Easy vegan potato soup recipe with healthy leeks, carrots, celery and green peas. It’s creamy, savory and good for you with a lovely Tuscan vibe from fresh rosemary. A simple comforting veggie stew in any season.
Place the frozen peas in a bowl of room temperature water to thaw out.
1/2 lb frozen green peas
Prepare the Leeks
Cut the very dark green tops off of the leek and reserve for later. (You can definitely use them here just know it will affect the color of the soup and make it a darker but delicious). Slice the white and pale green part of the leek in half lengthwise then slice it up thinly. Transfer to a medium bowl and cover with cold water. Give it a good stir and allow to sit for a few minutes for any sand and dirt to sink to the bottom of the bowl. Using a slotted spoon or your hands, scoop up the clean leeks floating on the top and transfer to a lint free tea towel to drain any excess water. (Alternatively you can just add them directly to the soup pot and cook a little longer until all moisture has evaporated.)
1 leek
Make the Soup
Preheat a heavy bottom soup pot over medium heat. Add a very light drizzle of olive oil (omit for WFPB diets) and transfer the clean leeks to the pot. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and give it a good stir. Sautee until wilted and the leeks start to get some color, about 10 minutes or so.
1 leek
Stir in the diced carrot and celery and sautée a few more minutes until they begin to soften. Push the veggies to the side and drizzle a drop of oil in the center. Add the minced garlic and let it sizzle until fragrant. Give everything a good stir.
1 large carrot, 1 celery stak, 4 cloves garlic
Meanwhile scrub and rinse the potatoes and dice them into small cubes. Rinse well in a bowl of cold water, drain and add to the soup pot.
1 lb gold potatoes
Stir in the onion powder, paprika and rosemary. Pour in the water and bring to a boil. Stir in the nutritional yeast and the salt. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until the potatoes have softened but still a little al dente.
Transfer about 1/3 of the soup to a blender together with the cashews. Process on the hot liquid setting until silky smooth. Stir back into the soup pot.
1/4 cup raw cashews
Drain the peas and add them into the soup. Simmer a few minutes until heated through. Adjust seasonings to taste and serve garnished with fresh onion chives, red chili flakes. (If desired you could brighten it up with a squeeze of lemon or go more earthy with a pinch of smoked sea salt and maybe some crumbled tempeh bacon bits).
1 pinch red pepper flakes, 1/2 lb frozen green peas, Fresh chives or parsley for garnish, Lemon wedges or serving
WFPB + Plantricious
For compliance make sure to omit any oil and replace with water or veggie stock.
Notes
Fresh Rosemary vs Dried - If you must use dried rosemary make sure it’s a fragrant batch. Use 1 teaspoon of dried in lieu of 1 sprig fresh rosemary. Taste, add more, you’ll need to experiment here.
Soup Color - If you prefer a golden color soup simply puree some of the carrot with the potatoes and broth. For a lighter hue try not to puree any carrot pieces and only cook the white and pale green parts of the leek. For a darker olive green color use all the dark green tops of leeks and puree some of the peas with the potatoes and carrot as well.