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Potato Leek Soup

6/2/2013

44 Comments

 

Potato Leek Soup

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I have been insanely busy this week. I picked up a waitressing job for the summer at a very busy seafood-selling, on-the-ocean location. I'm not complaining- I like both ocean views and big tippers very much, but I have been missing spending time in the kitchen. And on weeks like this, when I don't have a lot of time (or a lot of money until payday), we always make Potato Leek Soup. It is a recipe so cheap and easy to make it should be on any college kids repertoire. Its my favorite recipe when I'm short on time and money.
It is so simple. You're gonna love it.
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This recipe is loosely based on Julia Child's original recipe for Cream of Leek and Potato soup. I've been reading her biography, Dearie, and have become a little obsessed. I can even do a pretty good warbly-voiced impersonation. 
The woman was a master and she was right to pair these two delicious vegetables together. When blended they make a giant bowl of creamy, mashed potato-like soup with just enough salt to bring out the flavor of the potatoes. 
I love making this soup in large batches for family events or just to keep in the fridge and reheat as leftovers. 
As Julia would say, only 5 ingredients to make this soup 'positively delectable!'
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Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegan butter or oil
4 cups potatoes, roughly chopped
4 cups leeks, sliced and chopped
6 cups water
2 teaspoons sea salt
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Directions:
First wash your veggies well. Cut the dark green ends and the roots off of the leeks. [Compost 'em or save the bottoms to re-plant and grow your own leeks!] 
Slice the leeks lengthwise, then roughly chop them to break them up a little. 
Cut the potatoes into about 1/2 inch chunks. Set aside.
In a medium sized soup pot, melt the butter until it is warm and has coated the bottom of the pan. Add chopped leeks and cook about 6-10 minutes, until softened and slightly glassy. Add the chopped potatoes, cooking for about 10 more minutes on medium heat until the leeks are softened and the potatoes just slightly softened. [Don't overcook the leeks- if they turn brown they are burnt and taste a little funky in the soup.]
Add the 6 cups of water and 2 teaspoons of salt and let cook on low to medium heat for about 30 minutes, until the potatoes are soft and the soup starts smelling delicious. 
Using an immersion blender or a plain old blender like we do, blend the soup in batches until it is creamy and uniform in texture. You can leave some un-blended if you'd like some chunks in your soup.
Serve with crusty bread and top with a little fresh parsley, if desired.
Enjoy!

Tips:
*If you don't have enough leeks, you can sub up to half of the leeks for onions. It will mildly change the flavor but is still quite good!
*You can sub in vegetable broth for the water in this recipe but it give the soup a slightly darker tint. If you do use vegetable broth, omit the additional salt.
*I prefer using unpeeled potatoes because it preserves the nutrients and frankly, I'm too lazy to peel the potatoes. If you want a shimmery white soup, go ahead and peel 'em.
*This soup is wildly versatile; try adding in other veggies if you like (I like adding carrots and celery) or other spices. A bit of smoked paprika really takes this soup to the next level.
Print recipe
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44 Comments
Crista link
6/2/2013 12:36:40 am

i can not wait to try this recipe!! xoxo

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Ashley
6/13/2013 02:37:52 am

I love your recipes! They are all simple to make, affordable, and delicious! thx :)

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Amber link
6/19/2013 09:53:23 pm

Thank YOU! I'm happy to share :)

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Tanya
9/14/2014 10:06:46 am

Yumm trying this tomorrow. Thanks

Chi
6/23/2013 01:46:18 pm

Thanks for such a wonderful, simple recipe. You inspire me to cook quality, healthy food for my family. :)

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Amber link
6/26/2013 01:55:05 am

Thank you for your kind words! We're happy to share recipes and hope you continue to enjoy them!

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Molly
9/12/2013 12:44:38 am

This recipe is so simple, easy, and is totally bowl-licking delicious! I've shared your site and can't say enough about how awesome this soup is!!

