Some dear friends of mine asked if I could use any leeks. They have the most amazing vegetable garden, so of course I said yes. So from there, I came up with this creamy and fresh Vegan Potato Leek Soup to put all of that goodness to use.
What are leeks anyway? They are in the allium family which includes chives, shallots, onions, and garlic. Their aromatic constituents contain sulfur which promotes cardiovascular health, anti-cancer benefits, helps to decrease blood pressure and cholesterol, improves metabolism, and decreases inflammation.
They add a rich, depth of flavor to soups, stews, sauces. They look like large green onions or scallions with a white base transitioning to a light green and then deeper green at the top. It is important to learn how to clean them properly due to the fact that they tend to gather soil and sand in between their layers. Basically, all you have to do is slice off the root end and a little above where the light green portion ends. Then, slice the entire leek along its length into two halves. You’ll see how the layers of the leek lay together. Rinse between these layers and give a good shake to remove excess moisture. From here, slice into whatever size you need. For this recipe, I layed the leeks flat side down and sliced thinly into half rounds.
See the garden soil in between the layers?
Leeks chopped into half rounds.
Sauté the leeks in a large soup pot.
Add potatoes, bouillon, and spices and cook until potatoes are very tender.
Vegan Potato Leek Soup
Equipment
- high-speed blender
- Immersion blender
Ingredients
- 2 T. Olive oil
- 4 Leeks, white and light-green portions only, chopped
- 4 Garlic, cloves, chopped
- 2 lbs. Yukon Gold Potatoes, unpeeled and chopped to ½“ cubes
- 7 C. Vegetable bouillon Use a low-sodium version so you can control the saltiness of the soup
- 2 Bay leaves
- 1 t. French thyme, dried and crushed between your fingers
- ½ t. Black pepper, ground
- Salt to taste
- Chives, chopped for garnish
Cashew Cream
- 1 C. Cashews, raw
- ¾ C. Water, you may need more to thin the cream
Instructions
Potato Leek Soup
- Begin by thoroughly cleaning the leeks. If you have never done this, dirt and sand can make its way down inside the layers of the leeks. Cut off dark green tops and the root end of the leeks. Rinse under cool water. Then, to make sure they are clean, slice the leek in half lengthwise. Rinse any dirt out from inside the layers. Chop into small half moon shapes.
- Heat oil in large soup pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, toss in the leeks and sauté for 10-12 minutes, until soft and turn a brighter green color.
- Add garlic and sauté for another minute until fragrant.
- Next, add the potatoes, vegetable bouillon, bay leaves, thyme, and black pepper. Bring to a boil and immediately turn down the heat to simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.
- While the soup is simmering, add the cashews and water to a high-speed blender. Blend until mixture becomes creamy and smooth, like heavy cream. Scrape down the sides of the blender so that there are no small pieces of cashews. Add water to thin to cream like consistency. Place cashew cream in a bowl and set aside for now.
- When potatoes are done, blend soup in batches in the blender, please be careful because hot liquids can splash. Do this process in small batches and allow the steam to escape periodically. When all soup is blended add back to a clean pot, stir in 1 cup of cashew cream and reheat gently if needed. Taste for salt and adjust as necessary.
- Serve with chopped chives for garnish.
This soup is so good! It tastes like a soup from a fancy restaurant, but you can make it yourself.
When you try it, please comment, rate and let me know what you think.
Aloha,
Ashley
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