A plant-based spin on the classic, this Creamy Vegan Potato Leek Soup marries buttery leeks and tender potatoes with creamy cannellini beans, lemony herb oil, and greens for a complete meal.
While the classic French version features butter and cream, I promise you won’t miss the dairy here (no gluten, nuts, or soy either!). Thanks to a few secrets, this soup is rich and creamy and brimming with cozy flavor (but packed with good-for-you ingredients!).
Not only is this soup delicious, but it also boasts a simple ingredient list and a one-pot option. And it’s great for meal prep!
Table of Contents:
1. Why you’ll love this recipe
2. Ingredient notes
3. Step-by-step instructions
4. Tips for making this recipe
5. Variations
6. Frequently Asked Questions
7. Recipe card with notes
Why you’ll love this recipe
Comforting yet wholesome
This soup is cozy, creamy, and everything you want in a bowl of comfort. With melt-in-your mouth golden potatoes and sweet leeks, it delivers pure comfort food, bowl after bowl.
And the secret to its rich, velvety texture? Adding creamy cannellini beans and blending half the soup—no dairy needed.
But don’t let the indulgent vibe fool you—each bowl is packed with fiber, protein, and antioxidants from leafy greens, garlic, and fresh herbs. And just when you think it can’t get better, a drizzle of lemony herb oil comes in for that perfect, rich finish and luxurious mouthfeel.
Looking for more wholesome but comforting soups? This savory White Bean Soup is my new favorite!
Simple ingredients, big flavor
You’ll be surprised by the gourmet flavors and elegance of this soup given the simple ingredient list. Everyday ingredients like white beans, leeks, potatoes, baby spinach, garlic, olive oil, lemon, fresh herbs, and vegetable broth mix and mingle until they transform into a medley of rich yet bright flavors.
Great for meal prep
This potato leek soup works great for meal prep in many ways.
One, the leftovers are excellent, so you can enjoy a delicious, hearty soup for midweek lunches.
Two, the soup is freezer friendly, so you can whip up a double batch and store it in the freezer for busy weeks. Souper Cubes (affiliate link) are your best friend here!
Three, you can prep several items ahead of time to cut down on prep time the day you make this soup. For instance, you can slice and wash the leeks 3 to 5 days ahead of time: just pat them dry, then store in a paper towel-lined airtight container in the fridge).
You can also chop the garlic up to 5 days ahead of time (store in an airtight container in the fridge). And you can whip up the herby oil a few days ahead of time and refrigerate it in a small jar.
PS: If you love my Creamy White bean Soup with Kale, you will definitely love this soup, as it’s adapted from that fan-favorite recipe (with over 500 5-star reviews!).
Ingredient notes
Leeks
Is there any greater winter vegetable than the humble leek? Okay, maybe fennel or cabbage (I have a lot of “favorite” vegetables), but leeks truly shine in winter and I’m on a mission to make more people fall in love with them.
When cooked down, their oniony flavor mellows into a sweet butteriness that makes the perfect base for soups (and mushroom dishes, like this Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff or Vegan Mushroom Risotto!).
Gold Potatoes
When it comes to choosing the type of potato for a potato leek soup, there’s only one good option in my opinion: the Yukon gold potato (or any other golden potatoes).
Golden potatoes have both medium starch and waxiness. They’re like the Goldilocks of potatoes. In contrast, Russets have very little flavor and are less creamy, so avoid those here. And red potatoes are waxy potatoes, which means they’ll be delicious but won’t get as creamy.
Can’t get enough of potatoes? Be sure to try my Ultimate Crispy Roasted Potatoes, Vegan Mashed Potatoes, or Vegan Scalloped Potatoes!
Cannellini Beans
The classic potato leek soup is more of a side dish, but I’m more of a soup-for-dinner-kinda-girlie, especially in winter.
The addition of cannellini beans (AKA the king of creamy beans) brings protein and fiber to the soup but also another layer of creaminess, especially when you blend half of the soup.
Substitute: Cannellini beans may also be sold as “white kidney beans.” if you can’t find these, use another white bean, preferably a medium or larger sized bean.
Tip: Want to take the soup over the top? Cook your beans from scratch. You’ll need 8 ounces or 225 grams of dried beans. If you have a copy of my first cookbook, The Vegan Instant Pot Cookbook, flip to page 38 an Instant Pot cook time chart for dried beans (affiliate link).
Fresh Herbs
If you make my recipes even somewhat regularly, you already know I’m a huge fan of incorporating fresh herbs into my meals. They add so much flavor, nuance, and dimension.
