Why I Love This Vegan Potato Leek Soup
This is one of my all-time favorites and my family loves it too. Vegan potato leek soup is both filling and delicious. As the weather cools and we crave something nourishing, this vegan potato leek soup delivers warmth + fiber + comfort on a plant-based diet.
You can have it any time and really there’s no need to serve anything else with it. But, if you like, you can add steamed broccoli or spinach and it takes it to a whole other plant-based level!
A Cozy Plant-Based Meal That’s Never Boring
Eating a mostly whole-food, plant-based diet doesn’t have to be boring or leave you hungry. The plant-based diet is about eating mostly plants and whole foods (consumed in their closest to original state.) However, that doesn’t mean a bowlful or pureed potatoes isn’t OK. In fact, it’s a bowlful of plant-based nutrients!
This vegan potato leek soup recipe is perfect when I want a hearty meat-free, dairy-free meal.
Cooking with Leeks (And a Little History!)
I never really cooked with leeks before even though my family loves onions (leeks are related.) The vegan potato leek soup recipe is one of my favorite ways to enjoy leeks. It’s also interesting that pureed potato soup is from France where heavy cream is added to the soup, but this recipe is fantastic and you won’t miss the cream, I promise! You can make it thicker using vegan heavy whipping cream or coconut cream.
Many decades ago, according to The New Yorker, the head chef at the Hotel Ritz-Carlton Louis Diat, created a non-vegan potato leek soup in 1917 that reminded him of his childhood in Montmarault, France. Apparently, Diat, as a child would add cold milk to the potato soup to help cool it off. Later as a chef, he recreated his version of potato leek soup with heavy cream; he called is creme vichyssoise glacee after Vichy (which is a city near his home town.) The recipe was later published in his cookbook, “Cooking a la Ritz.”
Is Vegan Potato Leek Soup Healthy?
This vegan potato leek soup is naturally low in fat and calories while rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Potatoes provide a good potassium and vitamin C source, while leeks contain antioxidants and prebiotic fiber that support gut health. Since it is dairy-free and plant-based, vegan potato leek soup is also suitable for those with lactose intolerance or dietary restrictions.
This Vegan Potato Leek Soup is naturally gluten-free, fiber-rich, and packed with nutrients from leeks, potatoes, and garlic. It’s a comforting, satisfying soup that supports gut health and keeps you full. Because it includes coconut milk and a bit of vegan cream, it’s a richer, creamier plant-based soup—perfect for cozy meals, especially in fall and winter.
More Plant-Based Soup Recipes You’ll Love
If you enjoyed this cozy soup, you might also like my Year-Round Christmas Lima Bean Soup and my Vegan Chilli Recipe
Vegan Potato Leek Soup Recipe
Equipment
- pot I love using Le Creuset cast iron enamel pots because they cook so evenly
- blender I like the VitaMix Stainless Steel Blender Container. I don't like blending hot soup in plastic containers. Tip: start to blend slowly increasing speed to only about half-way so that you don't get bubbly soup.
Ingredients
- 1-2 tbsp Olive Oil (Extra virgin)
- 1 tbsp Garlic (Minced (3 cloves))
- 4 Potatoes (Russet (peeled and cubed)
- 5 Leeks (Large)
- 2 Celery Stalks (Chopped)
- 1 can Coconut Milk (About 13 ounces)
- 1 cup Water (bottled)
- 1/2 cup Silk Heavy Whipping Cream (vegan) (Use more if you want it creamier but remember when you blend some of the soup it will get thicker. So use a little at a time.)
- 2 leaves Bay Leaves (Remove before blending soup)
- 1 tbsp Bragg Nutritional Yeast (Optional)
- Onion Powder, Thyme, Rosemary, Pepper (Seasonings to taste)
- Black Truffle Salt (Season to taste, only add salt to the individual bowl when serving — otherwise it could be too salty.)
- 1 tsp Violife Sour Cream (vegan) (Dollop on top of soup – Optional)
- Cilantro (Chopped – Optional)
- Red Chilli Flakes (Optional)
Instructions
- Sauté Olive Oil and Garlic
- Add celery and leeks briefly sauté
- Add 1 cup of water
- Add potatoes and bring to a boil
- Add seasonings and Bay Leaves
- Add 1 can of coconut milk
- Bring all ingredients to a boil and then let simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes, stir frequently
- Blend about 3/4 of the soup in blender or using an immersion blender
- Mix the pureed soup back into the original pot with the remaining soup. The soup should be thicker and have chunks of potato in it.
- Sprinkle Black Truffle Finishing Salt
- Top with cilantro, cheese and Red Chilli Flakes
