Creamy Vegan Potato Leek Soup
Author - Alyssa Rimmer
Creamy and healthy Vegan Potato Leek Soup. Made with just 10 ingredients, this soup is packed with flavor, super creamy without using any butter or milk.
Talk about the ultimate comfort food! Creamy potato soup is probably in my top three – it's so cozy, it's full of yummy carbs and when it's silky smooth, it just totally hits the spot.
I used to love potato soup growing up, but since moving to New York, I haven't made a batch. I had a hankering the other week so I decided to whip up my own vegan potato leek soup. It kind of reminds me of a soup that my dad used to make growing up, just without all the butter, milk and cheese.
This soup is thick and creamy, but also completely dairy-free!
How to make Creamy Vegan Soups
If you're making a traditional creamy soup the base is full-fat cream which helps give the soup that thick, creamy texture. But when you're dairy-free, there really isn't a great alternative.
Most non-dairy or plant milks are fairly watery so you won't get that same texture. The only one that really works is full-fat coconut milk, but then you're stuck with that coconut flavor which sometimes you just don't want (like with a vegan potato leek soup).
Well, friends, I have a solution: RAW CASHEWS!
I know it might sound strange, but when blended up, raw cashews can mimic full-fat cream almost exactly. And best of all? They're pretty much flavorless!
Our Ultimate Vegan Potato Leek Soup
So that's what we're going to do with this recipe!
We're using raw cashews at the tail end of cooking and then blending up the soup in a blender to get it perfectly smooth. The end result is almost exactly like classic potato leek soup, but instead, it's vegan!
What about if you're nut-free? I know there will be some people who are allergic to cashews, so my recommendation would to add an extra cup of potatoes. You won't get quite the same creaminess, but as long as you've got a high powered blender, you'll still get a silky smooth potato leek soup!
And yes, this truly is the perfect comfort food. Serve it up with some chopped rosemary on top, a little toast on the side and you've got the ultimate winter meal on the table. Oh – it also freezes well so it's great for meal prep too!
More Creamy Vegan Soup Recipes:
- Creamy Chili Roasted Pumpkin Soup
- Super Healthy Green Detox Soup
- Curried Cauliflower & Squash Soup
- Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Quinoa Soup
Vegan Potato Leek Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves , minced
- 4 leeks , cleaned & thinly sliced
- 3 cups cubed white potato , about 2 - 3 medium russet potatoes
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt & pepper
- 4 cups vegetable broth (low sodium if desired)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- Fresh rosemary to garnish
Instructions
- Heat the oil in large saucepan or dutch oven. Add garlic and leeks and saute until the leeks start to soften, about 4 minutes.
- Add the potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Saute another 2 minutes.
- Add broth and bay leaves and stir to combine. Bring the soup to a boil, then turn down to simmer and cook until potatoes are just tender, about 15 - 20 minutes. Stir in cashews and cook another minute.
- Transfer the contents of the soup into a blender. Blend on high until smooth and creamy. Pour into bowls and garnish with chopped rosemary.
Nutrition
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This is the second time I’ve made this recipe. Love it! I soak the cashews 15 min in water I’ve boiled . Then I add some of the potatoes and broth to the drained cashews to blend them add it all to the soup to blend again
Yay so glad!
This soup unfortunately did not come out right when I made it. The texture was gummy and rather thick. My potatoes may have been too large for the rest of the soup. I have added nutritional yeast to the soup and hope to use it as a cheese sauce for another recipe tomorrow!
It might also be the cooking time of the potatoes and/or the type of potatoes used! I have overcooked this before and it comes out super gummy. I think cooking just until the potatoes are fork tender is the way to go!
Was looking for a dairy free version and discovered this one. I’m not vegan so used chicken stock. The only things I would change would be to add the cashews along with the potatoes to allow them to soften a bit more (other recipes I’ve used give them a soak) and an increase in the amount of leeks (at least 4 cups sliced). Otherwise it was a lovely soup for a dairy free friend.
Love those additions!
Hi , I just reading your blog it’s very interesting and healthy recipes I am interested to cook some of them , my daughter change her diet to be vegan 3 months ago because of her health she is 27 years old and she has arthritis rheumatoid and we really believe one day she will be completely cure from this disease, if she eat healthy food and gluten free. Thanks for your recipes
Keep us posted on how you enjoy everything!
[…] Creamy Vegan Potato Leek Soup […]
Leek and potato soup is green.
Not the ones I’ve typically seen 🙂 Usually it’s white when I see it!
Sunflower seeds can make a nice cashew sub, though they don’t get quite as smooth. They add a bit more of their own flavour but it adds a nice umami touch to a lot of dishes. Nut-free folks should consider experimenting with them.
Amazing thank you so much! I”ll have to give that a try 🙂
Hi- love all your recipes. Are you supposed to remove the dried bay leaf before your purée? Thank you.
Yes! 🙂 thank you! Updating now!