Winter isn’t gone yet – cold, wet, rainy days make me want a hearty bowl of soup, and FAST. I’ve come up with a vegetarian (vegan optional) soup recipe to fill your dreams of loaded baked potatoes and comfort foods that you can make using a few ingredients, a toaster oven, and a trusty blender. Dip your spoon into a bowl of this Vegetarian Loaded Baked Potato Soup for craving-worthy goodness with an earthy hint of smoky flavor — without the extra fat and calories.

I have a confession to make. I really like baked potatoes. But, I almost never make them at home – zapping them in the microwave for a fast fix doesn’t appeal to me. I can practically see the radiation inside those potatoes – I mean, a hot potato is a hot potato, right? Drop it. When you can. And put it in the oven instead. Blending my appreciation for hot foods and the comfort of a nice baked potato got me into this cozy recipe for a healthy (no butter! no cream! extra, extra flavor, read all about it!) Vegetarian Loaded Baked Potato Soup.

Twitter Poll:

I’m curious: are you team hot foods or cold foods, generally? Weigh in on Twitter –>.

For my blog post this week: do you prefer HOT or COLD foods overall?

— Sanae Ferreira (@BlueBootsGo) February 26, 2018

Growing up, there were a few foods that I liked (side dishes, mostly) that I could make myself and that were nice, warm foods. A plain baked potato with a little bit of butter fit the bill. I also didn’t buy school lunches, but on days when I walked into the cafeteria and smelled baked potatoes, sour cream, cheese, green onions – oh, I wanted one – and sometimes, I got one.

Nutritional Bites:

Potatoes are rich in potassium, actually, and with the skin, have more potassium than a banana. Why is potassium important? Beyond aiding in not getting cramps and having energy, having enough potassium and less sodium (K:Na) as a ratio may help lower risk of heart disease. 

We’ve even hosted a Load Your Own Baked Potato Bar, with all the fixings for a little dinner party event.

I digress: we are here for the SOUP. Feast your eyes, noses, and taste buds on a peppery, buttery (without butter or cream), smoky – just a hint of a mouth-watering deep flavor (but no extra fat or calories from bacon), infusion of flavors. The finished product is soothing, comforting, earthy, thick but not heavy, and the perfect food for a rainy or chilly day.

Soups in the Vitamix are a best-kept secret. Everyone is familiar with making cold smoothies in the blender, but making hot soup is just so much easier with the help of a powerful blender that does the heavy lifting. I got this blender as a gift for B and we’re both rocking our culinary adventures with it.  This soup teams a oven/toaster oven (we use our smart oven more than the oven) with a Vitamix for an efficient meal.

Ingredients

• 8 golden potatoes, washed and scrubbed gently
• 2 celery stalks
• 1/2 teaspoon (or about 3 twists of ground sea salt)
• 1/2 teaspoon (or about 3 twists of ground peppercorn)
• 1/2 teaspoon of Food for the Southern Soul’s Blackjack BBQ seasoning (I used this one but it has these spices in it you may be able to substitute: chili powder, paprika, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic, oregano)
• 2 green onion stalks (just the green part)
• 1 teaspoon Runamok Maple * pecan wood smoked maple syrup
• 5 cups organic broth (reserve 3 cups to rinse the blender)
• 1 cup water
• Optional 3 tablespoons shredded sharp cheddar cheese for topping

*the Runamok Maple Syrup is a gifted press sample for me to try – I’ve been having a lot of fun incorporating the flavors into new recipes lately! 

Vegetarian Loaded Baked Potato Soup Recipe

[serves 8, 40 minutes cook time]

1. Bake 8 golden potatoes in the oven at 400F for 30 minutes, skins on.
2. Fill blender with 3 cups of organic vegetable broth (if you prefer chicken broth, you may use that instead)
3. Add potatoes 3 at a time to the blender. Combine spices and blend with potatoes on low speed (1-3) until creamy.
4. Chop 2 stalks of celery to about 3 inch pieces and add to the blender.
5. Pour blended ingredients to a pot on the stovetop and gently heat.
6. Rinse out the blender (some soup may be stuck as it is thick). Use the reserved 3 cups broth and 1 cup water and then add it into the pot and stir.
7. Serve warm. It is nice with a light little mixed greens salad on the side!

Speaking of spoons diving into soup, if any of you share my love for children’s books, Spoon by Amy Rosenthal is delightful – it celebrates the importance of being uniquely you, even when you may just see the strengths everyone else has.

I talked about a couple of big-ticket kitchen items that we saved up for. I know you probably have other appliances that you either love, or are waiting to upgrade at the right time and price. We really love our smart toaster oven. It has a reheat, pizza, and cookie mode among others, as well as a frozen option for frozen foods. It saves energy and doesn’t make the house hot. I got our blender at Costco when it had a special package for a dry goods and wet goods blender, plus portable smoothie to-go cups, and I am very happy with it – my “old” new blender (although it was glass) smelled terrible and could never handle raw goods and thick contents.

If you’re thinking about getting any new kitchen appliances (like a new toaster oven or blender) but hesitate because they’re big purchases, wait for % off coupons and do a little research about extra cash back from online shopping that may come with your credit card. Then, pile on savings with Ebates. If you haven’t heard of it, Ebates gets you cash back on online and in store purchases – with just a little forethought, you can activate offers associated with your payment method with a click and they’ll rebate you once you use it. Check it out here.

Until next time, enjoy!

*The links above are affiliate links. If you love learning about my favorite picks and end up purchasing using one of the links above, I may make a very tiny commission. Those small commissions help bring more new adventure content to Where the BlueBootsGo. I always want to be transparent with you all, and I truly appreciate your support!*

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