Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven and add the vegan bacon lardons. Fry them for 3-4 minutes, stirring often, until crispy and cooked through. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon so that the oil stays in the pan.
1 tbsp oil, 75 g vegan bacon lardons
Add the butter to the pan, let it milk, and then add in the diced onion and celery. Saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, then add the garlic and cook for another minute.
1 tbsp butter, 1 white onion, 2 sticks celery, 2 garlic cloves
Tip in the flour and stir it into the vegetables. Add the seasonings.
1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp oregano, 2 tbsp plain flour, Salt and pepper to taste
Pour in the milk, followed by the vegetable stock.
500 ml milk, 500 ml vegetable stock
Gently tip in the cubed potatoes, then stir everything together and leave the soup to simmer on low heat for 25 - 30 minutes.
2 large baking potatoes
Use a spoon or potato masher to mash the potatoes until the soup is at your desired consistency (I recommend mashing over blending to avoid turning the soup gluey).
Stir in the creme fraiche and cheese (reserve some of each for topping your soup), and season with salt and pepper to taste.
125 ml creme fraiche, 75 g mature cheddar cheese
Ladle your soup into bowls and then top it with more cheese, vegan bacon lardons, sour cream, and chives.
Chives to garnish