This post contains affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
This is umami-filled and smokier, spicier version of a vegan potato soup. It’s hearty and cozy with a satisfying, smoky bacony tofu bits topping. Gluten-free Nutfree. Options for soyfree included
This Creamy 1 Pot Potato soup is a comforting hug in a bowl. It comes together quickly and is versatile!
If super spicy vegan potato soup isn’t your thing, don’t worry! You can adjust the heat level based on your preferences. Add less or more paprika and cayenne to adjust the spiciness.
Table of Contents
This soup all comes together in one pot, unless you take the oven option to make the bacon-y tofu crumbles (see Tips and recipe card below).
Speaking of those tofu crumbles! They add an incredible smoky flavor and toothsome texture to this creamy potato soup. You mix most of them into the soup itself but reserve some for topping, so you can really get that flavor punch.
The potato soup itself is creamy and balanced, and you can adjust the thickness to your liking. For a thicker soup, simply mash the potatoes once they are cooked and tender.
Why You’ll Love Smoky Vegan Potato Soup
- Smoky and creamy with a heat level that you can adjust to taste
- Gluten-free and nut-free with soy-free options
- A cozy, one-pot soup that you can serve as an entree or an appetizer
- Make-ahead friendly! It tastes even better the next day.
More Vegan Soup Recipes
Smoky Vegan Potato Soup
Ingredients
For the tofu crumbles:
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1/2 cup extra firm tofu, pressed for 15 minutes and crumbled
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce, , use tamari for gluten-free
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
For the soup:
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 cup chopped carrots
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour, or gluten-free all purpose blend
- 2 cups plant-based milk, divided
- 3 cups peeled and cubed potatoes,, Russet, red, or Yukon gold
To add later:
- 1 teaspoon yellow miso , Use chickpea miso for soy-free.
- 2 tablespoons nondairy yogurt or sour cream
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne , optional
For garnish:
- Green onion, pepper flakes, cayenne, or black pepper
Instructions
Make the tofu crumbles:
- Press the tofu if you haven't already for 15 minutes, then crumble into small uneven crumbles (not bigger than half an inch)
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat, and add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the tofu and mix in. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring, then add in all of the spices, maple syrup, and soy sauce. Mix to coat the tofu with all of the mixture and then continue to cook until the tofu gets a bit crispy on the edges, then remove 2/3 of the tofu from the skillet to use for garnish later.
- You can also bake the tofu. Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl, then spread on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 400° F for 15 minutes or until the tofu is crispy. Move it around at 10 min mark so it crisps evenly. Baked tofu is crispier than skillet version. Then add 1/4 to 1/3 of this mixture in the skillet to make the soup and use the rest for garnish.
Make the soup:
- Add a teaspoon of oil to the same skillet with the tofu over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots and bay leaves and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Mix well and cook until the onion is starting to turn translucent. Then add the garlic and the black pepper and mix in for a few seconds.
- Add the all purpose flour and cook for a minute to roast the flour, then add in 1/2 cup of the milk and mix in so that all of the flour mixes in and there are no lumps. Then add the salt and rest of the milk slowly and mix in
- Add the potatoes and partially cover and cook for 12-15 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked to preference. Mix well. Mash some of the potatoes, if you like the soup smoother and thicker.
- Add the miso to the non-dairy yogurt or sour cream. You can also add an in a tablespoon or so of warm water to help the miso dissolve quickly . Then mix this and the cayenne, if using, into the simmering soup. Taste and adjust the salt and flavor carefully. You can add a little bit of lemon juice for tang.
- Serve the soup in bowls topped with the reserved tofu crumbles and topped with green onion and black pepper, cayenne, or red pepper flakes along with vegan cheese and other toppings of choice. Serve with garlic bread, sourdough, or flatbread.
Video
Notes
Nutfree : This recipe is nutfree if you use nutfree non dairy milk and yogurt.
Soy-free: Use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce, Use chickpea miso instead of yellow miso, Use my chickpea flour tofu or other tofu (pumpkin seed tofu etc) instead of soy tofu.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Ingredients
- tofu – This is the base for the smoky crumbles that bring so much flavor to this vegan potato soup! For a soy-free option, use chickpea tofu.
- maple syrup, soy sauce, smoked paprika, and garlic – This is the bacon-y seasoning that gives the tofu its oomph. For soy-free, use coconut aminos in place of soy sauce.
- onion, carrots, and celery – This is a French flavor combination called a mirepoix and is the base for many soups and stews.
- spices – Garlic, salt, and black pepper give the creamy potato soup base its flavor.
- nondairy milk and yogurt – These ingredients work together to add creaminess. You add the milk early on and use the yogurt as a finisher to really up the creamy texture of this vegan potato soup!
- miso – Miso adds a unique salty-umami flavor to this soup recipe.
Tips
- To save prep time, chop your veggies and gather your ingredients while the tofu is pressing.
- To make this without soy, you can use chickpea tofu and use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce.
- You can make the smoky tofu in the same pan you will use for your soup or bake it in the oven. Do whatever works for you! To bake the tofu, combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl, then spread on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 400° F for 15 minutes or until the tofu is crispy. Then use 1/4 to 1/3 of this mixture in the skillet to make the soup and use the rest for garnish.
