This homemade German potato soup (Kartoffelsuppe) is a warm, creamy, and simple vegan stew. Combining potatoes with carrots, celery, onion, and a selection of additional herbs, spices, and dairy-free cream leads to a more-ish comforting dish perfect for the colder months. Plus, this recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, and will have everyone returning to for seconds (and thirds!).
Creamy Vegan Potato Soup
Is anyone else as obsessed with hearty vegan soup recipes as I am? I honestly believe that soups are so underrated; all these ‘fancy’ cooking shows seem to almost make fun of ‘simple,’ ‘boring’ soup, but personally, I can spoon my way through a big bowl of soup and then go back for more. This chunky potato soup is no different.
German potato soup – called Kartoffelsuppe in German- is super popular in Germany and is another one of those traditional dishes that ‘everyone’s Oma knows and cooks with love’. The ingredients are humble and low-cost (and probably many are already in your pantry/fridge), the soup is quick to prepare, yet it is so satisfyingly creamy and flavorful that you’d never be able to call it ‘boring.’
As is always the case, there are several ways to adapt this recipe to your liking and what you have available, too. Depending on what texture you prefer, you can prepare this as chunky potato stew consistency, super smooth and creamy, or even a half-and-half smooth and chunky potato soup (how I like it). Want to add some spice? No problem. Want an even healthier version? I have got tips for that too!
This recipe works well as a small appetizer, quick and healthy lunch, or hearty evening meal topped with sliced meat-free sausages- change the portion size.
Luckily, as this recipe is also a great meal-prep option, it gives you a chance to change it up during the week, so you’ll never get bored. Just because this is an easy soup recipe, doesn’t mean it’s not delightfully delicious!
Humble, Low-Cost Ingredients
Not only is this soup simple to make, but it’s made up largely of low-cost veggies and pantry staples, with several ingredient subs and additions you could make.
The base of this vegetarian potato soup can be made with a very popular traditional German ‘soup medley’ of vegetables called “Suppengrün” (Soup Greens), which consists of carrot, leek, parsley, and celeriac. These vegetables combined make up a delicious base to a vast array of German dishes. So much so that you can even buy pre-made ‘bundles’ of the veggies in many supermarkets/stores (and often cheaper than purchasing each individually).
Within this vegan potato soup recipe, I’ve made two tweaks; I’ve left the note that you can use celery rather than celeriac, as I’m aware that it’s easier to get a hold for many/ more familiar to many. If you can get your hands on some celeriac though, then definitely go for it. While the flavor is like celery, it is also root-like and potatoey in ways, with a slightly nutty flavor too – which works wonderfully when combined with potatoes.
In fact, if you’re not used to cooking with celeriac, you may be surprised to learn that it can be prepared in many of the same ways as potato; mashed, roasted, cubed.
The other tweak I made was to leave leek as optional – I know, I know, this goes against the whole point of the traditional Suppengrün. Honestly, though, I’ve tried this recipe multiple times with and without and find it delicious both ways – plus you have one less ingredient to deal with! So, I’ll leave the choice up to you.
You can read the rest of my ingredient notes and subs in the recipe notes section below.
The Step-By-Step Instructions
For the full ingredients list, ingredient measurements, and nutritional information, then please read the recipe card below.
Step 1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat and add the onion. Sauté for 3 minutes, then add garlic, celery, carrots, potatoes, and all spices. Sauté for a further one minute.
Step 2. Pour in the vegetable broth + bay leaves and bring the soup to a boil.
Step 3. Let the soup simmer for about 20 minutes or until the vegetables are softened. Then remove the bay leaves (if used).
Step 4. For my preferred texture, pour about half of the soup into a different pot then blend one half with an immersion blender/blender until smooth.
If using a blender then make sure to work in batches and not overfill the blender. You could also blend the entire soup.
Step 5. Pour the blended soup back into the large pot, add the dairy-free cream (or canned coconut milk) and stir to combine. Allow it to simmer for a few more minutes, taste it, and adjust seasonings if necessary. Add more salt/pepper to taste and red pepper flakes for heat.
Serve in bowls, garnish with fresh parsley, and enjoy!
How To Serve
If this vegan potato soup is on the table, then there is always some sort of bread to go along with it. I mean, is there anything better than a spoonful of warm soup, fresh bread, and maybe also some melty vegan butter?
For this soup, Gluten-Free Bread, Bread Rolls, or even Cornbread would work well!
In terms of ‘toppings,’ German potato soup is often served along with bacon or sausages, so feel free to use some vegan bacon or try out my homemade Vegan Sausage Recipe. You could also add chives, green onions, or even some lightly toasted slithered almonds.
For a slightly cheesy flavor, then sprinkle over some Vegan Parmesan Cheese mix (nooch-based, of course!)
How To Store
Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for 3-4 days. It is also freezer-friendly for up to 3 months.
To thaw simply leave in the fridge overnight and then reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Recipe Notes
- The Cream: You can use any dairy-free cream (soy cream, oat cream, cashew cream, or canned coconut milk). Use plant-based milk for a low-fat version.
