This vegan Potato Leek Soup is so rich and creamy, it’s hard to believe how nourishing it is too! The ingredients are simple, but the soup is full-flavored & divine. Serve it warm in the winter & spring, or eat it chilled in the summer when temps start to rise.
Spring has sprung!
And, tasty veggies are sprouting up everywhere. We’re talking leeks, scallions, garlic scapes, pea shoots, and ramps. Oh, and lets not forget my beloved asparagus {perfectly roasted} and childhood favorite, rhubarb~especially delicious in this Strawberry Chia Rhubarb Crisp!
Thanks to Katie at Healthy Bites, this month’s Recipe ReDux theme is “The First Shoots of Spring.”
With all these gorgeous green spring veggies at my disposal, it was hard to choose just one to cook with, but I finally settled upon one that I hadn’t eaten in a very, very long time~at least up until about a month ago.
LEEKS.
It was actually this Savory Bread Pudding {so good!} from the Urban Baker, I made last month, that turned me {back} on to the sublimely buttery sweet and subtle taste of leeks.
Prior to that, my only recollection of eating leeks, was in my all-time favorite childhood soup, Vichyssoise.
Quick Story…
My grandparents lived in Los Angeles, and on special occasions, we would join them at my grandfather’s favorite “fancy occasion” restaurant & celebrity haunt, Scandia, in Hollywood.
Oh, how I loved that restaurant, and their creamy, dreamy, vichyssoise too!
Simply, utterly, delicious.
Why, oh why have I not made a batch of homemade vichyssoise before today???
Oh, yes, I know why.
Because my hubby, Mr. Spicy, lover of ALMOST most everything I cook, vehemently and passionately hates c.o.l.d soup.
Actually, he puts cold soup on par with snakes.
And, mowing the lawn.
So, thank you Recipe ReDux for forcing me to experiment with leeks and create this creamy vegan potato leek soup!
Have you tried Vichyssoise before?
For those of you familiar with vichyssoise, you may know that the traditional version gets it’s ultra rich creaminess, from, well, cream.
Now, I have nothing again a little heavy cream every now and again, but, in a nod to ReDux tradition {and because I’m trying to make amends for 2 weeks of a little more indulgence than usual}, my version is sans cream.
And, guess what?
You won’t miss it one bit.
Not only is this vegan potato leek soup light on calories, yet, full of flavor, it’s also packs a powerful health punch from the leeks, onion, and potatoes.
Sulfur and flavanoid rich leeks belong to the allium family, which also includes garlic and onions. It’s thought that leeks have similar health benefits to other alliums, including a reduced risk of breast and colon cancer, and protection against cardiovascular disease.
In addition, leeks are an excellent source of vitamins A and K {good for bone health!}, and a very good source of vitamins C, and folate~ an important B vitamin that helps support methylation.
Potatoes are nutrition superstars too…
As far as potatoes go, they are a pretty healthy tuber in my opinion. Just check out this post, In Defense of Potatoes, to get the nutrition scoop!
But, enough talk about nutrition.
Let’s get to this oh-so-simple recipe for vegan potato leek soup, aka Vichyssoise.
I was tempted to try and add more ingredients to spiff it up a little, but in the end, simple won out.
Save for an adornment of these gorgeous spring green pea shoots.
Sometimes simple is best.
Creamy Vegan Potato Leek Soup with Spring Pea Shoots
This vegan Potato Leek Soup is so rich and creamy, it's hard to believe how nourishing it is too! The ingredients are simple, but the soup is full flavored & divine. Serve it warm in the winter & spring, or eat it chilled in the summer when temps start to rise.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegan spread {i.e. Earth Balance or Organic Melt}
- 4 cups leeks chopped {approximately 1 large leek, white and light green part only}
- 1 sweet onion chopped
- 4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and chopped {approximately 2 pounds}
- 4 cups Imagine Organic Low Sodium "No-Chicken" Broth
- 2 cups filtered water
- 1 teaspoon salt or, to taste
- Spring Pea Shoots for garnish
Instructions
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Heat vegan spread in large soup pot or dutch oven until melted and foaming. Add chopped leeks and onions and sauté over medium high heat until vegetables are slightly wilted, but not browned {approximately 2 minutes}.
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Add chopped potatoes, broth, water, and salt to pot, and bring to a boil. Bring down heat to low, and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.
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Puree soup in the pot using an immersion blender, OR transfer carefully in batches to a blender, and combine until well blended. Serve warm OR chill soup in refrigerator, and serve cold.
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Top bowls of soup with fresh pea shoots. Enjoy!
You’ll note in the recipe, that this vegan potato leek soup can be served cold, a la, a traditional Vichyssoise, or warm, as I served it to my hubby and kids, who have apparently inherited their dad’s same aversion to cold soup…
But hopefully not to snakes and mowing the lawn. 🙂
Oh, and in case you missed my news, I am excited to share that my Chinese Aubergine and Bell Pepper Pizza with Cheddar and Fresh Herbs, was a “runner up” in the Recipe ReDux contest. If you’re a pizza lover like me, you have to try it!
Let’s chat!
Have you ever had Vichyssoise before? Do you have any favorite childhood “fancy” restaurants? Do you like cold soup???
If you enjoyed this recipe, I’d love for you to share it with your family and friends, and give the recipe 5 stars. Thank YOU so much for your support in helping me spread the word that healthy IS delicious!
Hi There! I’m EA, an integrative nutrition coach & recipe developer. I create healthy, seasonal gluten free recipes & low FODMAP recipes for a wide variety of diets (anti-inflammatory, low carb, Mediterranean, paleo, vegan, vegetarian, & more) to help you live your healthiest, happiest, most DELICIOUS life. Cheers!
