Healthy Potato Soup

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A hearty potato soup is a versatile, delicious, and filling dish that can be adapted to vegan and vegetarian preferences by omitting cheddar and bacon. This soup is perfect for cold winter evenings, rainy autumn days, or simply for preparing a diverse, nutritious lunch or dinner for the whole family.

The base of the soup is potatoes, which are available all year round and are an excellent source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

By changing the ingredients (see the Substitutions and Variations sections), you can give the dish new flavor notes while maintaining its main character and aroma.

Vegans and vegetarians can replace cheddar and bacon with nuts, tempeh, tofu, or other plant-based products that will add the necessary texture and richness to the soup.

In any case, this potato soup is sure to become one of your favorite lunch dishes in your recipe arsenal, combining ease of preparation, accessibility of ingredients, and a wealth of taste qualities.

Enjoy the warming and healthy potato soup, adapting it to your taste preferences or available ingredients.

⏱ Cooking time — 60 minutes overall. Includes 30 minutes of preparation and cooking + 30 minutes unattended.

🔪 Ingredients

🍽 For 4 servings:

• 1 yellow onion
• 1 carrot
• 2 celery stalks
• 500 g potatoes (17.6 oz or 1 lbs of potatoes)
• 1 l of broth (vegetable or chicken, if you prefer) (4¼ US cups)
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp. of paprika
• ½ tsp. of ground coriander
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• cheddar (optional, ~70 g)
• bacon (optional, 4 slices)
• green onions (optional)

🥣 Directions

Boil the potatoes

Peel 500 g (17.6 oz or 1 lb) of potatoes, removing all the skin using a vegetable peeler or a knife. Also, cut off any spoiled parts and black spots.

Cut the potatoes into large, evenly sized pieces so they cook evenly.

Place the potatoes in a pot with cold water, cover with a lid, and set over medium heat. Cook until tender (when the potatoes can be easily pierced with a knife or wooden skewer). Afterward, drain using a colander and let them cool.

While the potatoes are boiling, prepare the remaining vegetables.

Peel 1 carrot, then cut it into quarters lengthwise, and then cut into small pieces.

Prepare the vegetables

Peel 1 yellow onion and finely dice it.

Peel 4 cloves of garlic and finely chop them.

Thinly slice the white part of a few green onion stalks and add them to the garlic. Cut the green part at an angle and set aside.

Cut 2 celery stalks in half lengthwise, and then chop them crosswise into small pieces.

Fry the bacon

Place the bacon in a cold skillet and turn on low heat. Cook for about 4 minutes on one side, then flip and cook for another 5 minutes on the other side until golden-brown.

Transfer to paper towels and blot to remove excess grease.

Once the bacon has cooled, finely chop it with a knife and set aside for serving.

Preparing the vegetable broth

In a large pot, heat some vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 2-3 minutes until softened, stirring occasionally.

Add the chopped carrot, stir, and add ½ tsp. ground coriander, 1 tsp. paprika, and the leaves of 2 sprigs of thyme (discard the stems). Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the chopped celery and stir.

Add the chopped garlic and cook, stirring for about a minute, until a strong garlic aroma is released.

Adding potatoes and puréeing the soup

Pour in the broth and stir the contents of the pot. If anything has stuck to the bottom of the pot, scrape it off with tongs or a spoon.

Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the vegetables are almost fully cooked, about 20-25 minutes.

Next, add the pre-boiled potatoes to the pot and bring it back to a boil. Season the soup with salt to taste, turn off the heat, and purée the soup using an immersion blender. It took me about 3-4 minutes to do this.

If you’re using a countertop blender, let the soup cool slightly and blend it in batches.

Taste the soup for salt and add more if needed.

Serving and garnishing the soup

Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with chopped green onions, grate cheddar cheese on top, and add finely chopped bacon.

Serve hot.

📋 Substitutes

Yellow Onion — Shallots (2 pieces): Replacing the yellow onion with shallots will give the dish a milder and slightly sweeter taste.

Carrot — Parsnip (1 piece): Replacing the carrot with parsnip will make the soup sweeter and earthier, as well as give it a more delicate texture.

Celery — Fennel: Replacing celery with fennel will make the soup slightly more aromatic while maintaining its crunchy texture.

Potato — Sweet Potato (500 g): Replacing potatoes with sweet potatoes will make the dish sweeter and earthier, with a softer texture.

Broth — Coconut Milk (1L): Replacing vegetable or chicken broth with coconut milk will add a creamy texture and an exotic flavor to the soup.

Garlic — Garlic Powder (½ tsp.): Replacing fresh garlic with garlic powder will make the soup less aromatic, but the garlic flavor will be retained.

Paprika — Chili Powder (¼ tsp.): Replacing paprika with chili powder will add spiciness and a bit of piquancy to the dish.

Thyme — Marjoram (2 sprigs): Replacing thyme with marjoram will add a soft, slightly sweet aroma to the soup, although thyme and marjoram have different flavor accents.

Cheddar (optional) — Vegan Cheese (to taste): Replacing cheddar with vegan cheese will make the dish vegan while maintaining the cheesy taste and creamy texture.

🌶️ Variations

Here are several ingredient options that will help diversify this potato soup recipe without making drastic changes:

1. Replace the potatoes with sweet potatoes or a mixture of both to vary the taste and get additional nutritional value.
2. Add 1-2 stalks of finely chopped leeks during the onion sautéing step for a more complex onion flavor.
3. Use smoked paprika instead of regular paprika to get a smoky aroma.
4. Add 100-150 g of chopped cabbage or spinach to increase the nutritional value of the soup and add some green color.
5. Replace the bacon with brisket or pancetta.
6. Use vegetable or chicken broth with different seasonings, for example, broth with added curry or miso to change the flavor profile.
7. Add 100-150 g of diced zucchini or bell pepper to the already pureed soup to give the dish additional flavors and textures.
8. Replace cheddar with another type of cheese, for example, grated parmesan or crumbled feta cheese.
9. Add a pinch of cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, or roasted chili powder for some heat.
10. Use fresh cilantro instead of or in addition to thyme to give the dish a different herbal note.