When I think about savory comfort food, I always think of a thick and creamy vegan potato leek soup. Although many cream-based soups have nuts or almond milk as their creaminess, my vegan potato leek soup recipe doesn’t need nuts, almond milk, oil, or butter to make it savory and delicious. Instead, the potatoes provide creaminess when partially blended in the soup.
Potatoes, in my opinion, are an excellent vegetable because the starch in the potato makes it absorb the herbs and spices added to the soup. Thus, they act like sponges, absorbing any flavors added.
Despite the belief creamy soups need cream to be creamy, you can make a creamy, savory soup using only vegetables and vegetable broth. Although creamy and delicious, this vegan leek soup recipe is also low in calories.
WHY LEAVE THE POTATO SKINS ON THE POTATOES WHEN YOU CHOP AND COOK THEM?
Eating the skin on a russet potato, for instance, provides more nutrients than the interior of the potato. Not only is the skin nutritious, but It also has a lot of fiber, half of which comes from the skin.
For that reason, more often than not, I leave the skin on potatoes whenever I cook. As a result, I always wash my potatoes with a brush first before I cut them. Then, after I cut the potatoes into equal-sized pieces, I put them in a colander and washed the potatoes a second time to remove all the dirt.
Although potatoes sometimes get a bad reputation because they are carbohydrates. In reality, a medium potato contains 110 calories.
Cooked potatoes with skin, for example, possess many vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin B6, potassium, and vitamin C. Additionally, potatoes are high in fiber and very low in fat.
WHAT IS A LEEK, AND HOW ARE LEEKS DIFFERENT THAN ONIONS?
Like green onions and other onion family members, leeks are a vegetable with white flesh and leafy green tops. Leeks look just like green onions but on steroids. They look like giant green onions.
Also, like green onions, leeks taste mild when compared to onions. When appropriately cooked, leeks enhance the flavors of other vegetables used in a vegan potato leek soup.
COOKING THE POTATO LEEK SOUP IN LAYERS AND STAGES HELPS BRING OUT THE SAVORY FLAVORS
First, I saute the onions, leeks, and garlic together, adding a little vegetable broth as they caramelize.
Once translucent, add the chopped potatoes, cover the potatoes with 4 cups of vegetable broth, and add the seasonings and herbs. Then, I bring it to a boil to help the flavors mesh, lowering the temperature to simmer, and cooking covered for 30 minutes.
Next, I uncover the vegan potato leek soup, add another 4 cups of vegetable broth, and bring it to a boil a second time. However, this time, I leave the cover off, reduce it again to simmer, and cook another 20 minutes.
Then, you get to choose if you want to blend the entire vegan potato leek soup recipe or blend half the soup and leave the rest thick and chunky. In my opinion, thick and chunky with a creamy base is the way to go.
So, I only remove half the soup, place it in my Nutri-bullet blender, and blend until smooth.
When you take a bite of vegan potato leek soup, you feel like you are cheating and eating a thick, savory, and fattening soup. But, in reality, you are eating vegetables and only vegetables. My secret ingredient is a little dash of cayenne pepper to get it a little added heat.
This recipe makes 6 servings; I make it on the weekend, and it heats up nicely to take to work. Furthermore, this soup recipe freezes well. Just make sure you thaw it before reheating.
Note, however, always add pepper or cayenne in smaller amounts to appeal to individual preference. Although I love spicy food, not everyone enjoys spice.
You won’t believe this vegan leek potato recipe is made with all veggies! But, try it; you’ll love it.
Do you love healthy vegan soup recipes? Give these recipes a try!
