Smokey Vegetarian Potato Soup

Call me boring, but potatoes are perhaps my favorite food of all time. They are just so versatile, tasty and comforting. This recipe features potatoes in all their glory while keeping animal products to a minimum.

Many potato soups use bacon to add a smokey flavor, but I opted for a spoonful of smoked paprika instead. This spice gives the soup a gorgeous orange hue, and a delightfully savory flavor. 

Most potato soups also rely on a variety of dairy products to create a creamy texture. In place of the usual suspects, like heavy cream or milk, I added a can of coconut cream. This gives the soup the same creamy effect as dairy. And don't worry -- it doesn't make the soup taste coconutty!  

I considered making this soup vegan, but what fun is potato soup without at least a little bit of cheese? In this recipe, just a handful of sharp cheddar goes a long way. The result is a smokey, creamy and low dairy soup that's perfect for a chilly night in!

Let me know what you think of the recipe and don't forget to follow the sustainability tips below!

Time: 1 hour

Makes: About 8 servings

Ingredients

• 3 large garlic cloves, minced

• 1 yellow onion, diced

• 1 large stalk of celery, about 1/2 cup diced

• 6 medium Yukon gold potatoes, about 7-8 cups chopped

• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 4 cups vegetable broth

• 1 13.5-ounce can of coconut milk

• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• Chives, yogurt or sour cream, and more cheese for topping

Methods

1. Mince the garlic and dice the onion and celery. Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion and celery to the pot. Saute until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.

2. Chop the potatoes into 1-inch pieces. Add the potatoes to the pot, along with the smoked paprika and salt. Saute until the smoked paprika is fragrant.

3. Add the vegetable broth to the pot, turn the heat to high and cover the pot. Once boiling, turn the heat to medium-low and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes.

4. Once potatoes are tender, turn off the heat. Then, blend, immersion blend or mash 3 cups of the soup until it is very smooth. If you are using a blender, be very careful - the heat from the soup might cause the blender lid to lift. To avoid this, remove the center of the blender lid, and if you'd like to be extra cautious, only blend 1 cup of the soup at a time.

5. Return the blended soup to the pot and stir to combine. Then, stir in the coconut milk, cheese and lemon juice until incorporated. Top with chopped chives, a dollop of yogurt, extra cheese, crackers or your toppings of choice. Dig in!

Sustainability Tips

• Vegetables: Make this salad when all the produce is in season (pst! that's winter!). Doing this will make it easier to find local and organic produce. Buying organically and locally cuts down on pesticide contamination and can help you get to know your local food producers.

• Vegetable broth: Homemade vegetable broth is the most sustainable option because it can help you cut down on food waste and packaging waste. The Kitchn has a great vegetable stock tutorial!

• Cheese: Since cows contribute a lot to climate change, I like to buy my dairy products from B Corps, which are held to really high environmental and social standards. Alternatively, you could buy from a local dairy producer.