Make creamy Vegan Potato Leek Soup in the Instant Pot or on the stovetop. Either way, this recipe is super simple to make, and you are going to love it!
Doesn't potato leek soup sound fancy? I think it sounds incredibly fancy, so you can imagine my surprise when a friend and I made a pot of vegan potato leek soup, and I realized it was incredibly easy to make.
Like, wow. Easy.
I also realized this was a soup recipe that was begging to be adapted for the Instant Pot. So here we are! (But don't worry -- I have stovetop instructions for you, too.)
Related: My Family's Favorite Vegan Instant Pot Recipes
A Note About Preparing the Leeks
Leeks are what bring the fancy to this recipe, and it is crucial that you prep them properly. It's not hard to do this. You just have to do it.
Leeks are part of the onion family, and like many other onions, they contain layers. Because the grow underground and don't have an outer peel to remove, those layers get full of grit.
Y'all: you do not want any gritty bites of soup! Potato leek soup should be velvety smooth.
Here's the best way I've found to clean the grit out of leeks:
- Slice the leeks into rounds.
- Each round will be made up of smaller, concentric rounds. Separate them out, and put them all into a big bowl of water. You'll feel some of the grit with your fingers as you do this.
- Get in there with clean hands and agitate the rounds to dislodge all of the grit you can.
- Pour the leeks into a colander, and give them another rinse to get off any stubborn dirt.
Once you prep the leeks, it's soup time!
Making the Cashew Cream
Traditional potato leek soup uses heavy cream to get a really rich result. You could use vegan creamer to achieve similar results, but I prefer using cashew cream in situations like this.
Cashew cream is super easy to make and has a very mild flavor. Perfect for adding creaminess to this soup!
Start by soaking your cashews in hot water for 10-15 minutes. Drain the soaked cashews, and then puree them with a little bit of fresh water until you have a completely smooth mixture.
You don't need a high speed blender to make cashew cream, but it certainly helps. In a high speed blender, you can blend for 1 minute and generally get the smooth results you want.
In a regular blender, you just need a bit of patience. Just blend in cycles no longer than 1 minute each, letting the blender's motor rest between cycles. You don't want to burn out your blender! Trust me, I've done this, and it stinks.
Vegan Potato Leek Soup in the Instant Pot or on the Stove
To make this soup in the Instant Pot (or any other electric pressure cooker), you truly just dump all of the ingredients except for the cashew cream into the pot. Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes, and do a 10-minute natural release.
Now, it's time to puree the soup. You have two options here:
- Allow the soup to cool, and puree in an upright blender.
- Puree it right in the pot with an immersion blender.
I prefer to use an immersion blender, because then I don't usually need to warm the soup back up. Plus, transferring soup to a blender is messy and takes more time.
But if you aren't looking to add another gadget to your kitchen, I totally get it. You do you!
After that, stir in the cashew cream, and it's time to eat!
On the stovetop, you add the same ingredients to the pot. Bring everything to a boil, stirring to dissolve the broth cubes. Then, reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, until the potatoes are tender.
Just like with the Instant Pot version, you puree the cooked potato mixture, add the cashew cream, and serve.
How to Store and Reheat
Any leftover soup will keep for 3-4 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
You can reheat in the microwave or transfer to a small pot and warm on high heat, stirring constantly, until the soup is heated through.
Vegan Potato Leek Soup
Ingredients
For the Cashew Cream
- 1 cup cashews - (see note)
- 1/2 cup water
For the Potato Leek Soup
- 4 cups water
- 4 Not Chick'n Broth Cubes
- 4 cups cubed yellow potatoes - 1" cubes
- 2 leeks sliced into 1/2" pieces - white part only (see note)
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves - discard the stems, plus extra for garnish
Instructions
Make the Cashew Cream
- Soak the cashews for 10-15 minutes in enough hot water to cover, then drain them. (See note on soaking times)
- Add the cashews to a blender with the 1/2 cup of water. Puree until completely smooth, then set the cashew cream aside while you prepare the rest of the soup.
Make the Potato Leek Soup in the Instant Pot
- Combine all of the remaining ingredients in your Instant Pot. Cook at high pressure for 5 minutes, then do a 10-minute natural release.
- After the cooking time is done, use an immersion blender to puree the soup (see note) until it's completely smooth, then stir in the cashew cream. Serve hot with a few thyme sprigs for garnish.
Make the Potato Leek Soup on the Stove
- Combine all of the remaining ingredients in a soup pot on the stovetop. Bring the ingredients to a boil, stirring to dissolve the broth cubes in the water. Then, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- After the cooking time is done, use an immersion blender to puree the soup (see note) until it's completely smooth, then stir in the cashew cream. Serve hot with a few thyme sprigs for garnish.
Equipment
Video
Notes
- adapted from Food Network
- About the Cashews: You can use raw OR roasted cashews for this recipe. If you are using roasted cashews, soak for 15 minutes. Raw cashews can soak for just 10 minutes.
- About the Leeks: Be sure that you thoroughly clean your leeks! After you slice them, separate the rounds into a bowl of water to clean them. Transfer the cleaned pieces from the bowl to your colander, and rinse again. Leeks hold a lot of sandy grit, and you don't want any of it in your soup.
- To Puree the Soup Without an Immersion Blender: If you don't have an immersion blender, you can puree the soup in batches in an upright blender. Just allow the soup to cool a bit before blending, then warm it back up on medium heat after you transfer it back to the pot.
Rich Prior
Becky, I made this potato leek soup last night(stovetop) and it turned out delicious. I added some steamed broccoli pieces and a few croutons on top. It is ultra creamy and delirious!! Thanksl.
Becky Striepe
I'm so glad to hear it, Rich! Adding broccoli and croutons is a great idea. I'll have to do that next time I make it!