And the fresh herbs hit hard in this recipe. First, a medley of sturdy herbs (sage, thyme, and bay leaves) is tied into a bundle (a “bouquet garni”), infusing the soup with woodsy, herbal aroma while it simmers. Then, the soup gets finished with the most luscious lemony herb oil.
The lemony herb oil might sound complicated, but it’s simply a matter of finely chopping some parsley and dill and mixing them with lemon zest, grated garlic, flaky sea salt, and good quality olive oil.
Substitutes: Around the holidays, at some American grocery stores, you will find a blend of “poultry herbs,” which typically features thyme, rosemary, and either sage or rosemary. Feel free to use those. Also, you can substitute the sage with rosemary. If you don’t have dill, you can just replace it with more parsley.
Baby spinach
While a traditional potato leek soup doesn’t have any greens, I snuck in a few handfuls of baby spinach for a nutrition boost. I promise you will hardly even notice the greens!
Tip: Want a purely creamy soup without the texture of silky greens? Simply omit the spinach.
Step-by-step instructions
Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the sliced leeks.
Stir occasionally until the leeks have softened and are starting to brown, then add the garlic and chili flakes (optional).
Sauté briefly, stirring frequently. Add in the vegetable broth to deglaze the pot.
Add the peeled and diced potatoes, cannellini beans, bouquet garni, salt, and pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 20 to 25 minutes.
Once the potatoes are tender, scoop out half of the soup into a stand blender*. Blend the half batch of soup until creamy and thick.
*For a one-pot option: use an immersion blender instead. Add the immersion blender directly in the pot and blend roughly half of the soup, taking care to not blend all of it (you want some texture!).
Pour the blended soup back into the pot and stir until the soup has thickened.
Add the chopped baby spinach and simmer briefly until the spinach has wilted.
While the soup simmers, make the lemony herb oil.
Finely chop the parsley and dill. Zest the lemon and grate the garlic. Combine the herbs, lemon zest, garlic, and a bit of flaky sea salt.
Transfer to a small jar and drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil. Stir, adding more salt to taste.
Tips for making this recipe
Don’t skip the lemony herb oil!
This soup is good on its own, but you’d be selling it short if you didn’t finish it with the lemony herb oil.
The fresh parsley and dill add extra layers of flavor and character, the extra virgin olive oil adds silky richness and a gorgeous mouthfeel, the lemon zest brings a delightfully bright flair, and fresh garlic gives everything a fun zing.
You can store leftover herby oil in the fridge for about 1 week. The oil will likely solidify after being refrigerated for more than 24 to 48 hours, but just let the jar of herby oil sit out at room temperature for ~10 minutes.
While it doesn’t take long to chop the herbs and zest the lemon/garlic, if you have a mini chopper or mini food processor, you can add all of the ingredients for the herby oil to the machine and whiz it up.
Wash the leeks thoroughly
Leeks are one of my very favorite vegetables, but they are pretty filthy. Literally. They are covered in dirt.
Be sure to wash them thoroughly so you don’t end up biting into any gritty sand while slurping your luxurious soup! Washing instructions are in the recipe card.
Use good quality broth
The quality of your vegetable broth matters in a soup with simple ingredients, so use the best-quality broth you have access to.
For store-bought broths, my favorite brand is Imagine Organic (affiliate link). The broth is rich and flavorful (and when you taste it by the spoon, it’s actually pretty tasty–—something I definitely cannot say for other store-bought broths).
You can also use a Better than Bouillon “no-chicken” broth base for a savory depth of flavor (affiliate link). Start with 2 to 3 teaspoons of the base for 4 cups (960 mL) broth to avoid oversalting the soup.
Multitask
To make this recipe most efficiently, lean into multitasking a little bit.
While the leeks are cooking on the stove, peel and dice the potatoes. And while the soup simmers, make the Herby Oil.
Variations
This soup is quite flexible and can be adapted based on what you have on hand and/or what you prefer.
Don’t have leeks? While this soup will no longer be a potato leek soup, it would still be delicious with sweet onions. Use 2 medium sweet onions or 6 large shallots.
Switch up the herbs. Use fresh rosemary instead of sage or thyme in the bouquet garni. Use chives instead of dill in the herby oil, or just more parsley.
Skip the baby spinach or replace it. Want a purely creamy soup? Skip the baby spinach. Or, if you prefer, replace it with baby kale or a few handfuls of thinly sliced lacinato kale. If using whole kale, simmer for a few extra minutes, or until the kale is tender.
