Saturday, October 31, 2015

Creamy Potato Leek Soup: Warm and Soothing

Here is a recipe for a quick and easy homemade soup! 
Creamy Potato Leek is an all time healthy favorite. I use organic red potatoes, organic onions and organic leeks in this filling, satisfying, and soothing soup. It's a perfect choice for chilly nights. Serve it with a salad or an entree.


Easy potato leek soup

Would I make this soup for Thanksgiving? 
Why not? It's delicious, gluten free and vegan- 
If you are having guests, chances are that someone has special eating needs and can't eat this or that. This soup meets most allergy needs. ( GF, DF, Nut Free, egg free, vegan). It is a good standby,

I used a combination of leeks and onions in this recipe. Leeks add a rich flavor to the soup and make it taste extra special. However, leeks can also be pricy. So, if you want to cut down on the price ( and don't mind sacrificing a little of the flavor ) , you can just use an additional large onion to the recipe and skip the leek! If you are not ready to make it today- don't forget to pin it for later!

My recipes require very little prep

The recipe is easy to make and the prep is fast, calling for only a few main ingredients. I love recipes that make my life easier while at the same time providing healthy nutrients!  The onions, garlic, and leeks provide protective immune building antioxidants.A generous batch of this recipe usually allows for some leftovers to be frozen for another meal.

Additional Time Savers
  • Frozen leeks will work fine 
  • Frozen garlic cubes work fine ( I get mine in Freezer at Trader Joe's- Dorot Brand)
  • This soup freezes well, so you can freeze some for another meal.

Why I don't usually make this soup

I'm going to admit, I don't usually make this soup. I don't usually buy potatoes because I personally don't do well eating too many carbs in my diet.  I usually only buy potatoes when I'm cooking for company. However, my CSA grows beautiful organic red potatoes of which I am entitled to my share,  and I don't want to refuse them!

Instead, I surprised my husband with two delicious recipes to enjoy the wonderful potatoes. First, I prepared this delicious soup. Second, I made him really easy homemade potato chips ( Recipe in a few days)! Needless to say he was in heaven ( as he has no difficulty eating carbs and his weight) and he enjoyed every bite !

This vegan soup has no cream, but it is creamy

Just for the record, this is not a creamed soup although it is creamy. There is no added milk or cream. The creaminess comes from the potatoes as they begin to disintegrate while cooking. Finally, the immersion blender can be used to make it as creamy as you like. We like ours a little chunky, so I just use the immersion blender very quickly. If you truly love a milk based soup , you can swirl cream or a non dairy milk of your choice to the bowl before serving. As always all the ingredients in my recipes meet gluten free standards!

Author: Judee Algazi
Prep Time: 10-12 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

6 large organic red potatoes, scrubbed and chopped into bite size pieces ( no need to peel)
1 large leek, cleaned chopped (white part only)
1 cup chopped onion
1 and 1/2 cups chopped celery
1 single clove garlic, chopped
5 cups water
5 cups vegetable broth
Cracked pepper to taste
** do not add salt as the vegetable broth is usually somewhat salty
2 shakes of 21 Salute  - (a salt free herbal mix I get a Trader Joe's - Mrs. Dash is similar)
1/4 cup of olive oil or olive oil spray

Directions:

Add onion, garlic, leek, potatoes and 1/4 cup of soup broth to a soup pan and sauté, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes tossing the vegetables to prevent burning. Add the water, the remainder of the broth, and the seasonings. Bring to a boil and then turn the heat down to a medium simmer. Cook uncovered for about 25 minutes until vegetables are tender and potatoes begin to fall apart. Use an immersion blender to blend to desired consistency. I like to leave mine a little chunky.

chopped leeks
I use only the white part for the soup.
The tender part of the green leaves (not the tough part) can be
saved and chopped into a salad
chopped leeks

chunky potato soup in a pot


potato leek soup
I garnished the soup with some 
uncooked chopped kale for a nice color contrast!

                                                             


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19 comments:

  1. This looks yummy! I will be giving this a try for sure! Thanks

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    1. Victoria,
      You will love this soup. So soothing and tasty

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  2. This looks delicious and healthy so I'm adding it to my list. Thank you for sharing this with us at #AnythingGoes.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Sue,
      Glad the soup appeals to you and thanks for hosting Anything Goes Linky Party

      Delete
  3. Sounds delicious. I'm pinning this to try later.

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    Replies
    1. Great idea. That is what I do when I find a good recipe, but no time to make it now.

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  4. Classic comfort food! I love how creamy dairy-free soups can be. Potatoes are definitely one of the magical ingredients in that regard. ;-)

    Shirley

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    Replies
    1. Shirley, I agree. Potatoes do seem to add a magical creamy ingredient when they continue to cook in a soup.

      Delete
  5. Yum, looks good! Thanks for sharing at Merry Monday, hope to see you again next week!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for hosting Merry Monday. I 've been enjoying looking through all the recipes each week

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  6. I like you recipe for Potato Leek Soup and will be trying it soon. It would be such a nice dinner on a cold winter night. Thank you for sharing with the Clever Chicks Blog Hop! I hope you’ll join us again next week!

    Cheers,
    Kathy Shea Mormino
    The Chicken Chick
    http://www.The-Chicken-Chick.com

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    Replies
    1. Kathy,
      That is exactly when we eat this healthy hearty soup.. on a cold winter night. I hope you pinned it so you can try it this winter

      Delete
  7. What a lovely leek and potato soup, Judee! It looks so comforting and delicious, perfect for this time of year. Thank you for bringing this delicious recipe to the Hearth and Soul Hop.

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    Replies
    1. April,
      There is something about leeks and potatoes that make a special soup . Potato especially are so comforting

      Delete
  8. Hi Judee,
    You have made my Thanksgiving menu planning so much easier! With delectable ingredients like these who can resist your Creamy Potato Leek Soup.I am delighted that you shared this healthy and delicious recipe with us on the Healthy Happy Green and Natural Party Blog Hop.I appreciate it and I'm so glad you are partying with us. I'm pinning and sharing this gem!

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    Replies
    1. so happy to hear that Deborah! Thanks so much for hosting a plant based linky where I have somewhere to share and find interesting recipes

      Delete
  9. I look forward to trying this recipe and wonder how much the taste and texture would be altered if I used parsnips in place of the potatoes...I may have to try it both ways.

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    Replies
    1. NOt sure - but if you try it ,please come back and share

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