- Creamy Tomato Gnocchi Soup
- Soup Recipes for the Fall
- Vegan Tortilla Soup
- Wild Rice Soup with Mushrooms
- How to Make Dairy-Free Yet Creamy Hungarian Mushroom Soup
- Vegan Gnocchi Soup Recipe
- Vegetable Soup with Beans
- Vegetable Barley Soup
- Quinoa Vegetable Soup
Vegan Potato Leek Soup
Ingredients
- 1 Large white onion chopped
- 2 Large leeks cleaned, trimmed, and chopped (leeks are a very dirty veggie, so make sure you slice them down he middle and wash the layers)
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- [4 large baking potatoes washed, skin on; cut into equal bite-sized pieces. I used my vegetable chopper on the large setting. ]
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary chopped
- ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley
- 3 Tablespoons fresh thyme chopped
- ⅓ cup nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper add ¼ teaspoon at a time to adjust for individual preference
- 8 cups organic vegetable broth
- 2 teaspoons fresh ground pepper add ¼ teaspoon at a time to adjust for individual preference
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup fresh chopped chives reserve ¼ cup to put on soup after it is cooked to serve
Instructions
- Sauté garlic, chopped leeks, onions, garlic powder, and onion powder for 10 minutes or brown.
- Use a little vegetable broth to prevent sticking.
- I wash the potatoes before I cook them and after. I do this to remove all the dirt so it doesn’t become part of the soup. I leave the skin on because of the vitamins and minerals, but I don’t want to eat dirt.
- Add 4 cups of organic vegetable broth; boil.
- Add the potatoes, cover with another 4 cups of organic vegetable broth, and boil again; cook 30 minutes on simmer covered.
- Turn down to simmer and add the remaining herbs and spices
- Do not cover
- Cook for 20 minutes; uncovered until potatoes are soft
- Using a high-speed blender, carefully remove half the soup until half the leeks, onions, and potatoes are thick and creamy. Half the soup should be chunky.
- If you wish, blend all the soup.
- Serve in soup cups with fresh chives on top (the extra you reserved)
Notes
Nutrition
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
Anonymous
JoAnne Lowe
Kathy, I made this most delightful soup last night. While it takes me a bit longer now to do all the steps in a recipe, this was worth an extra bit of time. I used a broth mix from Holly Yzquierdo, dried rosemary and thyme instead of fresh, and the results were impressive. I considered making it in my IP but went the slower stovetop route and I think the long, slow cooking enhanced the flavor. Thank you for a wonderful soup! Definitely 5 stars.
Kathy Carmichael
JoAnne, Thank you so much! I think slow cooking makes it more savory. I appreciate the feedback. If you make it in the instant pot, please share on my facebook page, since that is not my specialty. I am sure people would love it in the Instant Pot.
jacqueline
Kathy I have always been making leek soup forever, it is a very German / French thing but they add sour cream and butter to it. Since moving to the States I have become vegan and I omit the cram and butter but I never thought of adding potatoes I will do that. Thank for for all your wonderful recipes. You should make a cook book. Not E book but a real paper cook book!
Kathy Carmichael
Jacqueline, thank you so much for your kindness and support. I love leek soup too, and I also missed the creaminess. Let me know if you like it or additions you add to it to make it special. As far as a cookbook, we will see 🙂
Stephanie
Love this soup but way too much cayenne and black pepper for my hubby and I. Next time I will use 1 tsp. each of the black and cayenne pepper instead of the 2 tsps. of each. Maybe this was a typo error in your recipe ?
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Stephanie, it wasn't a typo; we tend to like food a little spicy. But, I will definitely note it as a warning in the recipe now that you let me know. I appreciate the feedback and suggestion.
Colin F Pence
Kathie,
I love spicy, but this had way too much pepper for me, and the result was virtually inedible. The next time I can modify the ingredients, but it was a disappointing result for a first try.
Thanks,
Colin
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Colin, I'm so sorry to hear the soup was too spicy. Based on your comment, I noted in the recipe to add the cayenne and the black pepper in 1/4 teaspoon increments and to taste it to adjust for individual preference. Thank you for reaching out. I appreciate your feedback. I sometimes forget to mention to add spice slowly and that everyone doesn't like spice as much as I do. Again, I am sorry for your negative experience. I hope you give some of the other recipes a try.
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