How to Make Smoky Potato Soup
Press the tofu for 15 minutes while you prep your veggies and gather your other ingredients. Then, crumble the tofu into small uneven pieces not bigger than half an inch.
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat, and add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the tofu. Cook for 3-4 minutes, then add in all of the spices, maple syrup, and soy sauce.
Mix to coat the tofu well, and then continue to cook until the tofu gets a bit crispy on the edges.
Remove 2/3 of the tofu from the skillet to use for garnish later.
Or bake the tofu: combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl, then spread on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 400° F for 15 minutes or until the tofu is crispy. Move it around at 10 min mark so it crisps evenly. Baked tofu is crispier than skillet version
Add another teaspoon of oil to the same skillet with the tofu and cook on medium heat.
Add the onion, celery, carrots and bay leaves and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Mix well and cook until the onion is starting to turn translucent.
Now, add the garlic and the black pepper and mix in for a few seconds before adding the all purpose flour. Cook for a minute to roast the flour, then add in 1/2 cup of the milk and mix in so that all of the flour mixes in and there are no lumps.
Then, add the rest of the milk slowly and mix in the remaining salt as well.
Add the potatoes and partially cover and cook for 12-15 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked to preference.
Mix really well, and mash some of the potatoes, if you like the soup smoother and thicker.
Add the miso and your non-dairy yogurt or sour cream. You can also add an in a tablespoon or so of warm water to help the miso dissolve, if needed. Mix this and the cayenne, if using, into the simmering soup.
Taste and adjust the salt and flavor carefully. You can add a little bit of lemon juice for tang, if you like.
Serve the soup in bowls topped with the reserved tofu crumbles and topped with green onion and black pepper, cayenne, or red pepper flakes along with vegan cheese and other toppings of choice. It’s perfect with a side of garlic bread, sourdough, or flatbread.
Frequently Asked Questions
Use tamari instead of soy sauce. This recipe will be gluten-free and nut-free, depending on the nondairy milk and nondairy yogurt that you use.
To make this without soy, you can use chickpea tofu and use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce. Use chickpea miso instead of miso.
My family loved this recipe. We had it with the Smokey tofu crumbles, green onions and grated cheese.
Yes! It’s the best when the whole family loves it.
Thank you. I made this chowder with half the amount of potatoes (it was all I had) and everything else in the same quantity. It was delicious! For the tofu crumble, I used date syrup instead of maple syrup and I added ground sage. I baked the crumble. I didn’t use any cheese topping. I haven’t found one yet that I like. The recipe is a keeper!
So glad you liked it!
I gave 3 stars because this is not the recipe that I have. I looked on my printed-out copy of your “Vegan Potato Soup” recipe and followed the link and ended up here on “Smoky”. What happened to the other recipe? I swear, the other recipe is the absolute BEST potato soup that I have ever tasted. I’m wondering if you deleted it or just decided to change it. Why change perfection? Scratching my head over this one.
Thanks! My va at the time messed the post up so I had to delete it
Hi! Thanks for all of your wonderful recipes. I do like this soup but also really prefer the original recipe. Any chance I could still access that somewhere? I used to make it on repeat throughout Fall and Winter. Thank you!
You can make this one below and use my tofu crumbles. The earlier one has same tofu crumbles but baked. https://avirtualvegan.com/vegan-potato-soup/
I almost doubled the almond milk and left out the miso and yogurt. Loved the combination of tofu and potatoes!
yay! glad you enjoyed
The flavor of this soup is amazing! I doubled the crispy tofu crumbles and saved half for a taco salad for lunch the next day (yum!). I think this part of the recipe alone will become a regular in our home for many different uses (salad, tacos, baked potato topper, etc.).
The soup was delicious! So flavorful, but it was SO thick, almost like mashed potatoes, and I even kept adding water. I’ll be careful to measure my potatoes next time–maybe I had too many, or maybe I cooked the soup too hot and too much liquid cooked out. It was also an hour of hands-on time for me–a lot for a soup. So next time I won’t make it on a week night, or if I do, I’ll do some prepping in advance (make the tofu crumbles, pre-chop veggies, etc.).
Rich, all your recipes have so much flavor. Thanks for another yummy recipe!
Awesome! I usually Premake the crumbs or use a different topping.
Delicious flavors and came together easily. I added chopped kale and some water to thin it out. I also added some nutritional yeast to each serving. My only issue was the sugars in the marinade started to burn in the skillet before my tofu crisped up. I would suggest baking it.
Thanks for your suggestion. Sounds great!
Made this for lunch and gosh it’s so good! I baked the tofu to make them crisp and delicious with extra smoked paprika. Perfect comfort in a bowl
Awesome! Thanks !
Nice recipe
thank you!
Hi Richa! This looks great! Do you suppose this could be made in the instant pot? Maybe 5 mins pressure cooker mode?
Yes
I can’t wait to try this recipe! I have no doubt that it will be fantastic. I have yet to find a less than awesome recipe from you. Thanks so much for all the work you put into developing these recipes.
thank you for making them!