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Shelbi
9/19/2013 05:55:33 pm

Sounds delicious! Would it still be good if I left out the vegan butter or oils ?

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Amber link
9/23/2013 12:17:31 am

Hi Shelbi! The oil/ butter here is used to help brown and break down the leeks. If you prefer a substitution of a different oil (coconut, avocado) for health reasons thats do-able. If you omit the fat completely, take care cooking the leeks in a non-stick pan. They won't break down the same so be sure to cover the pan so the steam can healp soften them up. Just be sure to stir them frequently so they don't burn. Also, you may want to sub in vegetable broth for water to add some flavor. Enjoy!

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eco friendly bowls link
10/14/2013 03:41:41 pm

Very different but delicious soup very nice blog good work keep sharing.

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Gail
10/24/2013 11:08:55 pm

Have you made this soup adding a nut milk to make it a creamy soup?

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Amber link
10/29/2013 12:40:49 pm

Hi Gail! I don't know if you've tried the recipe, but its a pretty creamy soup as it is. The potatoes make it a very viscous, thick, soup, and blending it helps to make it a uniform, creamy texture. I have not tried adding nut milk, but I'm sure it would be fine. It would probably be a VERY heavy soup to eat then however.

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Jeannie
11/22/2013 08:26:22 pm

I made half this recipe last night & added 8 oz of shitake mushrooms ( I had them on hand & had to do something with them). Man, was this one DELICIOUS bowl of soup!! DH & I ate all but 2 bowls!! I'm so happy we each have a bowl left for lunch today!!! The next time I'll make the whole recipe :)!!! Thank you :)

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Amber link
11/24/2013 10:18:13 pm

YUM that is a tweak I'm going to have to try! I'm betting it was like a super creamy mushroom soup. Delish! Thanks for sharing!!

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Francois link
12/4/2013 10:21:20 pm

Eating this soup right now. Very creamy and delicious, impressive for two ingredients and some water.

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Jean
12/26/2013 02:17:15 pm

love the potato leek soup so yummy to my tummy!

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jucitron link
12/29/2013 12:28:42 am

i like the design of your blog

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Sarah
12/30/2013 09:53:19 am

We made this tonight! Awesome flavor and so simple!

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Maria link
2/5/2014 02:13:22 am

Thank you so much for the recipe! I made it on a very wet and cold February day and it was just perfect! =)

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Tera
3/4/2014 06:02:15 am

I made this last night for my 12 y/o son and I, we both loooved it, it was wonderful and SO simple--this is going down as one of my favorite staple meals from now on. Thank you so much!

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Courtney
3/9/2014 06:22:57 am

Amber, this soup is amazing & so simple. I've made it so many times, and is the perfect quick meal for guests. It ALWAYS gets "oohs & ahhhs" & "this is so good!" My favorite garnish is a sprinkling of Herbs De Provence on top- looks elegant & tastes so delicious!! Thank you!!

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Autumn
3/11/2014 10:26:01 am

I swapped half the potatoes for sweet potatoes...delicious!

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Alexandra
3/18/2014 09:48:14 am

This soup is simply awesome. I use the South African Smoke Seasoning Blend from Trader Joe's. It was better than chicken soup when I had the flu (not that I remember what chicken soup tastes like since I've been vegetarian since 1975).

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Ash
4/6/2014 06:06:50 am

Can you use vegetable broth instead of water? I make my own and was just wondering if you ever tried it.

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Ash
4/6/2014 06:25:55 am

Nevermind I read the entire thing lol

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Denise Walker
5/3/2014 07:18:34 am

How many does this serve?

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Amber link
5/4/2014 04:56:22 am

I would say about 6-8 sevings. Enjoy!

