Vegan and Gluten-Free Potato Leek Soup Recipe

Vegan and Gluten-Free Potato Leek Soup Recipe

Excited for my very first post! It's February and I'm wishing for the spring so bad. This winter has been filled with endless cold toes and blanket hibernation. So I wanted to share with everyone one of my favorite cozy vegan recipes perfect for when you want something to heat you up from the inside out. It's easy, addictive, and always picks me up.

Traditionally this recipe involves butter, heavy cream, and flour. I worked to change it because I have a dairy/soy protein allergy and grew up vegetarian. Now I'm effectively vegan and rolling with it! Missing hearty recipes like this and loving to share with vegan/gluten-free friends and family (And future friends!) made me want to put this together :)

Ingredients
4 medium russet potatoes with skins cubed
2 cups celery chopped
2 Large leeks thinly chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp earthbalance buttery spread
1/3 cup raw whole cashews (soaked for 4 hours)
6 1/4 cup water
1 tsp thyme
1.5 tsp dried dill
1.5-2 tsp salt or to taste
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup Parsley for garnish (optional)

Preparation

Note: When prepping the leeks, it's important to remove the tough dark green parts on top and wash between the leaves thoroughly to remove the dirt. Washing is easier if you cut the leek lengthwise. If you do not have time to soak the cashews a quick and dirty method is to put cashews in a small pot and bring to a boil. Let it boil for a minute and turn the heat off and set it aside for 30 minutes while prepping everything else.

1. In a large pot bring 6 cups of water and to a boil. Add cubed potatoes and ½ tsp salt and simmer until potatoes are tender about 10-15 minutes. I like to leave the skins on because it provides a fuller taste, but if you prefer them without that’s great too!

2. In a medium pan add olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add celery, leeks, 1 tsp salt and sauté for 3 minutes before adding thyme and dill. Cook for another 10 minutes until leeks and celery are cooked through.

3. Add the celery/leek mixture to the large pot of potatoes and simmer together for another 5 minutes. Meanwhile, move to making the heavy cream substitute with the cashews.

4. Blend the soaked raw cashews, earth balance buttery spread, and 1/4 cup water in a blender until very smooth. This is to account for the heavy cream in the traditional recipe. I've used this in many recipes calling for heavy cream and it's fantastic.

5. Add cashew cream and black pepper to the pot. Now with everything in the pot, use an immersion blender and blend until smooth. If you don't have an immersion blender a regular blender works just as well.

6. Now as with any dish, it's important to adjust the seasoning to your taste. If it's not salty enough add some salt if the soup is too thick add some water. Garnish with some parsley if you're feeling fancy. I like to think each person has their own version of perfection.

I love settling into my blanket nest with a huge bowl of this with my favorite show. Steaming soup wafting up at me with a glass of wine-Yummmm!....Or sharing it with my favorite people:)

Please have fun with this, and tell me how it goes. One of my favorite things in the whole world is learning and sharing veggie recipes. I have bunches of other winter recipes I want to share-any requests are welcome too.

Lots of love!
cynchen