First off, what the heck is a leek?
Leeks are members of the onion family- they look like oversized scallions. You’ll mostly find them in stocks and stews because of their light flavor and robustness- which is why they’re a key ingredient to this vegan potato leek soup recipe!
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t eat the entire leek- just the white and vey light green portions. The darkest part of the stem is much too fibrous to eat and does not cook down like the rest of the leek does.
Stop! Think before you throw away those potato peels!
I live in a no-waste kitchen, so I either use or compost all of my food scraps. One way I’ve found to use potato peels is to roast them in the oven and serve them to accompany my potato leek soup. Simply wash and dry your potato peels, place them on a baking sheet, and season with 1 tbsp. olive oil, salt, pepper, and (if you’re feeling adventurous) a couple shakes of Trader Joe’s Everything But the Bagel Seasoning. Roast them in the oven at 400 degrees F for forty minutes, stirring halfway. They’re crunchy, light, and a great way to reduce your kitchen waste!
Substitutions in this recipe:
There’s not a lot of substitutions you can make with this recipe, mostly because the ingredients are very much central to the flavor and texture of the finished product. When my mom used to make potato leek soup, she used whole milk and a little splash of half-and-half for creaminess. I’ve also heard that coconut milk can be used, but I prefer less of a strong coconut undercurrent so I go with a more basic almond milk.
I use yellow potatoes for this recipe, but russets can also be used for a little heartier flavor.
How to properly clean and cut a leek for this recipe:
Since they’re a root veggie, leeks can accumulate a lot of dirt within their folds. In order to assure that the leeks are properly clean, chop off the stem & slice them down the middle. Rinse layers thoroughly under cold water to ensure that there isn’t any dirt left in the nooks & crannies of the leek. Once clean, slice into small pieces, working your way from the white part of the stem to about halfway up the green portion.
Vegan Potato Leek Soup
Ingredients
Instructions
Add onion, garlic, and oil to medium-sized stock pot. Cook on medium heat for 3-4 minutes until onions begin to soften.
Add leeks (washed and peeled as shown above) to stock pot. Cook for additional 5 minutes until fragrant.
Add potatoes, thyme, rosemary, and stock to pot. Cover and simmer on medium heat for fifteen minutes, or until potatoes are completely soft.
Once potatoes are soft, add plant milk to the stock pot. Cover and simmer for another 3-4 minutes.
If you’re fortunate enough to own an immersion blender, this is where you’ll want to pull it out. Blend ingredients until fully incorporated. If you don’t own an immersion blender, you can pour batches of this mixture into your blender by ladling in both the u0022chunky stuffu0022 and the broth into your blender. Once blended completely, pour into a separate pot on the stove and simmer. for 3 minutes
Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm into your favorite soup mug. Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for 3-4 days.