Best Loaded Potato Soup
Best Loaded Potato Soup with Crispy Potato Skins (Vegan)
This soup is pure comfort in a bowl. Thick, creamy and simple to make, but still feels like something you would order at your favorite cozy cafe. The kind of meal that slows you down for a second and just makes you feel good.
You bake the potatoes, scoop them, crisp the skins and turn everything into a warm, rich soup that is perfect for chilly days, lazy evenings or whenever you want food that feels like a hug. The crispy skins are honestly such a fun touch and make this feel extra special.
If you love creamy soups and baked potatoes, you will be obsessed with this.
Why you will love this
- Creamy and hearty with a satisfying texture
- Crispy potato skins for dipping
- Simple everyday ingredients
- Comfort food that still feels fresh and wholesome
- Leftovers taste even better the next day
This soup feels like the moment you sit down after being out in the cold and your whole body relaxes.
How to make it
Bake whole potatoes until the skins are crisp and the insides are fluffy, ready to scoop and turn into soup.
Scoop the soft potato flesh into a bowl, leaving a thin layer inside the skins so they stay sturdy for crisping.
Place the scooped-out potato skins on a tray, brush or spray with oil, season with salt, and bake until golden and crisp.
Sauté onion and celery until soft and fragrant, then melt in the butter and stir to coat for extra flavor.
Pour in the cream and stir it into the broth and seasonings until the soup turns rich and velvety.
Add the baked potato flesh to the pot and gently mash it into the creamy base, keeping some chunks for texture.
Creamy loaded potato soup served warm and topped with crispy tofu bits, shredded cheddar, and fresh spring onion. Cozy, rich, and ready to eat.
Pro Tips
- Soup too thick
Add a splash of broth - Soup too thin
Simmer longer - Want smooth soup
Blend half and stir back in - Do not skip the crispy skins
They add crunch and make this feel extra nice
Frequently Asked Questions
Starchy potatoes like Russet or Maris Piper turn out the creamiest
Yes
200°C for 8 to 10 minutes
Yes
But a few chunks make the texture comforting and satisfying
Yes
This reheats really well and thickens even more overnight
Fresh bread, a simple salad or honestly just a big spoon and quiet moment
A little note to finish
That is it. A warm bowl of creamy potato goodness with crispy skins on the side. Simple, comforting, and perfect for slowing down on a cold day.
When you make this, take a moment to enjoy it. Sit down, breathe a little deeper, and let it warm you from the inside out. Food like this feels like a quiet break in the middle of everything.
And if you are in a soup mood and want another cozy option to keep you warm this winter, try this Roasted Butternut Squash Soup next. Enjoy every spoonful.
Loaded Potato Soup with Crispy Potato Skins
Ingredients
Potatoes
- 6 medium potatoes
- Olive oil spray
- Salt
Soup base
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 2 celery stalks, finely diced
- 2 tbsp vegan butter
- 2-3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 3 cups (720 ) vegetable broth
- 1 ½ cups (350 ml) vegan cream (soy cream or coconut milk)
- 1 cup (120 g) vegan cheddar, shredded
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Seasoning mix, add to taste
- 1/2 tsp Smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp Garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp Onion powder
- 1/4 tsp Black pepper
- Optional pinch cayenne
Toppings
- Extra vegan cheddar
- Vegan sour cream
- Chopped spring onion
- Crispy tofu bits or vegan bacon
Equipment
- Baking Tray
- Medium pot
- Spoon or masher
Instructions
Bake the potatoes
- Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Prick the potatoes, spray with olive oil, sprinkle salt, and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until tender.
Scoop them
- Let cool slightly.
- Cut potatoes in half and scoop out the inside into a bowl, leaving a thin layer inside the skins.
Crisp the skins
- Place the potato shells back on the tray. Spray with olive oil and season with salt.
- Bake again for 12 to 18 minutes, until golden and crispy.
Build the soup base
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pot. Add onion and celery. Sauté until soft and lightly golden.
- Add the seasoning mix: smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and cayenne. Stir well.
- Add vegan butter and stir until melted.
- Sprinkle in the flour and stir constantly for 1 to 2 minutes to coat the vegetables and cook off the raw flour taste.
Add liquid
- Pour in the vegetable broth while whisking.
- Add vegan cream and stir until smooth and creamy.
Add potatoes
- Add the scooped potatoes to the pot.
- Mash lightly with a spoon. Keep some chunks for texture. Cover with a lid and let it simmer for 8 to 10 minutes to thicken and develop flavor.
Cheese time
- Stir in shredded vegan cheddar until melted.
- Taste and adjust seasoning. If the soup gets too thick, add a splash more broth to loosen.
Serve
- Pour into bowls.
- Top with more vegan cheddar, sour cream, spring onion, and crispy tofu.
- Use roasted potato skins for dipping. Happiness level: unlocked.
Notes
- Add more broth if soup gets too thick
- For a smoother soup, blend half and mix back in
- Air fry potato skins at 200°C for 8 to 10 minutes if preferred
Nutrition
Really easy and tasty!
Only reason this isn’t 5 stars is because the recipe and instructions are not quite clear enough.
In the ingredients, it says: Seasoning mix add to taste
Then the seasoning is listed after, but with no indentation, so it is a little confusing to read.
The instructions for adding the flour and butter is also confusing as, again no indentation to show the next two steps are related.
In addition, it would be good to be list a base amount of seasonings to add, so new people to cooking do not start off with too much.
Thank you!
Hi Emma, thank you so much for your feedback! you are right, I will correct that asap😊
This recipe was another winner! Made it last week, and have been craving it ever since, so its back on the menu for tonight! And, I can confirm, the crispy potato skins mustn’t be passed over…they seriously add a extra dose of comfort and deliciousness to this meal!
Really tasty, simple but yummy seasoning blend!! I recommend doubling the recipe for plenty of leftovers 😋
I did end up using an immersion blender to puree the potatoes. I also added ~3 cups frozen broccoli at the simmer step as well as shredded carrots to turn it into broccoli Cheddar soup. 💚
Side note: I did prep my potatoes earlier in the week using an instant pot to save time. If you do this be cautioned as I was unable to get my potato skins sufficiently crisped up in the air fryer despite doubling the cook time. They were still roasty and dippable but were not crunchy.
This recipe is freaking awesome! It’s hearty and warm, and those chunks of potatoes with that creamy broth did wonders!! I made it as a main dish (even though it’s listed as a side); it’s so filling that we didn’t even need another dish to go along with it! Plus, those crunchy potato skins were peak goodness! I baked some buttery yeast rolls to go along with it, and they dipped into the soup wonderfully! This recipe of going into my rotation recipes for the winter and fall! Will absolutely make this again; 10/10!!
Forgot to add the rating! But if I could rate this more than a 5, I definitely would!
What’s the seasoning mix?
This was so good. I’m not vegan but I am vegetarian so I changed a few of the ingredients. I cooked my potatoes a little too long 😭😭 so the skin didn’t come off the way is was supposed to. I made the potato skins into more of a chip and seasoned them. This is like the best soup I’ve had in a long time though.