Add more veggies if you like. Feel free to use up to 5 ounces (140g) of baby spinach (a standard size bag of baby spinach). You will want to add more salt to taste and/or more herby oil per serving. Or, dice a few carrots or thinly slice a fennel bulb; sauté for a few minutes after the leeks soften.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you don’t have kitchen twine to tie up the thyme/sage into a “bouquet garni” you have several options:
(1) replace the twine with either (a) a long stem of flat-leaf parsley, with leaves removed or (b) plain, unwaxed dental floss; OR
(2) Add the herbs to a cheesecloth and remove the cheesecloth after simmering; OR
(3) Add the thyme sprigs and sage sprigs plus bay leaves whole in the soup; after simmering and before blending, use tongs to fish the whole sprigs and bay leaves out, discarding.
Once cooled, store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
For the herby oil, store it in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 1 week. The oil will likely solidify after being refrigerated for more than 24 to 48 hours, but just let the jar of herby oil sit out at room temperature for ~10 minutes.
Yes! This soup is freezer-friendly and can be frozen for about 3 months.
For quicker defrosting, I recommend freezing individual servings of the soup in these Souper Cubes (affiliate link).
To reheat smaller portions, you can add them directly to a saucepan and heat until defrosted and warmed through.
For larger portions, you’ll get the best texture if you thaw the soup in the fridge, then reheat.
If the soup is too thick, thin out with a splash of broth or water while reheating on the stove.
As for the herby oil: I have not tried freezing the herby oil, but I would recommend freezing it in ice cube trays, similar to how you freeze pesto. Once the cubes are frozen, you can pop them into a freezer bag.
This soup is best paired with a slab of crusty bread! I like to toast mine in the oven, then rub it with a halved garlic clove, cut side facing the bread. Drizzle the toast with a bit of good olive oil or a schmear with a pat of vegan butter, and you have instant garlic bread!
If gluten-free and/or you don’t want to serve with bread, you can serve alongside some roasted potatoes or even stir in cooked quinoa, brown rice, or other whole grains into the soup to bulk it up more.
Looking for a fabulous soup and salad pairing for fall/winter? I recommend this Roasted Butternut Squash Kale Salad!
If you love this creamy vegan potato leek soup, please be sure to leave a rating and review below! It’s always much appreciated :)
Big Vegan Flavor
Techniques and 150 recipes to master vegan cooking.
Creamy Vegan Potato Leek Soup
Ingredients
- 3 large leeks
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 large sprigs fresh sage (or rosemary)
- 10 to 12 sprigs (7g) fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- 12 ounces (340g) Yukon gold potatoes (3 medium potatoes)
- 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (optional; or ¼ to ½ tsp red pepper flakes)
- 4 cups (960 mL) good-quality vegetable broth
- 2 (15-ounce / 425g) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 3 ounces (85g) fresh baby spinach, chopped (optional)
Herby Oil
- 1 cup (14g) flat-leaf parsley (leaves only)
- 1 handful (8g) fresh dill (leaves only) (or more parsley)
- 2 medium lemons
- 1 clove garlic, grated or minced
- ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt
- ¼ cup (56g) extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Prep the leeks: Cut off the roots and the top few inches of dark green tops first, then thinly slice the remaining leeks. Add to a bowl of cold water and gently agitate them to loosen the dirt. Use your hands or a slotted spoon to scoop out the leeks onto a clean towel and pat dry (don’t drain them, or the dirt will fall back into the leeks).
- Make the Bouquet Garni: Gather the bay leaves, sage sprigs, and thyme sprigs in a single pile. Use kitchen twine to tightly tie them together (see Note 1). Set aside.
- Heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add the leeks with a few pinches of salt. Cook until softened and starting to brown, 7 to 9 minutes, stirring occasionally.a. While this cooks, rinse the potatoes, then peel and dice them.
- Add the garlic and chili flakes to the pot. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently. If needed, add a splash of broth to deglaze, scraping up any browned bits. Add the broth, Bouquet Garni, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, pepper to taste, potatoes, and beans. Stir well.
- Bring the soup to a boil. Then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pot, and simmer the soup for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender, uncovering to stir a few times.
- Meanwhile, make the Herby Oil: Finely chop the parsley and dill. Using a microplane, zest the lemons on top of the parsley, then grate the garlic into the mix. Add to a small jar (this makes it easier to distribute the oil).a. Stir in the flaky sea salt and the ¼ cup (56g) olive oil. Taste, adding more salt to taste.
- Once the potatoes are tender, scoop out the Bouquet Garni and discard. Blend about half of the soup (3 to 3 ½ cups / 680 to 800g).a. Stand blender option: Transfer half of the soup to a stand blender. Replace the blender cap with a dish towel to allow the steam to vent. Blend until thick and smooth. Return to the pot and stir to incorporate.b. One-pot option: Use an immersion blender throughout half of the soup, but be sure to not blend it all—you want to retain some texture.
