So last night Dan and I were watching Robot Combat League and eating this soup with a large Caesar salad and we had this conversation. Like in all of all our Scenes for a Marriage bits the names have been changed to protect the innocent.

Shannon A: Man. I love everything happening right now. Do you think I have what it takes to on Robot Combat League?

Shannon B: What are your qualifications?

Shannon A: Vegan Cookbook Author.

Shannon B: Relevant.

Shannon A: I beat Legend of Zelda once.

Shannon B: Hired!

End Scene.

Baked Potato Soup is one of those dishes that is not really a “classic” recipe our grandmothers grew up eating but it to my generation is it. See when I was little Baked Potato soup came on the scene with all the other food hybrids like Mexican Pizzas that were popular during the 80s. I grew up with Baked Potato Soup being served as part of the hot lunch plan at my elementary school and I can still remember trying to explain to my Italian grandmother that it wasn’t soup in a baked potato.

But here’s the thing about Baked Potato Soup, it’s really freaking good and easy. It’s the kinda of recipe that you can make from scratch while you multitask your way through a day or night. We made this soup in a little over 45 minutes with 30 minutes of it being just baking potatoes. It’s filling and hearty and takes regular old potato chowder to another level.

What does this have to do with robots? Well – nothing. That conversation just made me laugh and so I thought that when we made this soup with the works… well I’d throw a little chuckle in there too.

Baked Potato Soup with The Works

2 Large Yukon Potatos, baked until slightly tender

1 Large Sweet Potato, baked until slightly tender

4 Cups Better Than Bouillon, Vegan Chicken Broth, prepared as described on the package (you may need more if your potatoes are really big)

1/4 Cup Nutritional Yeast (you may need more if your potatoes aren’t as big as ours were and you want to thicken your soup a little)

2/3 Cup Broccoli Florets, diced

2 Tablespoons Vegan Sour Cream (optional, may want more for a topping)

1 1/2 teaspoons Freshly Ground Black Peppercorns

1 teaspoon Onion Powder

1 teaspoon Garlic Powder

1 Clove Garlic, minced

Dash of Liquid Smoke

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

1/4 teaspoon Pink Himalayan Salt

Vegan Bacon Bits, Diced Green Onions and/or Chives for a topping

Heat oven to 400.

Bake your Potatoes until they are tender. Then cut into cubes.

In a large stew pot of Dutch oven, toss all your remaining ingredients except toppings in, mix with a large spoon and heat over a medium het until it begins to bubble. Continue to stir your soup while your soup simmers. Once your Potatoes are so tender, you can crush them on the side of your pot with your spoon with very little effort, use your handy  immersion blender to liquify your soup. You can also use your clever little food processor or whatever you might have handy. Make sure you get all the Potato chunks and skins while you’re blending. Give your soup a taste then and see if it needs more salt and pepper. Also if your Potatoes are so large they have turned your soup into mashed potatoes – add more broth to thin it out or add more Nutritional Yeast to thicken your soup if you have the opposite problem. Add any additional Broth or Nutritional Yeast 1 tablespoon at a time till you like the thickness.

Serve hot with your choice of toppings sprinkled over your bowl. Don’t forget the salad… really the soup and salad combo is an institution for a reason. Respect it.