Creamy Leek & Potato Soup

Sweet leeks, soft potatoes & a hint of nutmeg combine to make this unbelievably creamy Leek & Potato Soup. Warming, comforting & healthy, it makes the perfect light lunch or a more substantial dinner with lots of crusty bread for dunking! 

Well here I am with my first recipe of 2016. I have taken things a bit easier over the holidays and feel rested and full of new inspiration for the year ahead. I have lots of exciting recipes ready to share with you but wanted to start the year with something healthy and nourishing.

During the Christmas season we all tend to over indulge a little and even plant-based treats can be a bit on the rich and calorific side. I found that I was craving lighter, more nourishing foods by the time new year arrived and soup was the perfect remedy.

After a trip to the green grocer to see what looked good, I arrived home with a bunch of beautiful leeks, a little bundle of fresh thyme and my favourite Yukon Gold potatoes. Out came the soup pot and within thirty minutes I was sitting down to a warm, nourishing bowl of this Creamy Leek & Potato Soup.

This Creamy Leek & Potato Soup has just five ingredients (plus oil, water & seasoning) and is exceptionally easy to make. The most difficult part is washing the leeks. They are grown in sandy soil and can be really dirty inside their layers. If you are wondering how to wash them efficiently then have a little look at this slide show from Food Network. Once your leeks are clean all you have to do is sauté them in a little oil, add the cubed potatoes, cover with water and let simmer until tender.  Add coconut milk, nutmeg, seasoning and fresh or dried thyme if you have it then blend and warm through. Done. If you want to serve your soup with croutons I have added instructions for making them too. They are an awesome way to bring stale bread to life.

Coconut flavour is undetectable in the finished soup but adds a beautiful velvety creaminess which is why I prefer it in this soup over using non-dairy milk and nutmeg might seem like a strange addition to Leek & Potato Soup but it really works. You only need a tiny bit and it adds a lovely sweet, earthy depth to the flavour.

The finished soup has a beautiful pale green colour and subtle, sweet and creamy leek flavour. It  is wonderful served with some golden brown croutons or a thick slice of fresh crusty bread.

When you try this soup, share your pictures on my Facebook page, on Instagram or Twitter. You can tag me @avirtualvegan. Use the #avirtualvegan on Instagram too so I don’t miss it in my feed.

If you love soup then be sure to try my Creamy Curry Chickpea Soup. It was my most popular recipe of 2015 and like this one is ready in only 30 minutes.

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Creamy Leek & Potato Soup

Sweet leeks, soft potatoes & a hint of nutmeg combine to make this unbelievably creamy Leek & Potato Soup. Warming, comforting & healthy, it makes the perfect light lunch or a more substantial dinner with lots of crusty bread for dunking!

Course Soup

Recipe Type gluten-free, vegan

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 299 kcal

Author Melanie McDonald

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 large leeks , washed and sliced, (use just the white and light green parts)
• 1125g | 5 cups potato , peeled and cubed
• 960mls | 4 cups water
• 398-400mls canned coconut milk
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 4-5 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon of dried thyme (optional)

Optional Croutons

• Cubed bread Gluten-free if necessary, and it's better if it's a few days old
• Olive oil
• Salt

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a soup pan over a medium heat.
2. Add the sliced leeks and sauté for 5 minutes until just starting to brown.
3. Add the potato and cook for another minute or two.
4. Cover with the water and simmer until the potato is tender (test with a fork - it will take about 10 minutes).
5. Remove from the heat and add the seasoning, coconut milk & nutmeg.
6. Detach the thyme leaves from the stems by running your fingers up them and add to the soup.
7. Pour into a blender or use an immersion blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
8. Return to the pan and warm through.

For the optional croutons

1. Preheat oven to 300
2. Put cubes of bread in a bowl and spray with olive oil or drizzle over some oil and toss thoroughly.
3. Sprinkle with a little salt then pour onto a baking tray and spread out into a single layer.
4. Put into oven and bake until dried out and golden brown. Watch them as they don't take long at all. (5-10 minutes, 15 max).
5. Cool and store in a sealed container.

Nutrition Facts

Creamy Leek & Potato Soup

Amount Per Serving (1 serving without croutons)

Calories 299 Calories from Fat 63

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 7g 11%

Sodium 661mg 28%

Total Carbohydrates 54g 18%

Dietary Fiber 8g 32%

Sugars 5g

Protein 6g 12%

Vitamin A 15%

Vitamin C 53%

Calcium 8%

Iron 33%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.