Dairy-Free Creamy Potato Soup
A cozy dairy-free creamy potato soup with tender Yukon Gold potatoes, savory onion and garlic, a lightly thickened broth, and a sour-cream-style finish. Add bacon, chives, and dairy-free cheddar for a loaded baked potato bowl.
Recipe by Non Dairy Dude
This recipe uses: Dairy-Free Sour Cream
Ingredients
Optional Topping
- 4 ozBacon, chopped, optional
- 2 tbspFresh chives, thinly sliced
Soup Base
- 1 tbspOlive oil or reserved bacon fat
- 2 tbspDairy-free butter
- 1 mediumYellow onion, diced
- 2 piecesCelery ribs, finely diced
- 4 clovesGarlic cloves, minced
- 3 tbspAll-purpose flour
Liquid
- 4 cupsLow-sodium chicken broth
- 1½ cupsUnsweetened oat milk
Potatoes
- 2 lbYukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
Seasoning
- 1¼ tspFine salt
- ¾ tspFreshly ground black pepper
- ½ tspDried thyme
- ¼ tspSmoked paprika
Finish
- ½ cupDairy-free sour cream
- 1 tspFresh lemon juice
- ½ cupDairy-free cheddar shreds, optional
Instructions
- 1
If using bacon, add it to a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring often, until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Leave about 1 tablespoon bacon fat in the pot and discard the rest, or use olive oil if skipping bacon.
- 2
Add the olive oil or reserved bacon fat and the dairy-free butter to the pot over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until softened but not browned.
- 3
Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Sprinkle in the flour and stir constantly for 1 to 2 minutes, until the vegetables look coated and the raw flour smell fades.
- 4
Slowly whisk in the chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Whisk in the oat milk until smooth.
- 5
Add the diced potatoes, salt, black pepper, thyme, and smoked paprika. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are very tender.
- 6
Use a potato masher to mash some of the potatoes directly in the pot, leaving plenty of chunks. For a smoother soup, briefly use an immersion blender, but avoid blending the whole pot or the potatoes can become gluey.
- 7
Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the dairy-free sour cream and lemon juice. If using dairy-free cheddar shreds, add them now and stir gently for 1 to 2 minutes, until melted. Do not boil after adding the sour cream or cheddar.
- 8
Taste and adjust with more salt, pepper, or lemon juice. If the soup is too thick, loosen it with a splash of broth or oat milk.
- 9
Serve hot topped with crispy bacon if using, chives, extra dairy-free sour cream, black pepper, or more dairy-free cheddar.
Dairy Substitutions Used
Classic loaded potato soup usually relies on butter, milk or cream, sour cream, and cheddar cheese. This dairy-free version uses dairy-free butter and oat milk for the soup base, potatoes themselves for body, dairy-free sour cream for tang and richness, and optional dairy-free cheddar shreds for a loaded baked potato flavor.
Tips & Variations
Use Yukon Gold potatoes: They make the soup naturally creamy without turning as gluey as russets can when mashed.
Do not over-blend: Potatoes release starch when blended aggressively. Mash part of the soup for body and leave the rest chunky.
Use chicken broth if you eat meat: This recipe only needs to be dairy-free. Chicken broth gives the soup a deeper, cozier flavor than most vegetable broths.
Bacon is optional but useful: If you include it, the bacon fat gives the base a loaded-baked-potato flavor. If you skip it, olive oil works fine.
Add sour cream at low heat: Dairy-free sour cream can separate if boiled hard. Stir it in once the potatoes are tender and the heat is low.
Make it thicker: Mash more potatoes against the side of the pot and simmer a few extra minutes. Make it thinner with broth or oat milk.
Topping ideas: Crispy bacon, chives, black pepper, dairy-free cheddar, extra dairy-free sour cream, or a few dashes of hot sauce all work well.
Leftovers: Refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat gently with a splash of broth or oat milk because potato soup thickens as it sits.
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