Herbed Vegan Potato Leek Soup Recipe
I'm one of those people who will eat soup all year round. Rain or shine. But there is just something a little extra special about a hot bowl of soup--enter vegan potato leek soup--on a blistering cold day!
Ingredients
- 18 garlic cloves peeled
- 3 cup fresh cilantro leaves packed and heaping cup. Include some stems for bolder flavor
- Private Reserve Greek extra virgin olive oil
- 9 leeks well-cleaned (white and light green parts only, discard tough parts), chopped
- 6 lb Yukon gold potatoes or russet potatoes peeled, cut into 1 ½-inch pieces
- 3 tsp ground cumin
- 3 tsp sweet paprika
- Salt and pepper
- 18 cup vegetable broth Low sodium if possible
- 6 dried bay leaves
- Lemon wedges to serve
Instructions
- In a small food processor, blend garlic cloves and fresh cilantro until finely ground into a paste.
- In a large heavy cooking pot, heat 3 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add the garlic and cilantro mixture and the chopped leeks. Cook, tossing regularly, until leeks are tender.
- Add potatoes, spices, and a generous dash of salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
- Add bay leaves and vegetable broth.
- Bring to a boil for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and let simmer another 15 minutes or so until the potatoes are tender and fully cooked.
- Turn off heat. Fish the bay leaves out. Using an immersion blender, blend the potato leek to your liking (I like to leave some chunks, others like it fully blended to a smooth and creamy consistency).
- Place the pot back on stove to heat the soup through over medium heat, stirring. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Transfer soup to serving bowls. Add a generous drizzle of good olive oil. Serve with lemon wedges (a splash of fresh lemon juice is a great addition). Enjoy with your favorite crusty bread.
Notes
- No Cilantro Version. If you do not love cilantro, you can still make an herbed version of this potato leek soup. Make a garlic paste from fresh garlic and follow the recipe exactly as written. At the very end, toss in about ½ cup finely chopped fresh parsley leaves and ¼ cup chopped fresh mint leaves for that added herby flavor.
- Recommended for this recipe: Our Private Reserve Greek extra virgin olive oil (from organically grown and processed Koroneiki olives). And from our all-natural and organic spice collections: ground cumin and Spanish Paprika