Healthy and creamy this vegan potato leek soup is made with the addition of cashews instead of cream and flavored with fresh thyme and bay leaves simmered in a homemade veggie stock. It’s dairy-free and good for you! Instant pot and slow cooker methods included.
During the colder months of the year there’s nothing the body craves more than a warming, steaming hot bowl of soup, especially if potatoes are involved. Throw in some slow cooked caramelized leeks and be still my heart.
An easy and hearty soup based on potatoes, leeks, carrots and broth traditionally pureed until super creamy and silky without the addition of heavy cream. As healthy as can be but also comforting to the max.
How to Make a Chunky Vegan Potato Leek Soup:
Some days I prefer to go for more of a chunky texture so I’ll reserve about a third of the caramelized leeks and some of the cooked potatoes to add back into the soup after I puree it. Lightly mash the potatoes before mixing back it.
Do You Use the Green Part of Leeks ?
- You’ll notice that most recipes call for the white and pale green parts of the leeks to be used but I’d like to argue that the dark greens are also edible and have plenty of flavor. They are definitely worth adding into this soup if you are going to caramelize them first. No sense in wasting something perfectly good for you and delicious, use it all!
- That being said, if you really prefer your soup to be a lighter golden color then use mostly the white part.
- A part of the allium family that includes garlic, shallots and onions, leeks contain a bunch of sulfur compounds with health benefits. From protecting against cancers to lowering blood pressure and the LDL (bad) cholesterol levels to eye health, leeks most definitely earn their VIP spot in the whole foods pantry.
Can You Freeze the Leftovers ?
Absolutely yes, store the leftover soup in freezer proof glass containers for up to 3 months. Remember to thaw it out before reheating. It also keeps well in the fridge for 3-4 days.
This Vegan Potato Leek Soup is Everything:
Simple Ingredients
Healthy & Nutritious
Dairy & Gluten-Free
100% Whole Foods Plant Based
No Oil, No Heavy Cream
Super Easy to Make
The Best Ever!
Potato Leek Soup Toppings & Add Ins Ideas:
- top with reserved caramelized leeks
- add in steamed asparagus or broccoli florets
- fresh onion chives, scallions and fresh dill
- crispy smoky tempeh bits
- a drizzle of cashew or coconut cream
- a chunk of this crusty bread.
How to Make Potato Leek Soup Vegan:
- Sautee the leeks until caramelized and remember to reserve some for garnish.
- Add carrots, cashews, potatoes, your herbs and spices + the veggie stock. Simmer until the potatoes are tender.
- Puree the soup in a powerful blender like a Vitamix until smooth, silky creamy.
- Serve garnished with fresh herbs like dill or chives, the reserved caramelized leeks and a light drizzle of cashew or coconut cream.
P.S. If you make this soup please come back here to rate it in the comment section below, snap a photo and tag me with #VeggieSociety on Instagram. ~ Florentina Xo’s
Vegan Potato Leek Soup
Healthy and creamy this vegan potato leek soup is made with the addition of cashews instead of cream and flavored with fresh thyme and bay leaves simmered in a homemade veggie stock.
Servings 6 people
Calories 197kcal
Ingredients
- 1 extra large leek (or 2 medium size ones)
- 2 lb golden potatoes -diced
- 1 large carrot (sliced into rounds)
- 3/4 cup raw cashews or 1 cup cashew cream (optional but recommended)
- 1 leaf bay (use 2 if they are small)
- 8 sprigs fresh thyme
- 7-8 cups vegetable stock (low sodium)
- 1-2 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
- 2 scallions or 1/2 bunch fresh chives or dill (thinly sliced for garnish)
- sea salt + black pepper to taste
- 1/2 tsp turmeric (optional for color)
Instructions
- Cut the root ends off of the leeks then cut them in half lengthwise. Thinly slice them and add to a large bowl of cold water and rinse well. Allow them to sit for a few minutes for the dirt particles to fall to the bottom of the bowl. Scoop the leeks out using your hands and transfer to a clean bowl.
- Meanwhile preheat a heavy bottom stock pot over medium flame. Sauté the leeks in a light drizzle of olive oil ( use a splash of water, veggie stock or white wine for WFPB & Plantricious diets) and a pinch of sea salt until wilted and they start to caramelize at the edges. You might need to add more liquid so keep a close eye on them.
- Optional: reserve about 1/3 of the caramelized leeks for garnish or to add back into the soup if a chunky texture is desired. In my opinion this really takes the soup over the top.
- Add the carrots, bay, thyme and cashews and give everything a good stir. Add the potatoes then pour in the vegetable stock.
- Bring the soup to a simmer and cook about 20 minutes until the potatoes and carrots have softened. Stir in the nutritional yeast and turmeric at this point if using it. (If a chunky texture is preferred, reserve some of the cooked potatoes and gently mash them before adding back into the soup).
- Carefully transfer the soup to a powerful blender and puree until smooth and creamy on the hot liquid setting. Work in batches if needed and be mindful of the escaping steam.
- Adjust seasonings to taste with sea salt and black pepper then serve garnished with the reserved caramelized leeks, scallions, chives or fresh dill.
- Optional: Finish with a drizzle of cashew cream if desired.
Slow Cooker Method:
- Add all the soup ingredients except the herbs for garnish to a slow cooker and cook on low for 6-7 hours. Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. Garnish with the reserved herbs and a drizzle of cashew cream.
Instant Pot Method:
- Press the saute button on the Instant Pot and when the display reads hot add a splash of veggie stock and the leeks. Stir and cook until wilted and start to caramelize at the edges.
- Add the carrots, potatoes, cashews, bay and thyme. Stir in the veggie stock. Put the lid on the pot and set the “ steam release “ knob to the “ sealing “ position.
- Press the “ Pressure Cook or Manual “ button and the “ + - “ button to choose 8 minutes. Let the pot naturally release the pressure for 15 minutes then manually release the remaining steam.
- When the pin in the lid drops you can open it and discard the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Carefully transfer the soup to a blender together with the nutritional yeast if using and puree until smooth. Season to taste with sea salt and serve garnished with the fresh herbs.
Notes
If you would like to give your soup a brighter golden color make sure to only use the white and pale green parts of the leeks and add 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric into the soup.
Nutrition
Calories: 197kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 44mg | Potassium: 834mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 2050IU | Vitamin C: 22.5mg | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 6.7mg
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There are no carrots in the ingredient list.
You’ll need one large carrot Darlene, sliced or diced, your call 🙂
How is it possible that it has 1281 mg. of sodium. I suspect it should actually be less than 200 mg of sodium per serving.and the total for the entire 6 servings is 1281 mg. of sodium. Could you please clarify? THANKS in advance!
Hi Betsy, you are correct, it is an error in the nutrition calculator that it doesn’t recognize homemade no sodium/ low-sodium veggie stock. So if you were to use a regular store bough stock the sodium would be very high indeed. I manually corrected that so just keep in mind that any extra salt you might add to the soup would increase the sodium content. Hope you enjoy the recipe ~ Florentina
Do I use the green part of the leeks?
yes, you can use the entire leek, it all has lovely flavor.
should i peel the potatoes?
If you are using golden potatoes there’s no need to peel them, just scrub and rinse well.
Insanely tasty and creamy soup, I’d say probably the best potato leek soup I’ve ever made, I’ll be keeping this on rotation even in the summer time. It’s that good people!!!
I’m sure this is just a given, but do you remove the thyme stems and bay leave before blending?
yes 🙂