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Baby potatoes, fragrant leeks, herbs, garlic, apple cider and vegan cheese are all in this easy, rich and hearty soup. Add crumbled vegan bacon bits for a crispy, salty topping, turning this leek and potato soup into pure comfort food heaven! Recipe on thecookandhim.com | #leekandpotatosoup #homemadesoup #healthysoup #vegansoup #soup #souprecipe #leekrecipes #potatorecipes #wintersoup

Leek and Potato Soup with Crispy Vegan Bacon

Prep: 15 mins | Cook: 20 mins | Total: 35 mins | Quantity: 4 portions

Ingredients

  • 1 tblsp oil
  • 1 large leek – white part only finely sliced
  • 1 stick celery – finely diced
  • 1 large parsnip – peeled and finely diced (discard woody core)
  • 5 cloves garlic – peeled and crushed
  • 1 tblsp fresh thyme leaves, stalk discarded (or sub 1 tsp dried)
  • 3 cups (450g) diced potatoes (see note)
  • 3 cups (750ml) vegetable stock
  • 1 cup (250ml) apple cider
  • 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
  • 1 cup (250ml) vegan cream
  • 1 cup (80g) grated vegan cheese (see note)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • a few strips of vegan bacon

Optional:

  • Snipped fresh chives and/or chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat then saute the leek, celery, parsnip and garlic for 2-3 minutes
  2. Add the thyme and cook for a further minute
  3. Add the potatoes, vegetable stock, cider and mustard and cook until the potatoes are just soft - you want a tiny bit of bite left
  4. While the soup is cooking fry the bacon strips until crisp then chop or crumble into small pieces
  5. Scoop out 2 cups (500ml) of the soup and puree in a blender or with an immersion blender
  6. Stir in the cream and cheese and stir until the cheese has just melted
  7. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed - you could also add some chilli or red pepper flakes if you'd like a little heat/spice
  8. Spoon into serving bowls and top with the crumbled bacon pieces

Notes

  • I used baby new potatoes and left them with the skin on. If you use larger potatoes you might want to peel first.
  • For the cheese I used a cheddar type vegan cheese for flavour - a smoked vegan cheese like Applewood might also be nice or a shredded vegan mozzarella.

Recipe by The Cook & Him at https://thecookandhim.com/recipes/leek-and-potato-soup-with-crispy-vegan-bacon/