Potato Leek Soup (no cream)

This vegan potato leek soup uses our “blender soup” method to make a rich and creamy soup without a drop of milk or heavy cream (vegan or otherwise)! Unlike other potato leek soup recipes, ours is also packed with hidden plant-based protein, so you can get your cozy on without feeling hungry an hour later. All of this, and I swear you’ll never know what you’re eating is vegan and also healthy!

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This is the creamy potato leek soup that got me through my wisdom teeth surgery last year.

Not only is it a sip-friendly and incredibly comforting soup (which is everything you want after a surgery!), but it’s also chock-full of protein thanks to some hidden red lentils.

It’s also super easy to make a la our favorite blender soup method. That was a big bonus for T who was charged with taking care of this very particular patient.

You’ll need a host of pantry staples and the obvious produce, but no coconut milk or cream of any kind with this method. It’s easy to make oil-free too!

Why is this the best vegan potato leek soup?

We’re totally sold on this being the best vegan potato leek soup, and we think you will too once you try it. Here’s why:

• Packed with protein. We can’t say this enough! Red lentils blended into the soup base adds extra creaminess without you ever knowing it’s there.
• No cream or milk. But you’ll never miss it with our blender soup method!
• Easy to make. Just roughly chop your veggies (perfect for the knife skill beginners like me…still lol), boil, and blend!

Ingredients in Potato Leek Lentil Soup

These ingredients may seem a little unorthodox, but you’ll understand how it comes together when you try it! 

And please note, we will go over a few ingredient tips in this section, but the full recipe with ingredient amounts can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

• Vegan butter – If you’re oil-free, you can skip this and saute your veggies in water or vegetable broth.
• Leeks – Trim the leafy tops and use the lower white and yellow portion.
• Fresh Garlic – rough chopped
• Russet potatoes – peeled and rough chopped
• Vegan chicken bouillon powder – We always use our homemade vegan bouillon powder for best results! It’s made with a nutritional yeast base which adds a nice umami flavor and slight thickening effect. This creates the best vegan chicken broth!
• Cashews or sunflower seeds – These will be boiled and blended along with the rest of the ingredients to create a rich creamy texture without cream or milk!
• Red lentils – This is where the bulk of the protein comes from!
• Spice Cabinet: thyme, salt, white pepper, bay leaf

Substitution Options for Easy Vegan Potato Leek Soup

If you need to substitute one of the above ingredients, here are our best tips!

For the vegan butter: You can use olive oil, sunflower oil, refined coconut oil, or avocado oil. Do NOT use unrefined or virgin coconut oil because this will give the soup a coconut flavor. You can also make this dish oil-free by sauteing the leeks in water or vegetable stock.

For the potatoes: You can sub yukon gold potatoes instead of russet. You can also sub some or all of the potatoes with cauliflower if preferred. I would stay away from using red potatoes in this soup if possible.

For the vegan bouillon powder: I highly recommend our vegan bouillon powder, but you can use bouillon paste instead. If doing this, I would cut the amount in half. 

For the cashews or sunflower seeds: You can also use hulled hemp seeds. If you don’t have a high-speed blender, you can use a good-quality olive oil. Be sure to blend on the highest setting for at least one minute to make sure it fully emulsifies and produces a creamy shiny texture.

For the red lentils: Do not substitute brown or green lentils. This will mess with the color and they don’t produce the creamy result red lentils do. You can use canned white beans or chickpeas if needed. I would double the amount and drain them before adding to the pot.

How to Make Vegan Leek and Potato Soup (no cream or milk)

This potato leek soup is so easy to make, you’ll want to make it all winter long!

Step 1: Saute the leeks and garlic

In a large soup pot or stock pot, melt the vegan butter over medium high heat and saute the leeks and garlic for 3 minutes.

Step 2: Simmer the soup

Add the rest of the ingredients and stir. Cover and bring to a boil.

Once boiling, reduce the heat to low. Keep covered and simmer for 20 minutes.

Step 3: Blend the soup

Remove the bay leaves if used. 

Then, carefully transfer the contents of your pot to a high-power and heat-safe blender. Depending on the size of your blender, you may need to do this in 2 batches. Do not overload your blender!

Blender Note: Unless you’re using the olive oil option (see the substitution section for the sunflower seeds/cashews above), I would not use an immersion blender or regular blender (not high-power) to make this recipe. This will not break up the seeds/cashews enough to create that creamy broth. You’ve been warned.

Start the blender on low power and gradually increase the speed to high. Blend the soup on high for 1 full minute (at least) until completely smooth and creamy.

Step 4: Finishing touches

Transfer the easy soup back to your pot and taste to adjust seasonings as desired.

How to Make Chunky Potato Leek Soup (vegan)

If you prefer a chunky potato leek soup, you can do one of two things:

1. If you just want potato chunks, you can remove a few potato chunks before blending and toss them back in at the end. 
2. If you want it totally chunky, I think you can probably blend ⅔ of the soup and then leave the other ⅓ unblended. My only concern would be the sunflower seeds/cashews. You may want to try soaking them in boiling water separately and then adding them right to the blender.

How to Serve Potato Leek Vegetable Soup

Serve this delicious soup hot topped with green onions as a garnish alongside some crusty bread. See more topping ideas in the section below!

We love to serve this soup as a main dish with a bread like our vegan bread rolls, vegan garlic bread, or vegan parmesan breadsticks!

It also goes great with salads like our Copycat Olive Garden Salad or Vegan Caesar Salad!

Topping Ideas

• Scallions
• Fresh chives
• Parsley
• Basil
• Fresh thyme
• Other fresh herbs
• Vegan bacon
• Vegan cheese shreds
• A drizzle of olive oil
• A swirl of coconut cream

How to Store Leftover Creamy Vegan Potato Leek Soup

Leftover soup stores great and is perfect for a cozy meal prep.

Store in an airtight container for 7-10 days in the fridge. Reheat on the stove or microwave on a low heat, stopping to stir often, until totally warmed through.

To freeze: We love to freeze this soup in Souper Cubes for perfect single portions. This soup freezes well for up to 12 weeks when stored in an airtight container.

More Vegan Creamy Soups:

If you love creamy soups without the dairy, check out more recipes from our blender soup series:

• Creamy Vegan Spinach Soup
• Vegan Potato Soup Recipe
• Creamy Vegan Zucchini Soup

We also have a whole Blender Soup Guide dedicated to this method.

And check out ALL our creamy vegan soup recipes, tips, and tricks in our Creamy Vegan Soup Recipe Round-Up!

I hope this soup brings you so much joy like it has us! I am so excited to be heading into the fall and winter seasons, so we can make it all the time. 

When you try it, let us know! We love when you leave a star rating and review on the recipe below. Even just a simple star rating helps our recipes get to more people, and for that, we are so grateful!

Enjoy the coziness!