Our easy Loaded Baked Potato Soup is a great, comforting soup for the winter months! This lighter version of a traditional bowl of potato soup is total comfort food that is dairy-free and Whole30 compliant. A family-friendly soup that everyone is going to love around the dinner table!
The Best Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Winter is here and it is time for all things warm and cozy! Enter this loaded potato soup recipe, which is a family favorite and the ultimate comfort food. A great addition to any weeknight meal plan or the perfect weekend cooking project. This creamy potato soup makes wonderful leftovers, so make a big batch and have leftovers to enjoy for lunch all week long. For best results, make sure you add all the best toppings!
Love cozy soups – make sure you try our Chicken Pot Pie soup too!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Hearty: this is a great recipe for the chilly nights of soup season – a stick-to-your bones soup without being too heavy.
- Flavor: I love that all the wonderful flavors of a loaded baked potato really come through here!
- Dairy-Free: I based this recipe off of my ever-popular Dairy-Free Broccoli Cheese Soup – I love how you get that rich, creaminess without adding any heavy cream or cheese!
What You Will Need
- shallots – we love using shallots as a base flavor in soups – the flavor is so amazing.
- olive oil – just a little bit to sauté the shallots, celery, and onions.
- celery + yellow onion – adds so much flavor to the soup base and are building blocks of the best potato soup.
- russet potatoes – these are what we used but feel free to use Yukon golds too!
- vegetable broth (can sub chicken stock) – pick-up your favorite store-bought version at the grocery store or make a homemade broth.
- raw cashews – this is the base that helps thicken the soup (along with some potatoes).
- unsweetened almond milk – help to create a creamy soup without the dairy.
- nutritional yeast – this adds a little bit of “cheesy” flavor.
- bacon and green onions – the best garnish for topping! Use as much as you like.
How To Make Loaded Baked Potato Soup
The first steps to making this creamy soup are to heat a large pot over medium heat, add a drizzle of olive oil and sauté the shallots, celery, and onion. Then add the cubed potatoes to the big pot.
Pour in 1.5 cups of broth, cover, and let the potatoes cook on medium-low heat until soft, but firm.
Once the potatoes are cooked, use a slotted spoon to remove about 2 cups of them from the dutch oven. Option to use an immersion blender or potato masher to thicken and mash the potatoes even more, but we highly recommend that remove some for the cashew mixture.
Combine some of the potatoes with the soaked cashews, half cup of broth, almond milk, nutritional yeast, and 1 teaspoon of salt – blend until it reaches a smooth and creamy texture.
Add cashew sauce to the soup pot and mix until smooth. To thin out the soup, add splashes of broth and/or almond milk.
Best Ways To Serve Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Just like a loaded baked potato, this potato soup recipe is all about the toppings! We love to serve this light, but hearty meal with some cooked bacon bits and chopped green onions on top. If you aren’t concerned with keeping it Whole30/Paleo compliant, you could also add some sharp cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream, or a slice of grilled bread or dinner rolls!
Made this baked potato soup recipe and loved it?! We would love it if you would take a minute and leave a star rating and review – it is also helpful if you made any substitutions or changes to the recipe to share that as well. THANK YOU!
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Loaded Baked Potato Soup
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 –6 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stove Top + Blender
- Cuisine: American
Description
A hearty and delicious baked potato soup that is also dairy-free and Whole30 compliant! A cozy bowl of soup is perfect for those chilly winter nights!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 1–2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon shallots, minced
- 1/4 cup yellow (or white) onion, minced
- 1/4 cup celery, finely sliced
- 5–6 cups russet potatoes, cubed
- 2–3 cups vegetable broth (can sub chicken broth), divided
- 1 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (more to taste)
- (topping) 8-10 strips bacon, cooked crispy and chopped into bite-sized pieces
- (toppings) green onions, chopped (as much as desired for topping)
Instructions
- Soak Cashews: Bring 2-3 cups of water to a boil. Place cashews in a heat-safe bowl and (carefully) pour water over cashews. Set aside and let them soak in the hot water while you prep the ingredients and start cooking.
- Sauté Veggies: Add olive oil to dutch oven and bring to medium-high heat; swirl to coat the pan. Add shallots and move around the pan until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add onion and celery and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.
- Potatoes + Broth: Add potatoes and 1 1/2 cups of the broth. Cover and keep at a gentle simmer until the potatoes are soft, but still firm.
- Blend Cashews: Meanwhile, drain the cashews and add to a high-speed blender. Add 1/2 cup of the broth, unsweetened almond milk, nutritional yeast, and teaspoon of salt. Blend on HIGH until smooth (add additional broth, as needed, to ensure a smooth texture).
- Add Potatoes to Blender: Once potatoes are soft, but firm, carefully scoop out approximately 2 cups of potatoes (using a slotted spoon so you don’t get much broth) and add those to the blender as well (along with the cashew mixture). Blend on HIGH until they are fully incorporated and texture is smooth. Add in splashes of additional broth or almond milk, as needed, if mixture is too thick.
