Vegan German Potato Soup (Creamy Red Lentil Kartoffelsuppe)

If you’ve never tried German potato soup, you’re missing out! In my opinion, it’s one of the tastiest, most satisfying soups, and perfect for cold days. This recipe is a plant-based adaptation of the classic recipe, which uses cream and sausage, but I promise, it’s full of flavour and nutrients. I love the vegan versions of this soup I’ve found online, but they are a little low in protein. That’s why I came up with this red lentil version that retains all the flavour but adds protein, fibre, and iron. Take a moment to read what makes this Vegan German Potato Soup amazing!

Why You’ll Love This Soup

Delicious

There’s something about yellow potatoes that makes them, in my opinion, more delicious than other varieties. The flavour and texture have an amazing buttery and velvety texture when cooked. Blend them with onions, garlic, rosemary, and thyme, and you get one of the tastiest soups I’ve ever tried.

Nutritious

The combination of potatoes, lentils, and carrots in this soup makes it highly nutritious. Yellow potatoes are particularly high in potassium and a good source of vitamin C, while red lentils are an excellent source of protein, iron, folate, thiamine, and zinc. Carrots are one of the best sources of plant-based vitamin A, working synergistically with zinc to strengthen the immune response and help the body fight infections. Together, these nutrients support steady energy, healthy blood, strong immunity, and heart health — turning this simple bowl of soup into deeply nourishing comfort food.

Creamy Without the Dairy

The combination of blended yellow potatoes and coconut milk makes this soup hearty and creamy, without the need for cream or butter. Worried about the flavour of the coconut milk? Not to worry, it’s indetectible when combined with the vegetables and aromatics in the soup, while giving a rich, satisfying texture.

The Secret: Red Lentils

I love adding red lentils to my soups for a few reasons:

• Cook quickly – red lentils are fully cooked within about 15 minutes, making for a quick meal
• Soft & Creamy – once cooked, red lentils can be blended into the rest of the soup, disappearing and creating a smooth and creamy texture
• Adds protein & Iron – red lentils are an excellent source of plant-based protein and iron, turning vegetarian soups into a complete meal.
• Filling – adding red lentils to soups makes them hearty, keeping you full until your next meal

What’s amazing about red lentils is that once blended, they practically disappear into the soup, creating the classic German “thick stew” texture without the need for dairy or flour.

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• Onion, diced – yellow or brown
• Garlic, minced
• Carrots, diced
• Yellow potatoes, diced
• Red lentils
• Water – or substitute with vegetable broth
• Beef-style seasoning (to mix with the water) – this is a vegetarian product like this one. If not available, substituting vegetable broth for water above is fine.
• Coconut milk – canned
• Thyme
• Rosemary
• Bay leaves
• Nutmeg
• Salt – Himalayan or Celtic is best

How To Make Vegan German Potato Soup

Sauté Onions

Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven on medium-low heat. Add onions and sauté until translucent.

Simmer

Stir in potatoes, carrots, garlic and seasonings and sauté for a couple of more minutes.

Pour in the water/vegetable broth and lentils and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until potatoes are soft, about 15 minutes.

Blend

Remove the bay leaves and blend the soup using an immersion blender. The consistency should be creamy and thick with some potato chunks.

Add Coconut Milk & Adjust Seasonings

Stir in coconut milk and heat for a few more minutes before tasting and adjusting seasonings.

Serve

Serve with a little cayenne pepper and toasted sourdough spelt bread.

Notes

• Traditionally, this soup is made with sausage, so feel free to garnish with sliced plant-based sausage
• Storage: this soup keeps well in the fridge for 4 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months.
• Substitute: coconut milk can be substituted with plant-based cream.
• Potato skins: use organic potatoes and leave the skins on to boost the fibre and iron content.

Looking for more plant-based recipes? Check out the Plant-Based Recipes page!