This is a leek and potato soup that you’ll be coming back to time and time again.. It’s chunky in all the best ways, it’s unctuously creamy, it’s hearty and wholesome and packed with immense, intense flavor, and of course, it’s vegan!
3medium yukon gold potatoes, thinly sliced (¼-inch or so) into quarter moons
2 - 3tablespoonsolive oil,
1medium yellow onion,finely diced
4 - 5medium garlic cloves,finely minced
4cupsvegetable broth,low-sodium preferred
1(13.66 oz.)can lite coconut milk,full-fat coconut milk also works
1tablespoonwhite wine vinegar,or to taste
½ - 1teaspoonsalt,or to taste
1teaspooncornstarch (optional for thicker soup),mixed with a couple tablespoons of the warm soup to create a slurry
Somechives,chopped
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Next, remove any super thick or dead looking leaves from the outside of the leek, then cut off the thick green leaves of the leek stalks. You're going to want to cut just until the leek starts to turn more yellowish green than dark green - discard the dark green leaves. Then, cut the remainder of the leeks in half as well as the very white bottom root part, and throughly wash the leeks under running water, getting in between all the layers well to remove any possible dirt or debris.
After that's done, dry the leek halves briefly, and rub with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and lay evenly spaced on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Roast the leeks in the oven for about 30 - 35 minutes, until soft when poked with a fork and golden brown or lightly charred looking. About 20 minutes into baking the leeks, brush on a little bit more olive oil if they look like they're roasting too fast. Once done, set the leeks aside to cool a bit.
Meanwhile, while the leeks are in the oven, begin sautéing the quarter moons of yellow potato in olive oil in the soup pot over medium heat, for about 7 - 10 minutes, until the potatoes begin to brown a little bit. Then add the onion and garlic, and continue sautéing for another 5 - 7 minutes, until the onions become somewhat translucent and the potatoes are beginning to become more tender.
Once the potatoes, onions and garlic look about right, add a box (4 cups) of vegetable broth, and bring it to a slow simmer, covering the soup pot to continue cooking the potatoes for another 5 - 10 minutes or so. Test a potato slice or two to make sure they're becoming soft but not overly mushy.
Now it's time to chop up the roasted leeks. Halve the roasted leeks, and chop them in about ½-inch segments. Add the chopped leeks and coconut milk to the vegetable broth, as well as the salt and white wine vinegar. Allow the soup to heat through, letting it gently simmer for another 5 - 10 minutes, until the potatoes are completely done.
Optional Step: Now, in a small bowl, you can mix a single teaspoon of cornstarch with a couple tablespoon scoops of the soup, whisk that well, and add that slurry back into the soup to thicken it, but only if you'd like the texture a bit thicker.
Last but not least, remove the soup pot from the heat, and, using an immersion blender, blend about ⅓ of the soup to thicken it further, being mindful to preserve many leek and potato chunks for textural pleasantness. Also, make sure to keep the head of the blender underneath liquid at all times, to prevent hot soup from flying everywhere.
After that, heat the soup back through, and serve with chopped chives and whatever else you want!