- Thicken Broth: Pour the cashew/potato mixture into the dutch oven and stir to combine. The texture should be very creamy and thick.
- Taste: Taste and adjust seasoning, as necessary.
- Serving: Serve and top with lots of bacon and green onion (you can mix the bacon into the soup itself, but it will get a little soggy if there are leftovers).
Notes
- Peel the potatoes: you can peel your potatoes if you want. The texture will just be that much smoother. That being said, I didn’t peel my potatoes and it still turned out great.
- Ingredients/Whole30: Just make sure you are checking your ingredients on the broth and bacon, if you are concerned with Whole30!
- Leftovers: store leftover soup in an airtight container for 3-4 days. When re-heating leftovers feel free to add a splash of broth to help revive the soup and loosen the texture a bit!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6oz
- Calories: 352
- Sugar: 3.6 g
- Sodium: 452.6 mg
- Fat: 18.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 37.8 g
- Protein: 11.1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Meagan says
This is the 2nd? 3rd? time I’ve made this and it does not disappoint! Bonus points for being whole 30 compliant (the bestie is doing whole 30 right now), so it was an easy choice for our meal tonight. Highly recommend!
Lucinda says
I am going to make this tomorrow and then I will come back and rate it. It looks and sounds delicious! Have you ever tried doing this in the instant pot? If so, how long did you cook the potato and veggies at the beginning?
Erin says
Hi Lucinda! Can’t wait for you to try it! I haven’t tested this in the IP yet, but when I do I will update the recipe card!
Stephany Figarelli says
This soup is delicious! I have such a hard time finding food I absolutely love without eating dairy and gluten. This was amazing!
Erin says
So happy to hear that!
Cheryl says
I loved this soup and so did my family! It’s warm and hearty and perfect for a cool evening.
Ashley Moore says
This was a great filling soup, very flavorful. I did coconut milk instead of almond milk and added a few more potatoes. Will make again!
Erin says
So happy to hear that, Ashley!
Stephanie says
Yum. Love this is dairy free.
Erica Sands says
I have to admit I was skeptical at first to go dairy free in this recipe but I’m so glad I did. It was delicious.
Renee says
Exceptional. Didn’t tell my husband it was dairy free until he was done with bowl #2.
Chrissy says
This recipe is absolutely AMAZING. I have never commented on a food recipe before but felt the need because it was delicious. I love dairy and cream and dairy free substitutes never come close in my opinion, but the magic blend in this recipe tasted like the real deal. My only complaint – was my personal mess up, I didn’t wash the potatoes well enough so some bites tasted a bit earthy. Otherwise get ready to indulge in a loaded baked potato soup that doesn’t leave you feeling icky after.
Erin says
So happy you enjoyed this one, Chrissy! And thank you so much for coming back to leave a review – I really appreciate it!
G M says
I am dairy free and stick to a loosely paleo diet. This was the perfect creamy soup alternative and my entire family had no idea this was made without cream. Loved it all around!!
Erin says
So glad to hear that!!
Sarah says
My husband is dairy-intolerant and when I say that this gives me HOPE for food still being amazing, while also being allergy-friendly, I don’t say it lightly! This recipe is an amazing sub for the real deal, if not better? Yeah, I went there. And I believe it. It’s shockingly good. In the words of my husband, “I was nervous when I saw soft cashews go into a blender but this stuff is amazing!” Highly recommend.
Erin says
Aw so happy to hear that, Sarah!!! So glad he enjoyed it 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave such a lovely review!
Danielle says
I got roasted unsalted cashews not raw. Is that going to work ok?
Erin says
I think it will be fine – it might have a slight different flavor due to the roasted cashews, but I don’t think it will be noticeable!
Denise says
Boy was this good!! Super easy and delicious abd filling. Will be putting this into rotation!!
Sarah says
Hollly cow!!!!! I never leave reviews, but this recipe deserves a standing ovation! I even snuck in some cauliflower with the potatoes (not detectable whatsoever!) and this soup is AMAZING!!! Thank you so much for sharing this! I’m on day 6 of whole30 and was getting bored, this gave me liiife lol! Topped with crumbled bacon and muah! Just perfection!
Erin says
So happy to hear that, Sarah!!! And thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review + feedback – I really appreciate it!
Joanna says
Is there a way to make this without the cashew? My son is highly allergic. He can eat almonds.
Erin says
Hi Joanna – I have only ever made this with cashews, but if I ever test anything else and it turns out I will update the Notes!
Melissa says
Made this for dinner tonight and LOVED IT!!! It was so easy to make and it’s delicious – can’t wait to eat the leftovers tomorrow!
Erin says
So happy to hear that, Melissa! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review + feedback – I really appreciate it!