Herbed Vegan Potato Soup Recipe

Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons canola or grapeseed oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 sticks celery, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups unsweetened non-dairy milk (soy or oat)
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, divided
- 2 pounds Washington yellow potatoes, chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh or dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh or dried rosemary, finely chopped
- 1 bay leaf
Directions
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Once warm, add the onions, celery and carrots. Stir until the onions start to become translucent and the celery and carrots have started to soften, about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes until the garlic has slightly browned and is fragrant.
Add the salt, pepper, and flour to the saucepan and stir gently to coat the vegetables, for about 30 seconds. Then slowly add the milk, stirring constantly to avoid clumps. Continue to cook until the milk has warmed, about 1-2 minutes. Add the vegetable broth, potatoes, thyme, rosemary, and the bayleaf. Stir well to combine.
Bring the soup to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium, and let simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft when poked with a fork.
Remove the bayleaf and season the soup with additional salt if needed to taste. WIth an immersion blender or by scooping out 1-2 cups of the soup into a blender, puree about ¼ of the soup to increase the creamy consistency but leave texture from the whole vegetables and potatoes.
Serve as is or with toppings of your choice such as fresh parsley, green onion, or a sprinkle of nutritional yeast or vegan cheese.