Cozy and comforting, this creamy Vegan Leek and Potato Soup combines just a handful of ingredients for a simple, quick, homemade vegan soup the whole family will love!
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Vegan Leek and Potato Soup. One of my favourite vegan soup recipes! We're talking a hug in a bowl kind of soup. It's so creamy, cozy and comforting as well as quick and easy to make. So delicious with crusty bread and butter for dunking, and/or a tumble of crispy, golden vegan croutons!
The ingredient list is pretty short and simple and the soup is naturally gluten-free and vegan. And best of all, just like my vegan pea soup, it can be ready to go in under 30 minutes, making it a great recipe for busy weeknights or meal prep.
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you need to make Vegan Leek and Potato Soup:
If you end up with any leeks leftover I recommend you try some other vegan leek recipes like my Risi e Bisi recipe next. It is so good!!
How to make Vegan Leek and Potato Soup
This is a really simple and quick vegan soup recipe to make. Here's how it's done:
- Sauté the leeks in a large soup pot.
- Add the potato and stock and simmer until the potatoes are fork soft.
- Add the light coconut milk, nutmeg, seasonings and fresh or dried thyme.
- Either use an immersion blender to blend the soup in the pan, or scoop out into a blender in batches to blend until smooth. Don't over-blend it. Then return it to the pan to warm through before serving. Don't let it boil. Feel free to leave the soup chunky if you prefer though. Give it a quick taste before serving and adjust the seasoning as necessary.
If you'd like to make the optional croutons see my how to make vegan croutons post. They are incredibly quick and easy.
How to Prep & Clean Leeks
Leeks are notorious for being full of hidden dirt and grit so be sure to wash them well. Start by trimming and discarding the root ends and trimming the tips of the dark green part where they are tough and scruffy. Then usually it's necessary to remove the very outer layer of the leek as it can be a little tough and scruffy too. Then cut the leeks completely in half lengthwise. Take each half and rinse it under cold water, cut side up, gently pulling apart the layers so the water flows in and washes away any dirt and grit that’s tucked inside. Usually that's sufficient to get them clean but if they are really, really dirty and you don't feel like you got it all, you can slice them up finely, then put them in a colander and give them another good rinse.
Success Tips
For the very best results when making this dairy-free leek and potato soup recipe take note of these tips:
- Leeks can have quite a harsh flavor. The trick to making them sweet and delicious is to slowly sauté them. Don't rush them.
- Cook the potatoes until they are starting to fall apart. This makes blending easier which reduces your chances of over-blending.
- Don't over-blend your soup or you will activate the starch in the potatoes and your soup will get an odd gluey texture.
- The nutmeg might seem a strange addition but trust me. It really works so don't leave it out!
Serving Suggestions
The finished vegan potato leek soup has a beautiful pale green colour and subtle, sweet and creamy leek flavor, and is wonderful served as an appetizer or entree with a generous pile of golden vegan croutons or quinoa crispies on top. I also recommend some fresh crusty bread and butter on the side for dipping.
Wondering what else to serve with vegan leek and potato soup? Vegan cheese, sautéed leek, fresh chives, roasted cubes of potato, sautéed sausage crumbles, vegan feta cheese crumbles, and vegan bacon make great soup toppers, and homemade herby no knead focaccia or grilled cheese is amazing with it too.
Storing & Freezing
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or the freezer for 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge.
To reheat, transfer to a small pan and warm gently over medium-low heat. You can also microwave it for a few minutes if you prefer.
Recipe FAQs
I highly recommend using light coconut milk if at all possible, but if you prefer not use it, substitute another creamy plant milk. It must be an unsweetened and unflavored milk.
Yes. Simply saute with water instead of the vegan butter. About a quarter cup (60mls) of water should be sufficient.
Recipe
Vegan Leek and Potato Soup
Author:WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter , omit to make oil-free and use a splash of water instead.