- Celery: In Germany, it’s traditional to use celeriac (celery root) and is definitely recommended if you can. However, if you can’t find it, you can use celery stalks (ribs).
- Marjoram: This is an ingredient I wouldn’t recommend omitting as it really adds a wonderful flavor to this soup. If you don’t have it though, you can add a little thyme and/or rosemary instead.
- The Potatoes: I like to use all-purpose potatoes like Yukon Golds. Floury potatoes (ones you’d use for mash) also work well.
Variations
- Feel free to add leek to the soup base, for a traditional German potato soup.
- Add some broccoli, peas, green asparagus, spinach, kale, or other greens for a creamy, hearty green potato soup.
- To adjust how thick/ thin the soup is, simply adjust the amount of broth added.
- This recipe should be Instant Pot friendly, though I haven’t tried it. Sauté the veg for a few minutes then add the remainder of the ingredients and cook for 4 minutes on high pressure before blending.
- For a cheesier soup, you can add a little vegan cream cheese in with the cream or even top the soup with a little cheese or vegan Parmesan cheese alternative.
- Feel free to experiment with the herbs/spices. Cumin may be a good addition or a little cayenne for heat.
- Blend the soup according to your preferred texture. Blend just a small portion for a delicious potato stew, blend half for a creamy, chunky mix, or blend it all for a smooth and creamy version (you will need to add more broth then).
Other Healthy Vegan Soup Recipes:
- Vegan Tortilla Soup
- Mexican Pinto Bean Soup
- Easy Tomato Pasta Soup
- Vegan Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Easy Veggie Stew With Peas
- Vegan Carrot Ginger Soup
- Vegan Corn Chowder
If you give this German Potato soup recipe a try, I’d love a comment and ★★★★★ recipe rating below. Also, don’t forget to tag me in re-creations on Instagram or Facebook with @elavegan and #elavegan – I love seeing your recreations.
Vegan Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 stalks celery or 1/2 small celery root, diced (see notes)
- 2 medium carrots diced
- 2 pounds (900 g) potatoes chopped
- 1/2 tsp dried marjoram (see notes)
- 1 Pinch of nutmeg
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 cups (1000 ml) vegetable broth or water
- 2 whole bay leaves (optional)
- 1/3 cup (80 g) dairy-free cream (see notes)
- Fresh parsley to garnish
- Vegan sausage sliced (optional)
Instructions
- You can watch the video in the post for easy visual instructions.Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat and add the onion. Sauté for 3 minutes, then add garlic, celery, carrots, potatoes, and all spices. Sauté for a further one minute.
- Pour in the vegetable broth + bay leaves (if using) and bring the soup to a boil.
- Let the soup simmer for about 20 minutes or until the vegetables are softened.
- Pour about half of the soup into a different pot. Take out the bay leaves (if used).
- Blend this part using an immersion blender until smooth. You can also blend the soup in a regular blender. Make sure to work in batches and not to overfill the blender.
- Pour the blended soup back into the large pot, add the dairy-free cream or canned coconut milk and stir to combine. Let simmer for a few more minutes, taste it, and adjust seasonings. Add more salt/pepper to taste and red pepper flakes for heat.
- Serve in bowls, garnish with fresh parsley, and top with slices of vegan sausage (optional). Enjoy!
Notes
Video Of The Recipe
- Celery: In Germany, it's traditional to use celeriac (celery root). However, if you can't find it, you can use celery stalks (ribs).
- Marjoram: I really recommend adding it as it adds a wonderful flavor to this soup. If you don't have it, you can add a little thyme and/or rosemary instead.
- Cream: You can use any dairy-free cream (soy cream, oat cream, cashew cream, or canned coconut milk). Use plant-based milk for a low-fat version.
- You can add other veggies such as leek, broccoli, asparagus, etc.
- I recommend using all-purpose potatoes like Yukon Gold.
- If you want to have a creamy soup, then blend all of it until completely smooth (you'll need to add more broth).
- Recipe serves 4. Nutrition facts are for one serving.
Nutrition information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically
Equipment
Simple and Delicious Vegan Cookbook by ElaVeganCLICK HERE to order!If you are using Pinterest, feel free to pin the following photo:
Simple yet stunning soup, totally delicious! Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Very welcome, Dawn. So glad you like it! 🙂
Followed the recipe exactly as written. It was really yummy!! The only thing I would do differently next time would be to cook the celery with the onion in the beginning so it has longer to cook. The celery in mine was still crunchy even after boiling and simmering. Otherwise, super good soup. Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks for your great feedback, Britt. 🙂
Phenomenal and perfect for fall! I made this soup without much expectation because I never think potato soup is too special – but I followed this recipe to a T – and I seriously seriously LOVE IT. It’s so filling and savory! I highly recommend it! I added nutritional yeast to mine 🙂
Yay, so glad it was a hit! Thanks for your feedback, Glory. 🙂
We are. currently living in our. Airstream. camper before we close on our house. I don’t have all of my kitchen. “things”. with me. – spices, emersion blender, etc. so have to.make do with limited resources. Anyway, my soup. did not get pureed.. I also didn’t have the marjoram, so used Thyme. and Cumin. I also added nutritional yeast to. make it a. bit. cheesy. tasing, and. about. 1/2 tsp of garlic chili paste. Very good soup. for. the heart and soul! Thank you for. the recipe.