- Add the baby spinach to the soup. Simmer for 2 minutes, or until the spinach has wilted and is silky. Season with salt to taste and a squeeze of lemon juice if desired.
- Serve the soup in bowls. Spoon the Herby Oil over each bowl.
Notes
- If you don’t have kitchen twine to tie up the thyme/sage into a “bouquet garni”: (1) replace the twine with either (a) a long stem of flat-leaf parsley, with leaves removed or (b) plain, unwaxed dental floss; OR (2) Add the herbs to a cheesecloth and remove after simmering; OR (3) Add the thyme/sage sprigs & bay leaves whole in the soup; after simmering and before blending, use tongs to fish the whole sprigs and bay leaves out, discarding.
I just made this soup and it is by far the best potato leek soup I’ve ever had!! My other recipe is now in the recycle bin lol
You’ve made being vegan so much easier with all your delicious recipes, I’ve not had any one that was bad. Thank you Nisha, keep on creating and sharing! 🫶
LOL, we love to hear it, Linda! I’m gonna need to try this one myself very soon :)
Thank you for the sweet words, we appreciate your support more than you know!
I love cooking with leeks in winter, so this soup was right up my ally. Loved the soup and the herby oil leftovers are being repurposed into a salad dressing (yum!). Next time I am going to save the dark green leeks and fry them like the recipe in your cookbook and sprinkle them on top.
We’re so happy that the soup turned out well for you, Harriette. Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment and for trying out the recipe!
Heavenly! That’s what my 11-year old said when she tried this soup. I loved how simple it was to make and the herb oil really took it over the top.
Thank you for your lovely comment, Lourdes! It makes us happy to know that everyone enjoyed the recipe.
We really enjoyed this soup! I must agree with Nisha that you are missing out if you don’t use the herby oil! Also, like many soups it tasted even better the 2nd day. Will absolutely make this again soon.
Hi Eric, thank you so much for your kind review!
This was such a nice, cozy soup to tuck into after a cold day outside. I used rosemary instead of sage since I have so much leftover from thanksgiving, and I used parsley, dill, and a smidgen of basil (again, leftover from thanksgiving). Everyone at the table asked for seconds.
Your positive feedback is the best reward for our hard work. So awesome to hear the recipe was loved by all. Thank you, Megha!
This was one of the best soups I’ve ever made. We have a crop of leeks from the garden and I needed a use for them. I did not have fresh sage or thyme so I used 1 tsp of each of the dried herbs. It turned out to be too much and the soup tasted bitter. I kind of panicked not knowing what to do. I ended up adding water and also some honey! That did the trick. It would be helpful to offer a dried herb supplement measurement when calling for fresh so we know how much dried to use. Next time I will start with 1/2 tsp of each dried herb if I don’t have fresh.
The herby oil was wonderful. I had the dill in the freezer and found some parsley that had not frozen in my herb garden. The only other change I made was to use just one can of cannellini beans. I like my soup a little less thick than I thought it would be with two cans. Perfect.
This is really a lovely soup for a dinner party – a show off!
We’re thrilled you’re such a fan of the recipe, Angela! :) We appreciate you sharing your feedback!
When using a bouquet garni, the herbs are kept whole and they gently infuse the soup as it simmers, so it’s a bit difficult to provide an exact dried herb equivalent as it’s not as simple as saying “1 tablespoon fresh chopped herbs = 1 teaspoon dried herbs.”
Depending on the age and brand of dried herbs, they can vary in strength of flavor. Generally their flavor is pretty strong and needs time to mellow out in a dish. Fresh sage can even have a bitter quality so you’d be right to reduce how much you use for next time.
I tried it, didn’t love it . . . to us, the soup wasn’t very flavorful enough the lemony herb sauce was too lemony which we found overpowering. I love your recipes, the clear instructions and your creativity, so I’m glad I tried it.
Hi Gina, so sorry to hear you weren’t the biggest fan of the recipe but we appreciate the honest feedback!
Love! Love! I agree with Amalia. Some the herby oil on some bread is perfect aside this soup. Thank you!
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Rosey!
This is something really special. I love the creaminess of the potatoes and beans. I accidentally purchased fennel instead of leeks, and although I don’t know what it’s supposed to taste like with leeks, using fennel is a fantastic option too. The herby oil is splendid, and it does give it a nice little citrus kick with the added flaky salt.