- 2 large leeks , trimmed, washed and sliced thinly
- 1125g (40 oz or about 5 cups) potato , peeled and cubed
- 960mls (4 cups) vegetable stock
- 1 can (398-400mls / 13.5 oz) light canned coconut milk , or other creamy, unsweetened, unflavoured plant milk
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme , or 2 to 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
For serving
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat the butter in a soup pan over medium heat. Add the sliced leeks and sauté for 7 to 10 minutes until they are soft and just starting to colour on the edges.
- Add the potato, pour over the stock, bring to a simmer and cook until the potato is soft and just beginning to break down.
- Remove from the heat, add the coconut milk, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and thyme.
- Either use an immersion blender or transfer to a blender in batches and blend gently until just smooth. Don't over-blend or you will activate the starch in the potatoes and affect the texture of the soup.
- Return the soup to the pan and heat gently over a medium low heat until piping hot, then serve.
NOTES
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NUTRITION
This recipe was originally published on January 5th, 2016. I've updated it with new photographs, new content and a video and am now republishing it for you. I hope you enjoy it. Thank you for following A Virtual Vegan!
Alexis says
This is a great recipe and a good base soup to throw in any remaining veggies you have before they go bad. I made a few modifications to my soup because I was missing some stuff and needed to clear out the fridge, but it was still great!
I didn’t have a lot of potatoes so I threw in some carrots. I also added left over butter beans. I was out of nutmeg and thyme so I swapped those for rosemary and cardamom instead. I also added a little bit of garlic and onion powder, a dash of paprika, a tiny bit of ginger, and the juice of one lemon.
The soup was comforting and hit the spot!
Michelle says
This is a great recipe and delicious soup, a great way to warm up after a freezing cold day (Victoria, Australia). Thanks so much for the tips regarding washing leeks and not overblending the soup. I didn't know about the overblending and had wondered why my potato soups had turned out so gluggy in the past.
Kerstin says
I made this soup. It’s out of this world. Perfect for me, because I cook for one. So making a soup then have meals the whole long wee week.
Thank you
Whack says
Another brilliant recipe.
Since I've never fooled with leeks before, my only wish would have been a measure for the leeks, grams, lbs whatever other n' 2 large.
I didn't know if I was supposed to use the whole leek or just the part that wasn't the leefy part.. took forever to saute the leeks.. about 3 hrs... gezzzz.. m I shed breakfast!
This is really yummy.. next time I'll try adding wine..
Any guidance on the weights and how much of the leek I was supposed to use would be appreciated...
Melanie McDonald says
So pleased you enjoyed it! I'm not sure why it would take 3 hours to saute the leeks? It should take about 10 minutes max.
There is no gram measurement for the leeks because there's no need to be absolutely precise with this recipe. It will turn out good whatever the size of your leeks. Also it would be really hard to pick out 2 leeks that will weigh the correct amount once trimmed and cleaned. It makes it much simpler to just have to go out and pick up 2. Tips for prepping and cleaning the leeks are included in the post. Hope that helps!
Monica Mojtabai says
I’ve loved potato soup since I was a child but this was my first attempt since changing to a vegan diet. The soup was absolutely amazing and so full of flavor!
Debs says
Made this today and the whole family loved it. Lots left for future meals and for my 11 year old daughter’s thermos for school!!!
Connie Moultroup says
Oh my!!!! Quite delicious!!! On day 2 I added some Daiya cheddar and some chopped amaranth greens from the freezer. Absolutely fabulous!!! Sorry, I can never leave well enough alone!!!!
A Virtual Vegan says
Glad you're enjoying it Connie!
Deborah says
So creamy and yummy. A new favorite soup for us!
Neda says
Thank you for this delicious recipe, my husband and I really enjoyed it! This makes a ton of soup and it is very filling so it will last at least two days for smaller households. I used russet potatoes (took a little longer to cook) and included a little bit of the darker leek parts because I like the edge they provide.
joe says
I make croutons by spraying sliced bread with oil or smear with vegan butter and toast them in the toaster
joe says
Made this today half the recipe and it came out as it is sufficient for a whole week. Like it very much.
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you Joe. I'm glad you are enjoying it!
Kathryn Grace says
Delicious! We used to eat potato soup at least once a month, now we have this instead!
Nancy says
Used soy milk instead of the coconut milk and was still really good. Thanks for a great recipe!