Nice! Looks great, I love pea shoots!
Great idea to use pea shoots…spring is on the way!
Mmmm, I love pea shoots! What a great texture and color contrast to this silky soup too! Looking forward to making this one soon! 😉
I’m loving this spring soup! It looks so fresh, and my husband has been loving leek lately, so I have to make this for him next!
Thanks Stephanie! I hope your hubby enjoys the soup~hot OR cold 🙂 Happy Spring!
This looks so delicious! I must try it!
Thanks so much Erin! I hope you get to try it. Enjoy!!
Love adding pea shoots to salads, but now I need to add it to soups!
Yes! It’s a delicious & nutritious way to get some more greens in!!!
Sorry I checked, it was on TODAY SHOW RECIPES. They were showing seven foods for eating vegetables of the season and they had your Leek Soup. Thanks.
i’ve never tried leeks before, isn’t that crazy??? i see them all the time at whole foods though. and i love cold soup – esp gazpacho. i had that all summer long when i was in spain!
How can such a simple soup look so GORGEOUS (well, because EA is photographing it 🙂 and also sound so so yummy. I’m buying leeks in bulk after reading all the ReDux posts this month and some pretty spring pea shoots just to make this soup!
great soup and adore the garnish
Thanks Rebecca! Love green “shoots” of all kinds 🙂
Thanks so much Erin! Hope you give it a try 🙂
I’ve never been much of a soup person but this sounds absolutely delcious!
Gorgeous. Gorgeous. Gorgeous. So much of enjoying food is its presentation. EA, you get an A+++ for the beautiful photos. Love potato leek soup, as I mentioned in my post, but love the idea you use no cream. Can’t wait to try it.
An A+++? My mother would be proud 🙂 Your “deconstructed vichyssoise sounds fabulous!!
Oh wow…what a gorgeous soup! Love the lightened up version and all that glorious green!
Thanks so much Karen!! So glad you stopped by 🙂
I am trying to figure out this hatred of cold soup. Hmn, did he have one as a child he disliked? So no gazpacho either? Interesting. My mother made leek and potato soup growing up, lots of memories.
Oh, my goodness…absolutely no gazpacho either! The very first time I made him cold soup, I think it was some sort of melon soup, and that’s when I found out he despised cold soup. I tried once again with gazpacho and absolutely no luck!
This soup looks yummy! And always your photos are gorgeous. My husband is like yours, and in addition to hating asparagus, he hates cold soup as well! Though I will share in your husband’s hatred of snakes, though mine is more like intense fear!
Ooo…I think an intense fear is worse than a hatred of snakes! Although, i think My husband is just a little bit scared too 🙂 One time we stayed with some friends that had a snake in a tank outside the bedroom we were staying in. He was very adamant about making sure the door to our bedroom stayed shut!
Love your post, I am new this month to Recipe ReDux. Your post is so inspirational, especially with all your great photography! (and I prefer warm soup!).
Thanks so much Jen, and I’m so happy you joined the ReDux! Heading over to your blog now to check out your recipe 🙂
I did not know that vichyssoise was essentially cold potato soup…bad dietitian! I would eat it chilled! I do love chilled borscht, I made it last year for a first time and absolutely love it! Childhood ‘fancy’ restaurants, that funny! We RARELY went out to dinner and when we did I remember going to Fiesta Canteena…the local Mexican restaurant! No eating out. No pop but plenty of kool aid! 🙂
Have a super week Spicy! Super post!
Ha! Bad dietitian indeed Teri 🙂 Ah…Kool Aid…I am proud to say I think my kids have only had in once in their lives, and it wasn’t served by me!
This sounds absolutely wonderful! I didn’t get my act together to participate this month, but I’m having fun looking at all the recipes. This one is definitely on my list to try!
Thanks Alysa! I almost didn’t make this ReDux as well, but pulled the soup together at the last minute 🙂
This soup looks fabulous!
Sorry I missed out this month. I swear there was just too much going on! I did buy leeks though so I am going to still experiment..perhaps with this soup! 😉
Can’t wait to see what leek creation you come up with Kristen!
What beautiful Spring-y photos! This looks delicious. Also, your spicy rack totally puts mine to shame. I can never find anything, jealous!
Thanks Julie! That Spice Rack was inspired by our friends, who had a similar design in their kitchen. I love it, although I know I need to go through my spices and toss the ones that are out of date!
OMG…just the pictures make me want to eat my computer screen! yum! This looks amazing.
LOL! Thanks Mary 🙂
seriously pretty photos and I am sure the soup tastes as yum as it looks. thanks so much for the linky! glad you liked the savory bread pudding!
Thank you Susan! I can’t wait to make your bread pudding again. I made it for my family, my parents, and husbands parents and we all inhaled it. Thanks for leekspiration!
Love, love these gorgeous photos of the soup…I don’t think I’ve ever seen soup look so beautiful! I love cold soup. But my hubby does not share the love…he says he just can’t understand the concept. (: My kids are ok w/ it if there’s something else to eat too. Thanks for the new take on this yummy soup…haven’t made it in a while…will have to do now!
Thanks so much Serena! Do you think being “anti-cold soup” is a guy thing??? I was just heading over to check out your delicious looking rhubarb crisp!
oh wow, this sounds amazing! i love potato leek soup, + this looks right up my alley. i could go for a bowl right now!
Thanks Amy! Wish I could send a bowl over your way. Would you like it hot or cold??? 🙂