Baked Potato Soup

One of my favorite meals was Baked Potato Soup. I've adapted that recipe to make Baked Potato Soup I can and will eat. It doesn't taste quite the same, but it's within the limits of thickness of the previous soup, and it's still very good.

Onions and Butter

Onions, Butter, and Flour

Water, Stock, Flakes, and Spices

Stock Added to Onion Mixture

Potato-Loving Dog

All Together and Simmered

 Ingredients:

1 ½ lb baking potatoes (more if you have a potato loving dog, as I do)

1/2 cup Earth Balance (or other vegan butter)

1 yellow onion, diced

1/3 cups flour

5 cups water

¼ cup vegetable stock

1 cup instant potato flakes

¾ teaspoon dried basil

½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce

1 cup soy cream

1 cup almond milk

1 can whole kernal corn, drained

salt and white pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Bake baking potatoes. Allow to fully cool. Remove skin & cut potatoes into 1/2” cubes. Set aside. (The baking can be done a day in advance to reduce total cook time on the day.)
2. Melt butter in a large saucepan. Add onions & sauté over medium-low heat for 10 min or until onions are translucent. Don’t allow onions to burn. 
3. Add flour to onions & butter and cook 4-5 min, stirring well until flour is absorbed. 
4. In a separate container, combine water, vegetable stock, potato flakes & seasonings. Stir or whisk thoroughly to eliminate lumps. 
5. Add stock mixture slowly to onion mixture, stirring constantly so no lumps form. 
6. Increase to medium heat & continue cooking until the soup begins to gently simmer. Add milk & cream, stirring until smooth & lightly thickened. 
7. Simmer for 15 minutes. Do not boil. Soup should just simmer lightly. 
8. Add cubed baked potatoes & corn, and stir to combine.
9. Remove from heat & serve with sliced scallions.

 Notes:

Do not use coconut cream instead of soy cream, it will add too strong of a flavor. I used Silk soy cream, original.
 Some potato flakes have milk, so find a brand that does not have any animal products.
If you want this to be as similar to the non-vegan version, add cheddar style shreds and bac'un bits  (all vegan) to your bowl of soup.
Makes somewhere around 10 cups. Each 2-cup serving is about 350 calories, according to My Fitness Pal.