stew

,

Vegan Potato Leek Soup

,
Vegan Potato Leek Soup

Maybe you have noticed if you have ever scanned our soup category that I lean more towards thick creamy soups or stews.

I have nothing against a brothy soups, I just like my soup to have a little more bite. I need it to fill me up and not have me looking for a second dinner 30 minutes later!

I have loved potato soup for as long as I can remember! It wasn’t until I was a teenager that a family friend taught me how to easily clean leeks. Up until that point I just didn’t add them to potato soup or anything else because they were a sandy, dirty, hassle. Soak them in cold water and all the dirt and sand falls to the bottom of the bowl!! GENIUS!

Now I wouldn’t dream of making potato soup without leeks.

A lot of people only use the white part of the leek in soup recipes, but I use the WHOLE thing! Even though it gives my soup a green tent, who cares! Leeks have so many health benefits, so I say, use the whole dang thing!

This vegan Potato Leek Soup is one of my all time favorite soups, and it so easy to make! This soup is super healthy and very filling, making it the perfect easy comfort food any time you have a carving!

INGREDIENTS:

  • 6 medium russet potatoes, peeled and diced

  • 3 medium leeks

  • 8 cups water, divided

  • 1 teaspoon Vegetable Better Than Bouillon

  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic

  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

  • 1/2 cup unsalted cashews

  • 2 teaspoons dreid thyme

  • 1-2 teaspoons salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

  • 2 bay leaves

Vegan Potato Leek Soup on a spoon

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Place cashews in a microwave safe container, covered with water. Microwave for 3 minutes. If you do not have microwave you soak the cashews in hot water for a few hours or even bring them to a boil in a small pot for a few minutes. Drain cashews once soft and set aside.

  2. Leeks are pretty hard to get clean, but I have a trick to help you clean them! Fill a large bowl with cold water. Dice the dirty leeks into rings, greens included, and drop them in the bowl of cold water . Let them float in the cold water for a few minutes, swooshing them around with your hands a few times, and the dirt and sand will fall to the bottom of the bowl. And just like that, you have clean leeks!

  3. Heat a large pot over medium heat, adding a few teaspoons of oil or vegan butter to the bottom of the pan ( you can omit the oil if you are oil free) along with a teaspoon of Better than Bouillon. Add the leeks to pot and let them cook until they become soft. Leave the leeks in the pot and fill it with 6 cups of water. Allow the water to come to a boil then add the potatoes. Let the potatoes cook unit they are soft and can be pierced with a fork. Turn the heat off on the stove.

  4. Once the potatoes are soft, use a slotted spoon to scoop out the potatoes and leeks from the pot and transfer them to a blender or food processor, along with a few cups of the boiling liquid. Blend unit the potatoes and leeks are fairly smooth, I often just pulse mine because I still like some chucks of potatoes in my soup. Just blend until you reach your desired consistency. Return the mixture back to the pot with the remaining boiling liquid.

  5. Add the soaked cashews along with 2 cups of water, garlic, thyme, salt, pepper, and nutritional yeast to a blender or food processor. Blend unit completely smooth. Pour the mixture into the pot with the potatoes and stir well. Turn the stove back on to medium/ low heat and add in the bay leaves. Let the soup simmer, stirring occasionally for 20-20 minutes.Remove the bay leaves before serving.

  6. Garnish with basil or more thyme and serve.

If you like this recipe, try these:

Vegan Potato Leek Soup
,

Hearty Vegan Vegetable "Beef" Stew

,
Vegan Hearty “Beef” Stew

Our oldest daughter was the biggest meat eater in our family before we went vegan. I would venture to say the transition to vegetarian and then vegan might have been hardest for her. She loved LOVED beef stew and I could always assume if asking her what she would like for dinner she was going to request beef stew or meatballs.

So once we went vegan I knew beef stew was one of the meals she missed the most. I have tried this recipe without a meat substitute, and like it just fine myself, but she still prefers a fake meat.

You can make your own vegan beef tips by following the instructions in my Vegan Beef Bourguignon but that is a little extra work (yet totally worth it if you have the time) , or use store bought vegan “beef” tips, if you are looking for quick and easy. The last brand I bought was so convincing that I was a little freaked out at how “beefy” it was.

I could have fooled just about anyone with our last batch. I actually dug the package out of the trash just to double check that I wasn’t losing my mind and to make sure I had not grabbed the wrong thing at the store.

So if beef stew was a pre-vegan favorite of yours, then you gotta try this recipe. If you don’t care for fake meats, then go ahead and leave it out. I promise it is just as good. I happen to prefer it that way as well. Either way, this stew deliciously satisfying vegan comfort food and perfect for warming you up in the fall and winter months.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 red onion, diced

  • 4 stalks celery, diced

  • 2 cups carrots, diced

  • 2 cups red potatoes, diced

  • 1 cup frozen green peas

  • 1 cup button mushrooms, diced

  • 1 bag frozen vegan “beef” tips or, homemade vegan beef tips

  • 5 cups vegetable or mushroom broth

  • 1 cup red wine, like merlot

  • 2 teaspoons Vegetable Better Than Bouillon

  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic

  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme

  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

  • 1 teaspoon all purpose seasoning, I like Trader Joe’s 21 season salute

  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste

  • Salt to taste ( the Better than Bouillon and all purpose seasoning are pretty salty, so add salt to your liking)

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. You will need a large dutch oven or a pot that is oven safe.

  2. Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in the pot over medium heat on the stove top. Add the onions, celery, mushrooms, carrots, and garlic and sauté until the onions are translucent. Add the potatoes, better than bouillon, tomato paste and wine. Stir well and let the wine simmer for a few minutes.

  3. preheat oven to 350 degrees, moving the top rack to the middle. You will need enough room for the pot to fit in oven

  4. Add the remaining ingredients to the pot, stirring well. Bring the stew to a boil. Once the stew has come to a boil, place the lid on the pot and transfer the soup carefully to the preheated oven.

  5. Allow the stew to cook in the oven for about half an hour. After half an hour remove the lid and give it a stir. Replace the lid but scoot it to the side a bit, where it is still on the pot but not fully covering it. Let stew cook for another 30 minutes.

  6. Carefully remove the stew from the oven and place back on the stove top or onto a heat safe trivet. Remove the lid fully and allow the stew to cool just a bit before serving.

If you like this recipe, try these:

Vegan “Chicken” Southwestern Soup

The Best Vegan Chili

Loaded Vegan Baked Potato Soup

Vegan Hearty “Beef” Stew

Hearty vegan beef stew