This cozy Vegan Potato Leek Soup is silky, smooth, and full of flavor. It's a light, yet satisfying soup—made without dairy or coconut milk. One-pot, easy to make, and leftovers keep well. Delicious paired with crusty bread, for dipping.
This comforting Vegan Potato Leek Soup is silky smooth and full of flavor. It's a one-pot recipe that comes together with simple ingredients. Perfect for an easy weeknight dinner—especially when paired with warm bread!
This leek and potato soup is inspired by a classic Vichyssoise, which is a velvety potato soup with French origins. Our vegan version skips the dairy, but you wouldn't know it! We love making cozy soups during the colder months, but Vichyssoise is often served chilled too. Regardless, this soup is absolutely delicious and always hits the spot.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Deliciously vegan: When you taste this soup, you probably wouldn't guess it's dairy-free! It tastes just like a classic Vichyssoise (leek and potato soup)...except vegan.
- 8 ingredients (plus salt & pepper): You won't need a long shopping list to make this soup! It mostly uses pantry ingredients that you likely already have on hand.
- Silky & creamy: Potatoes get gluey when over-mixed. This recipe uses just the right ratio of liquids and a method to ensure your soup blends up light and smooth...without getting too thick and gummy.
Ingredients (and substitutes)
- Potatoes: We use russet potatoes. They're high-starch so they fall apart easily in the soup to thicken it. But, you could substitute Yukon Gold potatoes instead.
- Vegan Butter: Use your favorite vegan butter—otherwise substitute for olive oil. Or if you're not vegan, regular butter works too.
- Cashews: Raw cashews get blended with stock to make a vegan cashew "cream". It makes this soup extra luscious, without cream or milk! Use unroasted and unsalted cashews, since we're using them for creaminess, not flavor.
- Broth: For amazing results, we highly recommend Better Than Bouillon No Chicken (or another vegan "chicken" broth). Otherwise, substitute another vegetable broth you love.
Looking for other leek recipes? Make Vegan Golden Chickpea Noodle Soup, Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup, or Veggie Pot Pies.
How to make (step-by-step photos)
Here's how to make this delicious and creamy Vegan Potato Leek Soup:
Find the recipe card below for the complete recipe, including all ingredients and instructions.
Love cozy soups? Try our Curried Pumpkin and Lentil Soup, Vegan Red Lentil Soup, Vegan Congee, or Vegetarian Tortellini Soup recipes.
Recipe video
Tips
- Peel the potatoes: We're all for streamlining the cooking process, so we wouldn't tell you to peel the potatoes unless it was necessary. And in this recipe, it's necessary! We're going for a silky smooth potato soup here—one that resembles a vegan Vichyssoise—so spend a couple minutes peeling. We promise, it's worth it!
- Clean leeks well: Leeks often have dirt hiding under their first few layers. So trim off the base and peel back the layers, which will allow you to rinse them well.
- Use a great vegetable broth: Since this soup comes together with so few ingredients, it's important to use a flavorful broth for best results. We recommend a vegan "chicken" broth, but another high-quality vegetable broth works too.
- Don't over-blend the soup: Potatoes can get gluey when over-blended (same goes with mashed potatoes too). Blend only for as long as is needed for the soup to become smooth. It shouldn't take longer than a minute.
- Serve hot or cold: We usually serve this soup hot, but classic Vichyssoise is often served cold. The choice is yours!
Serving suggestions
- Toppings: Garnishes are optional, but they do elevate the look of this dish! The recipe recommends chives and black pepper, which is simple but effective. You can swap the chives for thinly sliced scallions (green onion) instead. Or, use a bit of extra nutmeg by sprinkling it on top.
- Dippers: This soup is delicious served with bread, for dipping. Naan or pita would work too. Or, try Air Fryer Pita Chips for crunch!
- Salad: Soup and salad is a classic combo. Pair with Vegan Caesar Salad, Pea & Pesto Spinach Salad, or Kale Salad with Roasted Squash. Or check out our other salad recipes!
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Potato Leek Soup
This cozy Vegan Potato Leek Soup is silky, smooth, and full of flavor. It's a light, yet satisfying soup—made without dairy or coconut milk. One-pot, easy to make, and leftovers keep well. Delicious paired with crusty bread, for dipping.
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup raw cashews
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter (or olive oil)
- 4 cups chopped leeks (white & light green parts only) (2 large leeks, 1.25 lb before trimming)
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 5 cups vegan chicken broth (or vegetable broth, see note 1)
- 1 lb russet potatoes, peeled and chopped (2 potatoes, see note 2)
- 2 dried bay leaves
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (optional, see note 3)
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Chopped chives, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Quick soak cashews: Add cashews to a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Let sit for at least 10 minutes to soften.
- Start cooking soup: Meanwhile, melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add leeks and garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, until leeks are soft but not yet browning at the edges, about 10 minutes.
- Blend cashews: Drain cashews. Add drained cashews and broth to a blender. Blend until completely smooth.
- Combine and simmer: Add blended cashew mixture, potatoes, bay leaves, salt, and pepper to the pot. Cover with the lid slightly ajar and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer, and cook until potatoes are soft when poked with a fork, about 10 minutes.
- Blend and finish seasoning: Transfer the soup to a blender and blending just until smooth, no longer than 1 minute (see note 4). Transfer soup back to the pot, over low heat to keep warm. Stir in lemon juice (if using) and nutmeg. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed. Ladle into bowls and garnish with chives, if using.
Notes
- Broth: For best results, we recommend Better Than Bouillon No Chicken (or if not available, Better Than Bouillon Vegetable). Or feel free to use another high quality vegetable broth you love
- Potatoes: We use Russet potatoes for this soup. They are high-starch potatoes, so will fall apart quite easily after cooking and thicken up the soup nicely. Alternatively, you could substitute Yukon Gold potatoes which are considered medium-starch potatoes (they will add a bit more yellow color to the soup).
- Lemon Juice: A small splash of acid can really brighten the flavor in a dish. We recommend adding a bit of fresh lemon juice at the end for this reason. But, if you don't have any, you can leave it out. The soup will still taste good.
- Blending soup: Potatoes can get gluey/gummy when over-blended. Stop blending as soon as the soup is creamy; and avoid blending longer than 1 minute. Be careful when blending hot soups—avoid overfilling the blender (work in batches if needed); and ensure there's a way for steam to escape (the lid for high speed blenders usually has this built in). If you have an immersion blender, you can use that instead.
- Serving suggestions: This soup can be enjoyed hot or chilled. It is delicious served with bread on the side!
Nutrition
Calories: 303kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Sodium: 1392mg | Potassium: 747mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 2382IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 4mg
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