Name: Creamy Potato Leek Soup
Prep time: 13 min
Cook time: 31 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 2 cups sliced leeks, halved lengthwise, cut into 0.25 inch slices ((1 medium leek yields ~2 cups or 180 g)); 1 tbsp olive oil ((or vegan butter // if oil-free, sub with twice as much water)); 0.5 cup finely chopped celery; 1 tsp sea salt; 0.5 tsp black pepper; 0.75 tsp dried thyme ((or 2 tsp fresh)); 4 large cloves garlic, minced; 4 cups chopped potatoes, washed thoroughly, cut into 0.5-inch cubes ((we prefer unpeeled Yukon gold // 1.5 lbs yield ~4 cups)); 2.5 cups water ((or sub up to half with vegetable broth and use less salt)); 1 cup canned light coconut milk ((or sub homemade cashew cream*)); null null sliced green onion (or chives); null null chives; null null coconut bacon; null null vegan sour cream

Instructions

Show units in method

1

Remove the end and dark green part of the [leeks] and discard (or reserve greens for making vegetable broth). Slice the white and light green part of the [leeks] in half lengthwise and clean by running cold water over each half, getting in between the leaves to remove any dirt. Then slice into leeks (0.25 inch).
2

Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and add the olive oil (1 tbsp), chopped [leeks], and [celery]. Cook for about minutes (5), until everything is slightly softened and fragrant. Add sea salt (1 tsp), black pepper (0.5 tsp), dried thyme (0.75 tsp), and cloves garlic (4 large). Cook for another [1-2 minutes], stirring frequently.
3

Add in the chopped potatoes (4 cups), toss to evenly combine leek mixture with the [potatoes], and sauté for [3-4 minutes], stirring frequently.
4

Add in the water (2.5 cups) and canned light coconut milk (1 cup) and bring the soup to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a low simmer and cover for [20-25 minutes], stirring every minutes (10) or so. After minutes (25) your [potatoes] should be fork tender but still somewhat intact.
5

Once your [potatoes] are cooked, use an immersion blender to purée 0.75 of the soup, leaving some small chunks of [potato]. You can also put half of the soup in a high-speed heat-proof blender, blend until smooth, and add it back to the rest of the soup. We like our soup a little rustic and brothy with pieces of [potato], but you can also purée it until completely smooth if preferred.
6

Taste and adjust as needed, adding [salt] for overall flavor, [black pepper] for kick, or more [thyme] for complexity.
7

Serve in bowls (optionally) garnished with [sliced green onion or chives], [coconut bacon], and [vegan sour cream]. Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for [3-4 days] or in the freezer for month (1). Reheat on the stovetop over low-medium heat until warm.