That is healthy Potato-Leek Soup is exactly where we need to be now: expertly walking the fine line between rich, creamy comfort and all that is bright, healthy and nutritious.
Flavors of dill, capers and chives hit your taste buds, convincing you that this soup must be pure sunshine served in a bowl.
Another curve ball: This decadently textured potato and leek soup recipe contains no cream or milk and is vegan (!!!!).
5 star rating
“This is great. Silky and bright indeed. Simply delicious. Will definitely be making again.”
— Christ —
Like my dreamy vegan potato soup, this vegan potato and leek soup is velvety yet light, hearty but not heavy.
I like to eat it as a light lunch.
Every time I taste it, it surprises and delights me anew.
Today’s recipe keeps what I think are the best parts of potato and leek soup — the humble veggies and comforting, creamy texture — but is a world away from the heavy cream-laden iterations you may have tried.
The secret to creamy potato and leek soup is (are you ready for this?)…CASHEWS.
Mixed cashews do not taste nutty when added to the soup (like in my Instant Pot Carrot Ginger Soup).
Rather, they turn into a cashew cream that makes soup filling and rich without weighing it down.
How to make vegan potato and leek soup
This recipe makes clever use of the ingredients themselves and keeps the potato and leek soup much lower in calories (like my roasted carrot soup).
Not only is this soup rich, creamy, and filling, the cashews make the soup taste almost cheesy (like in my vegan queso) despite being completely dairy-free.
The ingredients
- Leek. A relative of the onion, leeks are mild and tender. The white part and light green parts of the leek are used for soups (and spinach quiche), while the dark green tips are inedible but can be used if you want to make a broth.
TOP!
To cook leeks for soup, you should first wash out any dirt hidden in its layers. Under cleaning the leek you will find all the details and tricks for cleaning and preparing leeks.
- Celery + Carrots + Garlic. A classic for soup bases (often called mirepoix when combined with onions, but here the leek stands for the onion). These ingredients add a depth of flavor to the soup that you would miss without them.
- Yukon Gold Potatoes. Yukon golden potatoes are the potato of choice here, as opposed to starchy red potatoes). With their natural buttery flavor and smooth texture, they add incredible richness (no cream or milk) and body to the soup. (They’re also the best potato for baked potatoes.)
- cashew nuts. The secret to the success of creamy vegan soups. If you’re worried about cashews adding too much fat, don’t be. Cashews are packed with healthy fats and minerals that make this a superfood soup!
- vegetable broth. The liquid base that keeps the soup vegan (vegetable broth can also be used).
- artichoke hearts. Surprising and SO fantastic in potato and leek soup. I always keep a few cans of artichokes on hand, and they’re wonderful here.
- Dijon mustard. A spoonful of Dijon cuts through the richness of the cashews and balances the soup. There’s a reason mustard and potatoes are often served together, and that’s ideal here.
- capers. The saltiness is a nice foil to the creaminess of the potatoes.
- lemon juice. For a touch of brightness and acidity.
- Fresh dill + chives. Dill and chives lift this soup into the stratosphere. Please do not skip them or be tempted to substitute dried ones. Fresh is worth it!
Potato leek soup with bacon
If you have a few meat lovers in your house, they could top this soup with crumbled oven or air fryer bacon, ham, or sausage, although I promise this soup is very satisfying even without.
storage tips
- To store. Store leftovers in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator. Leek and potato soup will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- To warm up. Gently warm the soup in a Dutch oven on the stovetop over medium-high heat until hot. You can also reheat your soup in the microwave.
- Freeze. While I’m talking ALL ABOUT the freezer, this soup isn’t the ideal candidate for two reasons. First, the cashew base will become less smooth once the soup is frozen. Second, potatoes tend to become mealy when they freeze. (For what it’s worth, I froze this Crockpot Potato Soup and didn’t care about the texture change, but it’s good to be aware of.)
What to serve with potato and leek soup
Recommended tools to make this recipe
- trowel. Ideal for transferring soups into bowls and storage containers.
- high performance blender. Perfect for mixing the soup ingredients. (This more economical blender option is great, too.) You can also use an immersion blender.
- Love and lemons every day. This Potato Leek Soup recipe is from this wonderful cookbook, the second book written by the incredibly talented Jeanine and Jack of the Love and Lemons blog. It puts vegetables at the center of the plate and proves how outrageously delicious they can (and should!).
The best Dutch Oven
My favorite vessel for making soup on the stovetop.
This potato and leek soup punches way above its weight. I can’t wait for you to try it!
frequently asked Questions
While cashews often require soaking in vegan recipes, this soup is not one of them. Simply add the raw cashews to the blender with the soup when ready to puree. It couldn’t be easier!
Both walnuts and almonds would have a more pronounced flavor and probably wouldn’t puree as smoothly as cashews, so I’m not sure I’d recommend them as substitutes. If using almonds, look for almonds with the skin removed.
I haven’t made this potato and leek soup without cashews yet, so it would be an experiment. However, I think you could try adding 1/2 cup coconut cream in place of the cashews with good results.
- 2 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
- 3 Leek white and light green parts thinly sliced and rinsed (3 1/2 cups)
- 1/2 Cup Chopped celery
- 1/2 Cup carrots, sliced I scrubbed and left the shells on
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus additional to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 1/2 Pound Chopped Yukon golden potatoes I scrubbed the shells
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 can artichoke hearts 14 ounces drained and chopped
- 1/2 Cup raw cashew nuts
- 1 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 3 tablespoon fresh lemon juice shared
- 1/2 -1 cup of water
- 1/4 Cup chopped fresh dill plus extra for garnish
- 1/4 Cup chopped fresh chives plus extra for garnish
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Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add leeks, celery, carrots, salt and a few black peppercorns. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften, 8 to 10 minutes, turning heat down if overly brown.
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Add the garlic and continue frying for 1 minute. Add the potatoes and the broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Stir in artichokes.
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Allow to cool slightly, then place half the soup in a blender along with the cashews, mustard, capers, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Blend until smooth, then pour the mixture back into the stock pot. Stir in water as needed to achieve desired consistency. (I love a super thick soup, so I used closer to 1/2 cup.) Add the dill, chives, and the remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.
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Garnish with more dill, chives and a little olive oil. Enjoy!
- TO STORE: Leftover soup can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- TO WARM UP: Warm gently on the stovetop or in the microwave until steaming.
- FREEZE: Avoid freezing (see blog post above for reasons).
- TOP: Don’t skip the fresh herbs! They make the soup taste incredibly fresh and are worth trying here.
- SOURCE: Shared with permission from Love and lemons every day
Portion: 1 (of 6)Calories: 236kcalCarbohydrates: 34GProtein: 6GFat: 10GSaturated Fatty Acids: 2GPolyunsaturated fat: 2GMonounsaturated fatty acids: 6GPotassium: 724mgFiber: 4GSugar: 6GVitamin A: 3126ieVitamin C: 35mgCalcium: 63mgIron: 3mg
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