Creamy Vegan Potato Leek Soup with White Beans - The Simple Green (2024)

A creamy vegan-friendly take on this traditional and well-loved soup. This vegan potato leek soup is an easy to prepare dish featuring creamy white beans. Serve with fresh parsley, a handful of spinach or chopped kale and freshly cracked black pepper, this soup is perfect for chilly weather.

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Leek Potato Soup: A Classic Recipe

This classic soup recipe originates from Wales, and is traditionally made with potatoes, leeks, chicken broth and heavy cream. There is another variation called Vichyssoise which is a cold leek potato soup invented in 1917 America and named after the French town, Vichy.

This version is made creamy without the use of dairy and is made flavorful with vegetable stock and nutritional yeast.

Why you will love this version

There is a lot to love about this vegan potato leek soup recipe. In a nutshell, this recipe is:

• Dairy-free
• Gluten-free
• Made with plant-based protein
• Full of flavour
• Hearty, cozy and comforting
• Easy to make

A simple recipe with a simple upgrade

This is a simple recipe made with ingredients you likely have in your pantry. This vegan potato leek soup also comes together with little fuss. This recipe contains plant- based protein with the addition of white beans.

My preference is to also in a handful of fresh parsley, spinach, or finely chopped kale for that pop of green and added flavour.

Abundant and Flavorful Leeks

Leeks are a hardy winter vegetable grown year round. These alliums are milder in flavour compared to white or yellow onions, and are widely available at local markets or grocers throughout the fall and winter months. I grow leeks in my garden starting in early February and I pull the very last one the following year; they are truly hardy.

Leeks pair well with a variety of vegetables (root vegetables, mushrooms and tubers) and can be used in many different dishes, primarily stews and soups. Leeks are traditionally used in creamy, dairy based dishes with cheese or milk, however, they can easily be used with non-dairy alternatives, like this vegan potato leek soup.

White Beans for Creaminess

The addition of white beans (cannellini beans) makes this soup creamy without dairy and adds plant-based protein. They blend into this soup seamlessly.

What you will need

The ingredient list if fairly simple, however, you may or may not have nutritional yeast on hand (this is the most "exotic" ingredient. Nevertheless, nutritional yeast is readily available at most grocery stores. You will need:

• olive oil
• small white onion
• leeks
• garlic
• yukon gold or nugget potatoes
• low sodium vegetable broth (gluten-free, if necessary)
• cooked cannellini beans (canned or from scratch)
• nutritional yeast
• sea salt & pepper to taste
• Fresh chopped parsley, spinach or kale for serving

In terms of special equipment, an immersion blender is going to be helpful for this recipe.

How to make this recipe

This recipe comes together in one pot. To get a creamy texture, I use an immersion blender. This recipe takes roughly 50 minutes to make from start to finish. Details on the instructions are below, however, here is a quick synopsis.

First, prep the vegetables, then add the onion, leeks and garlic to a large pot with some heated oil. The leeks, onion and garlic need to cook for about 5 minutes. The potatoes go in next, along with the white beans and vegetable stock. Then the soup simmers for 25-30 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.

Next, the nutritional yeast goes in, along with salt and pepper. The soup is lightly blended with an immersion blender to the desired consistency. It is ready to serve with fresh bread and topped with whatever leafy green vegetable you may like.

Tips to make this recipe perfect

• Leeks are grown in gritty well draining soil. As such, it's a good idea to wash the leeks in a sieve after chopping them to make sure all the grit is removed.
• When prepping the leeks, you want to use only the white and light green parts; the darker green leaves are woody and not appetizing. Compost the leaves!
• Make sure you scrub the potatoes well to remove any dirt or grit.
• Nutritional yeast is optional, but it really makes this recipe super flavorful.
• Puree the soup to your desired consistency; silky smooth, or slightly chunky.
• Serve this recipe with any of the following garnishes: fresh chopped kale, spinach, parsley, fresh dill fronds, croutons (gluten free if necessary) or fresh cracked pepper.

Storage

This recipe will last in the fridge covered for 2-3 days. Moreover, I have also frozen it in a freezer-safe container for up to three months; just make sure it is cool before storing it. To serve it from frozen, defrost it in the fridge and reheat on the stove until heated thoroughly.

More Recipes Like This

If you love my creamy vegan potato leek soup, you may also enjoy these recipes:

Winter vegetable soup with chickpeas and wild rice

Creamy Vegan Sweet potato and red lentil soup

You can also serve this recipe is a good slice of bread. Some of my favorite bread recipes can be found below!

No Knead Maple Oat Spelt Bread

No Knead Garlic Fougasse Bread

Don't forget to tag me on social media and leave me a comment below if you've made this recipe. I love hearing from you!

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