Danish Potato Soup | Vegan (and Gluten-Free option)

When the air is crisp and the days are short, there’s nothing more comforting than a warm, hearty bowl of soup. Danish potato soup, or kartoffelsuppe, is a simple yet satisfying dish that embodies the cozy spirit of Scandinavian cuisine. With its mix of textures (creamy soup, crispy toppings), delicate flavor, and wholesome ingredients, this soup can easily be a categorized as a staple recipe during the colder months. It's comfort food, and incredibly nourishing.

Traditionally made with potatoes, leeks, ham or bacon, and cream, I've put a vegan spin on it featuring ingredients like smoked paprika, tofu bacon, and cashew cream. That being said, it still comes together nearly just as easily as the original. I also love to add a buttery, crispy rye bread topping for added texture. With all of these components, it comes together as a well-balanced meal, perfect for both lunch or dinner.

3 Reasons Why You’ll Love This Danish Potato Soup:

1. Rich, creamy, & comforting – The velvety texture and mild, savory flavors (with a hint of smokiness!) make it the perfect dish to warm you up on chilly days.

2. Complete, satisfying meal – There are a lot of soups that aren't full meals. Take tomato soup or carrot ginger soup, for instance. Normally, potato soup isn't, either. They can be paired with other dishes to make them complete meals, but the soups themselves are not. For this recipe, the combination of ingredients offer a diversity of fiber, carbs, protein, and healthy fats. Everything you need to feel nourished and satiated––all in one bowl.

3. Great for meal prep – I love doubling this recipe to store in the fridge and have throughout the week!

RECIPE

Makes about 4 large bowls

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, avocado oil, or dairy-free butter

• 2 leeks, washed well and thinly sliced

• 1/4 teaspoon salt, can add more to taste later

• 1/8 teaspoon cracked black pepper, can add more to taste later

• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

• 600 g potatoes, peeled and cubed

• 4 cups (950 ml) water

• 1 veggie bouillon cube

• 175 ml cashew cream (recipe below) or unsweetened store-bought dairy-free cooking cream, plus 1-2 tablespoons extra to drizzle on when plating

• 1 batch tofu bacon, chopped (recipe below)

• 1 batch buttered rye croutons (recipe below or can sub with gluten-free option)

• Handful of chives, chopped small

Cashew cream:

• 60 g raw cashews

• 120 ml water, plus more for soaking the cashews

Tofu bacon:

• 250 g extra firm tofu, sliced down the middle then cut into 2 mm thick slices, about 2.5 cm wide

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce (can sub with gluten-free option)

• 1/2 tablespoon maple syrup

• 1/2 tablespoon olive or avocado oil, plus an extra drizzle for the pan

• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

• 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke, alternatively, extra smoked paprika

• a few cracks of black pepper

Buttered rye croutons:

• 4-5 slices of Danish rye bread

• 4-5 teaspoons dairy-free butter

• a few pinches of flaky sea salt

Method

1. Add the oil or vegan butter to a medium pan on medium-high heat.

2. Add in the prepped leeks and salt, then reduce to medium heat. Stir occasionally.

3. When the leeks have reduced and are starting to caramelize, add in the black pepper and smoked paprika and let cook for a minute.

4. Add in the prepped potatoes and mix in with the leeks and seasonings. Then add in the water and increase the heat to high.

5. When the water starts boiling, reduce the heat to medium-high and add in the boullion cube. Let cook for two minutes, then reduce the heat to low-medium and pop on a lid.

6. Preheat your oven to 350 F (180 C).

7. Now let's make the tofu bacon while the potatoes soften. When your tofu is sliced, add a drizzle of oil to a pan on medium-high heat. Lay the tofu slices in a single layer.

8. As the tofu cooks, make the sauce by mixing the remaining ingredients together in a small bowl.

9. When the tofu slices are starting to brown on the pan-facing side, flip them over. When both sides are lightly-browned, pour in the sauce.

10. Cook until the sauce has thickened and the tofu bacon is getting slightly crispy, but not burnt. If your tofu is sticking to your pan, add a splash of water to deglaze. Remove from heat when the sauce has coated the tofu.

11. On a lined baking sheet, arrange the tofu bacon on one side (make sure it's in one layer, with no tofu bacon overlapping).

12. On the other side of the baking sheet, we will toast our buttered rye bread to make croutons. To make the them, butter each slice of bread with one teaspoon of vegan butter each. Cut or rip each slice of bread into small pieces, then place them on the reserved side of the baking sheet (in one layer, with no bread pieces overlapping). Sprinkle some flaky salt on the rye bread pieces and place the baking sheet in the oven. Bake until both the tofu and rye bread pieces are starting to brown and crisp.

13. While the tofu bacon and rye bread croutons bake, let's make the cashew cream (unless you prefer to use a store-bought dairy-free cream). Add the raw cashews to a heatproof bowl/mug and pour in boiling water, enough to cover the cashews by 2 in (5 cm). Let soak for 15 minutes. Once done soaking, drain the cashews and add them to a high-speed blender with the 120 ml of water. Blend until completely smooth, which can take up to a minute.

14. While the potatoes have softened, blend the soup until smooth with an immersion blender then stir in the cream.

15. Assemble the bowls by adding in the soup, followed by the tofu bacon, croutons, chives, a drizzle more of the cream, and optionally some cracks of black pepper. Enjoy!