tender.
- While the potatoes simmer, pan-fry the bacon pieces in a small frying pan until golden and crisp. Set aside on a paper towel to drain away the excess oil.
- Use a stick blender to purée the soup until thick and smooth (or blend in batches).
- Stir in the oat milk and nutritional yeast. Simmer for 2–3 minutes or until the nutritional yeast has fully incorporated into the soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Ladle the potato soup into bowls and top with the crispy bacon pieces, dairy free cheddar, and spring onions.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
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