Way back in the day (more years ago than I care to count) I was attending a private university in southern California. I had no car, so unless someone was kind enough to give me a ride, I could only go places within walking distance. Down the block was a Marie Calendar’s, though. So, once a month I would head down there and get myself a bowl of potato soup and their amazing garlic cheese toast and read a book. I miss those days sometimes, but I can recreate them at home with this Vegan Potato Cheese Soup Recipe!
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What to Use
There are a few special ingredients that make this vegan potato cheese soup especially tasty. Most are available at major grocers or through Amazon. If you absolutely can’t get your hands on them, feel free to substitute with something as similar as possible (though I can’t guarantee the outcome if you do).
[Tweet “Make this #vegan #potatocheesesoup in your #instantpot today!”]
Yukon Gold Potatoes
Yukon gold potatoes are one of my favorite things. They have a buttery quality all on their own, which makes this soup extra rich without the need for dairy. You might also see these called ‘yellow potatoes’ or ‘gold potatoes’, depending on where you are shopping. While these potatoes do have a thinner skin than something like a russet, I still recommend peeling them before putting them into the soup. Wash and peel your potatoes and cut them into roughly 2 inch pieces.
Cauliflower
Let me start by saying this isn’t a low-carb soup. There’s 2 pounds of potatoes in it for goodness sake! So, don’t think that this cauliflower magically makes this low in carbohydrates. These are here to a) add a little more nutritional punch and b) add to the creaminess without the need for dairy.
Imagine No-Chicken Broth
Imagine No-Chicken Broth is the bees-knees if you can’t, or choose not to, have meat. I tried this soup recipe with standard vegetable broth, but the tomatoes in it just didn’t work right. It conflicted with the flavor of the vegan potato cheese soup. I was starting to wonder what on earth I was going to do to keep this a vegan recipe when I stumbled upon this wonderful broth. It’s got the same basic flavor profile as chicken broth, but without the meat. If you’re not vegan and just need this soup to be dairy-free, feel free to swap this out for chicken broth. I’ve tried it both ways and it works just the same.
Vegan American Cheese
For this recipe, you want a cheese that comes in a block. Don’t get slices or pre-shredded vegan cheese because they won’t melt as well. I get the Follow Your Heart American Style cheese block. Shred it on the fine setting on your box grater and it works perfectly! It is slightly on the sweeter side compared to the sharp cheese that you’d normally use in a potato cheese soup. Luckily the splash of vinegar in the recipe fixes that!
Get out Your Instant Pot for Vegan Potato Cheese Soup
Go get out your Instant Pot. Get it out NOW to make this Vegan Potato Cheese Soup recipe. It’s simple, quick, and completely delicious! If you’re gluten-free, be sure to also pop over to Facebook to join my Fearless Gluten-Free Living group!
Save RecipeIngredients
- 1 tbsp vegan margarine
- 1 small garlic clove
- 1/4 cup leek, cleaned and chopped, white parts only
- 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 1 cup small cauliflower florets
- 4 cups No-Chicken Broth
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 1 1/2 cups finely shredded vegan American cheese
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Cook margarine, garlic, and leek on saute mode until fragrant and tender.
- Add potatoes and broth, lock the lid in place, and set pressure cooker to manual, high, for 6 minutes.
- Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then manually release the rest.
- Blend the soup with an immersion blender . If you don't have an immersion blender, puree it in batches in a standard blender.
- Stir in the coconut milk, salt, and vinegar, then slowly whisk in the cheese, a few tablespoons at a time.
- Serve immediately.
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