You are very welcome, Meri. 🙂
Simple, easy and delicious! The perfect hearty meal for an unforgivingly cold Melbourne winter night. Thank you so much, Ela!
You are so welcome! Happy you like it. 🙂
A lovey soup .
I am glad you like it, Brigid. 🙂
I love this soup! I showed a picture of my soup to my German boyfriend and he said, “This is really a German old-school meal!” The flavors and texture are great 😃 I can’t wait to try some of your other recipes, they all look so amazing! I’ve been vegan off and on, but I really want to stick to it this time. Thanks again for your amazing recipes ❤️
That’s fantastic, Patty. So happy to hear you both liked it. I hope you will try out some other recipes. 🙂
Hubby and I are both vegan so always excited to find a good recipe. I used coconut milk instead of the cream. Added red pepper flakes, which spiced it up too much for me, but my husband loves it. Don’t have a blender or mixer of any kind so took a potato masher to it. Turned out great! Thank you so much for this excellent recipe!
You are very welcome, Meredith. I am glad you enjoyed the soup. 🙂
Hello Ela, have tried the potato soup today and it tastes amazing ☺️. So easy to make. Have mixed a part of the soup directly in the cooking pot to save some dishes to wash 😄 and it was also working really good.
Sounds wonderful, Marie. I am so glad you liked it. Thanks for your feedback. 🙂
This soup is so so yummy! I used cinnamon in place of nutmeg and thyme + oregano in place of marjoram and it was perfect. A splash of almond milk at the end and this vegan soup is so filling and comforting <3
So glad you liked it, Emelia. Thanks for your feedback. 🙂
OMG DELIOUS! My husband has a ton of food allergies and I made this soup and put bacon in it, it turned out so good!
This is possibly the best soup I have ever had!! My partner isn’t a soup lover usually but he absolutely loved it and keeps asking me to make it again!
I didn’t have marjoram so put some thyme and rosemary in and I didn’t add any “cream” cos I forgot but it was delicious anyway!
That’s wonderful, Liane. I am so glad you both loved it. 🙂
Oh my GODDD! I’m a vegetarian OBSESSED with this soup! I mean…I think about it a lot. I freeze it to try to keep.a stockpile of it, but I just eat it so fast so there’s no point lol!!! Thank goodness for this recipe!
Wonderful! I am glad you liked it, Lil. 🙂
I’ve made this recipe twice. First time I tossed in whatever veggies I had on hand plus some cubed extra firm tofu for more protein. Was delicious but of course the tofu ended up just breaking down but I think it added to the creaminess. So this time I added silken tofu and some white beans in with the blended portion. I didn’t have any veggies on hand so I added some spinach and baby kale instead. Really good. Extra great topped with crispy onions and Bombay flavored crunch chick peas.
Sounds great! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
I have to say this is one of the best soups I’ve ever made.
I am so glad you like it, Susie! 🙂
Great comfort food recipe very tasty. I also added a bit of fresh dill to garnish at the end. 😁
Sounds great! Happy you liked it. 🙂
So, I made this (with a few mistakes, like using garam masala instead of marjoram on accident), and it was pretty good! I may have under-used my broth powder, because it didn’t taste salty enough, but seems like a solid recipe. I can’t wait to try it again and get it right!
Thanks for your feedback, Regina! 🙂
I have had this recipe saved for a while and finally made for dinner tonight. It turned out so delicious! I will definitely make this soup again.
I doubled the recipe and found the spices a bit sparse so I added more marjoram and nutmeg at the end. I also added some thyme and rosemary. I used canned coconut milk as the “cream” element and didn’t really notice it was there, but I’m sure it added some creaminess.
Thanks for your great feedback, Katie. 🙂
Great recipe! I added hot italian beyond meat sausage and it gave it a nice additional dimension
Sounds awesome, Amanda! 🙂
Wow! Made this today because it was a very simple, cheap, vegan friendly recipe and today is gloomy in Algeria. I didn’t add the dairy free creamer because I didn’t have any, but added about 1/3 white flour for the thickness and it worked perfect. I ate two bowls right away and had to stop myself from eating the whole batch so my husband can try it later. A big Thank You from Algeria for sharing this simple, budget friendly and vegan recipe.
You are so welcome, Melissa! Many greetings to Algeria. 🙂
Thank you for this recipe. It is delicious! My New Years resolution is to become a really good vegan cook and I will be adding this recipe to my collection. I doubled it and didn’t change anything.
That’s so good to hear, Amanda! I am glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
We absolutely love this soup. We tend to eat more heavily spiced foods but this is a really delicious winter comfort food that we make a couple of times during the winter. If you make it, I highly doubt you’ll be disappointed.
So happy you love it, Emma! Thanks for your feedback. 🙂