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Coulinjo
6/6/2014 08:10:29 pm

This soup was a good base, but a bit bland with no flavouring apart from salt. Onions, garlic and rosemary plus using stock made it incredible but then it was the recipe from the Supersize Me wife's book. With salad and crusty bread, it was amazingly good. As an aside, how do you go working in a seafood restaurant, being vegan?

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Amber link
6/7/2014 03:49:18 am

Sorry you didn't love it, I think the simpleness of the soup is what makes it one of my favorites, actually. Luckily, I don't work at the seafood restaurant anymore, it was a summer job. It wasn't always easy being around the smells & sights of pre- & post-cooked seafood but I try not to judge other people's food preferences in the hopes that those feeling are reciprocated towards me. I hate when people give me a hard time for being a vegan! Happy to be outta there, though.

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Jessica
6/21/2014 02:11:44 pm

I made this just before and it was divine!! Such a fantastic experience to make something so lovely with so few ingredients; I'm really happy I found your blog!

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Mary
7/30/2014 05:59:14 am

Sorry, I could only taste the red peelings. Moving on to a recipe with more leeks and less potatoes.

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Car
8/14/2014 03:45:47 am

I'm making this soup today for the 2nd time. I LOVED it the first time. I changed the recipe slightly - I used white potatoes instead of red and added an onion. This is a simple, easy, and cheap recipe to make. Thank you!

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Dais
8/25/2014 01:15:31 pm

This soup is just wonderful. What else to say?

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Katie
9/23/2014 11:31:11 am

I made this tonight for my husband and I - what a delicious soup! It is so creamy, warm, and comforting; perfect for Fall. Both of us were very happy with how it turned out. I made mine with vegetable broth. Delish! Thanks so much for sharing xo

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Beth K-W link
9/26/2014 11:31:04 am

I made this and loved it!! I did put just a few tablespoons of coconut milk since I had them left in a can that I hadn't used yet. It was simply heavenly and so creamy and delicious!! Thanks for the recipe; I shared it with my friends as well and might start making it in the kitchen of the dining hall where I work!

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Olivia
10/3/2014 09:40:48 am

Added smoked paprika - so good. Freezing leftovers to heat up when it gets cold!

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Rachel
11/15/2014 03:16:31 am

I made this for lunch and froze the left overs for later this week. I loved it!!!

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Jan
11/24/2014 04:03:54 am

I made this for lunch today and enjoyed it. I added the smoked paprika to my serving and it really gave the soup a completely different taste.

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Jan
11/24/2014 04:06:07 am

Also, I used peeled Russet potatoes, as that was all I had.

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Cathy
11/30/2014 09:27:11 am

That. Was. THE. BOMB! I pretty much followed the recipe to the T except in stead of 6 cups of water - I put in 5 cups of water with 1 cup veg broth. Came out sooooo creamy and filling! Also put in like two pinches of paprika and pepper. I also like to keep my soup a little chunky so I didn't over blend.

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Dawn
1/8/2015 11:35:47 am

wow this was so bomb! I added maybe like 1/4 cup of almond milk and half of a yellow onion and it's so delicious! It's recipes like this that make you truly appreciate the simple deliciousness of vegetables (:

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Jenn H.
2/19/2015 07:47:09 am

Love this soup! I just had a quick question: When freezing this soup, I've found it to thaw out in a less than appealing way. The taste is still excellent, but the texture is a little off. I've tried using different potatoes, broth, etc. and find the same always happens. Do you think it is the leeks that aren't freezing/thawing well? Do you have any suggestions? Thanks for a delicious recipe!

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Amber St. Peter
2/22/2015 05:08:31 am

Hi Jenn!! I think it is the leeks. Recently we tried making the soup with frozen leeks and did NOT like the taste or texture- it just seemed off! Perhaps make the soup without leeks and add fresh as needed? Or you could try subbing onions or shallots for leeks, they freeze much better. Hope that helps!

Reply
Jessi
7/11/2015 06:56:10 pm

Just made this for my husband and our friends everyone loves it! Best of all its vegan

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