Creamy Vegan Cauliflower & Leek Soup
I love soup. I love it in the summer, spring, fall, you name it! It is especially nice when it’s cold outside, which it has been for the past two weeks. Add into the mix that leeks are in full season right now and on sale pretty much everywhere, and score! Leek soup it is!
Potato leek is a classic, but I am carb-conscious, so I ditched the potato and used cauliflower instead, and it was awesome! It is smooth and creamy. You don’t even miss the potatoes. So, during the holidays, if you are looking for recipes that won’t make you gain 5 lbs and satisfies many intolerances and/or restrictions, this can make for a great appetizer/entree.
It’s a hard soup to mess up. Just pop all your ingredients into your pot with water and broth and boil till tender, then blend. However, there are a few minor mistakes that you can make that will change the taste and/or make a real mess of your kitchen. Here’s how to avoid any mishaps.
Start by cutting your leek before cleaning. Leek is just one of those vegetables that tends to have dirt between the layers. So, unless you are looking for that earthy taste, I would suggest cutting then popping out all the leek layers then cleaning it out.
To make this soup, you do however, need a good high-powered, quality blender, or food processor. It really does make a difference in texture and taste. When blending your soup, make sure you don’t make the same mistake that I did. Filling your blender up past the 2/3 mark is a horrible idea. Hot soup expands, and once you start blending, causes it to spray out hence making a soupy mess. So, don’t do it!
But don’t sweat it, it’s super easy to make, healthy and incredibly delicious. You can top with chopped green onion, cracked pepper, and a little coconut cream and you have a beautiful, festive presentation.
Creamy Vegan Cauliflower & Leek Soup
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 Large leeks, tough dark green tops removed, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 large head of cauliflower, cut into 2-inch florets
- 4 cups vegetable stock or enough to cover all your ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 1-2 bay leaves
- Sea salt to taste
- pinch coarse black pepper, for garnish
- chopped green onion, for garnish
- Coconut cream drizzled on top, for garnish
Instructions
- In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic until the soft about 3 minutes.
- Add the leeks and celery to the pot and fry until soft about 5-6 minutes.
- Add the stock, water, cauliflower, and the bay leaf, then bring to a boil.
- Simmer 30 minutes or until the florets are tender, then discard the bay leaf.
- Puree the soup in a food processor until smooth.
- Garnish with cracked pepper, coconut cream and green onions
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