Thanks for the wonderful comment, Jai! We hope you get the chance to try it with leeks next time :)
Fantastic soup! It’s definitely going to become a staple in our house for sure 😋
That’s so great to hear, R! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating alongside your review? Star ratings are big help to readers who are thinking of making the recipe. Thanks!
Hi! I’d love to make the soup but I don’t have a ton of experience cooking with leeks. The ones sold at my local store seem to be massive, so I never know what quantity to use. It would be super helpful if you could add the weight of the chopped leeks to the recipe :)
totally agree, all recipes should have weights for items, not a count like this (or a volume, 2 cups of carrots would be daft too) – being in the UK I often watch the oversized growth hormone stuffed frankenfruit and veg US cooks shows online and have to mentally adjust for our more regulated smaller products.
Hi Jessica, a medium leek weighs anywhere between 6 to 9 ounces (170 to 255g) before prep (trimming roots & tops). We try to provide as much detail in our recipes without making them overly lengthy or too prescriptive, as we’ve been told by other readers that this makes it hard to read the recipes.
This soup is amazing! Great flavor, not too complex to make. The herby oil is phenomenal and takes this dish over the top. DO NOT skip this !!! Super easy to make and truly elevates an already amazing dish. Definitely will be on rotation for us!
Awesome, Paige. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
Can I use a Instant Pot for this soup?
Hi Victoria, we haven’t tried using an instant pot ourselves for this soup, so aren’t exactly sure how it will turn out. If we tried it, this is what we’d do:
1. Cut and wash the leeks as described in step 1. Make the bouquet garni as described in step 2.
2. Set the Instant Pot to Sauté mode and heat the olive oil. Add the leeks with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 7-9 minutes, or until they soften and begin to brown. You may need to scrape up any bits that stick to the bottom of the pot using a wooden spoon.
a. While this cooks, rinse, peel and dice the potatoes.
3. Stir in the garlic and chili flakes. Cook for another 1-2 minutes, adding a splash of broth to deglaze the pot if necessary.
4.Pour in the vegetable broth, add the bouquet garni, potatoes, cannellini beans, ½ tsp salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
5.Lock the Instant Pot lid and set the valve to Sealing. Cook on High Pressure for 8 minutes. Once the cooking time is up, let the pressure release naturally for 5-10 minutes, then carefully release the remaining pressure.
6. While the soup cooks, prepare the herby oil.
7. After the soup’s finished cooking, remove the bouquet garni. Use an immersion blender to blend about half of the soup in the pot until smooth. If you don’t have an immersion blender, transfer half of the soup to a stand blender, blend until smooth, and return it to the pot.
8.Stir in the spinach and let it wilt for 2 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt and a squeeze of lemon juice if desired.
9.Ladle the soup into bowls and drizzle with the herby oil.
Really liked this soup!
Awesome, Celina. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
This was a lovely, cozy soup that’s perfect for the weather where I am now: grey, raining, depressing. It was a pick-me-up in a bowl. The Herby Oil is a must, don’t skip it! I also think a slice of bakery sourdough bread would be a perfect companion.
This soup sounds pretty yummy. I am trying to stay away from oil so can I leave out the herby oil? Is there something I can do without oil?
Thanks!
Hi Andrew, we highly recommend the herby oil, as it takes the soup from good to great. But you can just add the finely chopped herbs + lemon zest + flaky sea salt as a topping if you prefer.
Hi Amalia, Thank you so much for such a fantastic review! Appreciate you taking the time!
Great dish! I was hoping to find a new soup recipe for the winter months and this was a big hit with the family.
Hi Amy, Thank you so much for such a fantastic review! Appreciate you taking the time :)
Absolutely delicious! I wanted to keep eating and eating it. 🥰
Hi Ingrid, it’s great to hear you had success with the recipe. Thanks for the review!
This is such a stunning soup! Who would’ve thought that a potato and leek soup could be so flavourful and full of layers, the herby oil is a real game changer. This will go on heavy rotation for sure!
Hi Barbara, Thank you so much for such a fantastic review! Appreciate you taking the time!
This recipe was delicious! One thing I’d do differently in the future is not to add pre-chopped frozen spinach since this made the dish look less appealing and more watery. Prior to that, it tasted just like the delicious potato leek soup I had at a resort in Uganda. Absolutely delicious!
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Lea!
This is an OUTSTANDING soup. I thought the ingredients sounded familiar and then I realized I tried it recently as part of Nisha’s fabulous meal plan service. I’m glad it’s available as a standalone recipe as I can’t wait to share it with friends.
The ingredients are really simple but they come together to make such a flavorful and comforting soup. I will definitely be making this one all winter long!!
Hi Erica- thanks for the kind words! I need to try this one myself immediately! :)