This creamy vegan leek and potato soup is packed with loads of flavor and takes only 40 minutes to make! It's a dairy-free version of the classic soup recipe, made with a savory blend of vegetables, cashews, and spices, simmered and then blended until silky-smooth.
Leek and potato soup is the ultimate winter warmer. It’s easy to prepare, full of hearty potatoes balanced by the fresh kick of leeks and spices. And this vegan potato leek soup is rich and oh-so-creamy, despite not using any dairy in the recipe. Instead, blended cashews do a wonderful job mimicking the creaminess that comes from cream in traditional recipes. This simple addition makes this soup so silky and comforting! I recommend serving a bowl of this soup on a cold evening, topped with some garlic and rosemary gluten-free croutons.
About This Creamy Vegan Leek & Potato Soup Recipe
- A classic, made vegan. If you love creamy soup recipes like leek and potato, tomato soup, and creamy mushroom and wild rice soup, you'll be pleased to know that these classic soup recipes are easy to make dairy-free and vegan.
- Rich, creamy, and comforting. This vegan potato leek soup is just as creamy as the original, made without dairy. It's warming and flavorful, the perfect way to warm up on a chilly day.
- One pot, 40 minutes. My favorite part about this soup recipe is how quick and simple it is to make. All you need is a single pot and less than an hour. Make a big pot of potato leek soup on a weeknight and enjoy the leftovers for lunch!
Ingredients You’ll Need to Make This Soup
This vegan leek and potato soup calls for only 6 main ingredients, plus a few simple seasonings. Here's a look at what you'll need. Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the page, as it has the exact quantities for all of the ingredients.
- Olive oil – Or your choice of cooking oil, for sautéeing.
- Garlic cloves – Freshly minced garlic is best. You could also use jarred garlic in a pinch (substitute 1 tablespoon of pre-minced garlic for each fresh clove).
- Leeks – Leeks look like jumbo-sized green onions, with a white base and long, leafy tops. Remember to clean your leeks! Dirt tends to build up between the leaves, so make sure to give them a good rinse, either before or after you chop them.
- Russet potatoes – Russets are a good all-purpose potato and my first choice for soups. They're starchy and creamy, but still hold their shape when cooked. Red potatoes or baby potatoes also work well here.
- Vegetable broth – Use low-sodium broth or stock if you're watching your salt intake.
- Herbs – I use fresh rosemary in addition to bay leaves. You can swap the rosemary with any herb you like, such as thyme or oregano.
- Cashews – Make sure the nuts are both raw and unseasoned. When simmered and blended, cashews have a similar richness to heavy cream (see cashew cream as an example).
How to Make Vegan Potato Leek Soup
This potato leek soup recipe packs plenty of complexity and flavor into a short, 40-minute cooking time! Follow the steps below.
- Sauté leeks and garlic. Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven, then add the leeks and garlic. Sauté until the leeks are tender, which will take about 4 minutes.
- Add the potatoes. Put the potatoes in the pot, and add the salt and pepper. Sauté for 2 more minutes.
- Add the broth. Pour the vegetable broth into the pot, and add the bay leaves. Stir to combine, and bring the soup to a boil. Lower the heat until the soup is simmering, and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Finish. Stir the cashews into the soup and cook for a minute, then pour the soup into a blender. Blend on high speed until the soup is completely smooth. Serve the soup, and garnish with rosemary.
Recipe Tips
- Wash the leeks. Leeks require more washing than the average vegetable, because they get a lot of dirt and grit in between their layers. Wash them thoroughly to make sure that your soup isn’t gritty at all.
- Use a good quality broth. This soup doesn’t have a lot of ingredients, so using a good-quality vegetable broth can make a huge difference. A great broth will take this soup to the next level. For an earthier flavor, you could try my homemade mushroom broth.
- Don’t overcook the cashews. You want to cook the cashews for a minute before blending the soup, but don’t cook them more than that. If you cook the cashews for too long, they’ll lose some of the flavor and texture that makes this soup so similar to the dairy versions.
Serving Suggestions
As-is, this creamy vegan potato leek soup is a wholesome, light meal. I love sprinkling homemade croutons on top along with a drizzle of cashew cream. For a spicy kick, I'll add some crushed chili flakes. Serve this soup with a side of popovers or an air fryer grilled cheese sandwich with vegan cheese.
How to Store Leftovers
- Refrigerate. You can keep this soup in the fridge for up to 4 days. Just make sure to store it in an airtight container.
- Reheat. Warm up leftover soup on the stovetop or in the microwave.
- Freeze. Store the soup in an airtight container and freeze it for up to 1 month. Defrost in the fridge or the microwave before reheating.
More Creamy Vegan Soup Recipes
Vegan Leek & Potato 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.
Notes
Nutrition
Loved this! I’m mostly vegan and my partner is not, so I appreciate finding recipes that we’ll both enjoy. The only thing I adjusted was not blending all of the potatoes and adding some whole pieces of potato to the blended soup. Souper happy w it!
Absolutely perfect in every way. Made it in the instant pot and it tasted like it had been simmering all day. Used Edward & sons “Not Beef” cube for the broth and added some broccoli stems I had hanging around in the fridge as well as lots of fresh dill. Perfectly creamy goodness.
So happy you enjoyed it!! Love the additions you made 🙂
Would I be able to use a can of coconut milk in place of some of the veggie broth and then use veggie broth to get to 4 cups?
Definitely! It will affect the flavor, but I think it would still be delicious 🙂
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
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!
Leek and potato soup is green.
Not the ones I’ve typically seen 🙂 Usually it’s white when I see it!
I think that may be when you leave the skin on the potatoes! Mine was a little green too
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!