Instant Pot Vegan Potato Leek Soup is smooth and creamy without using any dairy. And it's easy to make in 30 minutes.
I love making soup in my Instant Pot electric pressure cooker.
Some of my favorites are Vegan Wild Rice Soup, Instant Pot Lentil Soup, and Vegan Potato Corn Chowder.
Recently I was set to make Potato Corn Chowder when I remembered I had some leeks in the refrigerator.
So I decided to try my hand at making a vegan potato leek soup in the Instant Pot.
And the results were incredible!
Not only was the soup quick and easy to make, it was velvety and rich.
All without using any dairy!
How to clean leeks
One of the most important steps in making Vegan Potato Leek Soup is properly cleaning the leeks.
Leeks are grown in sandy soil, and the bits of sand tend to get in the layers of leaf sheaths.
And the last thing we want is sand in our soup.
But fortunately cleaning this cousin of onion and garlic is relatively easy.
We only need the white and light green parts of the leek, so first I remove the tough green tops.
Then I slice the leeks lengthwise and clean them in an ample amount of water.
In addition, it helps to rinse them again after you've chopped them to make sure no grains of sand remain.
This step-by-step tutorial How To Clean Leeks is very helpful.
Once the leeks are clean and diced, we're ready to make our Vegan Potato Leek Soup.
How to make Instant Pot Vegan Potato Leek Soup
Traditional potato leek soup from Wales is usually made with potatoes, leeks, chicken broth, heavy cream, and seasoning.
However, the vegan version is equally delicious made with vegetable broth and cashew cream.
And for the seasoning, I love using herbs de provence.
This French blend is typically a mix of savory, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and lavender.
I love adding it to roasted potatoes, Tofu Scramble, and White Wine Roasted Vegetables.
But if you can't find herbs de provence, you can substitute Italian seasoning or your own mix of herbs such as oregano, rosemary, and thyme.
Anyway, making Instant Pot Vegan Potato Leek Soup is very simple.
- Saute the leeks in a little olive oil (or water) until they are soft.
- Add the potatoes, vegetable broth, and herbs and give the ingredients a quick stir.
- Using the Pressure Cooker function on high, set the timer for 4 minutes.
- Quick release the pressure.
- Blend the soup until completely smooth.
- Stir in the cashew cream and season to taste with salt.
- Garnish with sliced green onions or chives and enjoy!
Now get out your Instant Pot, and let's make Vegan Potato Leek Soup!
Instant Pot Vegan Potato Leek Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups leeks, cleaned well and roughly chopped (white and light green part only)
- 5 cups gold potatoes, peeled and diced (about 2 large potatoes)
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 Tablespoon herbes de provence
- ½ cup raw cashews
- ½ cup water
- salt, to taste
- green onions or chives, sliced, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Using the Saute function, heat the olive oil, then saute the leeks until they are very soft, stirring often.
- Cancel the Saute function and add the potatoes, vegetable broth, bay leaf, and herbs de provence to the Instant Pot. Give the ingredients a stir, then close and lock the lid.
- Set the Pressure Cooker function on high for 4 minutes.
- While the soup cooks, place the cashews and water in a high-speed blender. Blend until completely smooth, scraping down the sides of the blender as necessary. Set aside.
- After the 4 minutes on the Instant Pot are up, quick release the pressure.
- Once the pressure is fully released, remove the lid and carefully discard the bay leaf.
- Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until completely smooth.
- Slowly stir in the blended cashew mixture. Season the soup with salt, to taste.
- Garnish the bowls of soup with sliced green onions or chives, if desired, and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimation only.
Bethany
I was really excited to try this recipe. However, it just didn’t have enough flavor for my family. I followed the recipe exactly so I’m not sure what more I could have done. Do you have any suggestions? I did love how easy the recipe was to make and I liked making it in an instant pot.
Amy Katz
Hi Bethany, I don't think you did anything wrong. It's a mild-flavored soup. But you can certainly add more Herbs de Provence or other herbs like thyme. Thanks for giving it a try!
Janette Allen
I made this today. I put the cashews in the pressure cooker. I have done that with tomato soup that I made. I then blended it in my food processor. It tastes great. I found I didn't have Italian seasoning so used another mixture, I think it would be better with Italian seasoning. I used my own home made broth. Make it like Chef AJ teachers and just take it out of my freezer. Good vegan recipe. Thanks for your posts.
Amy Katz
Sounds great, Janette! I will have to try putting the cashews in the pressure cooker. Thanks for the tip!
Elisabeth
I wonder what ready made vegetable broth you would recommend?
Thank you
Elis@beth
Amy Katz
I like using Better Than Bouillon vegetable base mixed with water or Pacific Brand vegetable broth.
Martin
Lovely hearty soup
Amy Katz
Thank you, Martin!
Lynn
It was a little one note for me.
Jess
what if you do not have an instant pot or pressure cooker? how can I make this soup stove top?
Amy Katz
Hi Jess! You can make this soup on the stove top. Simmer the soup until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Then follow the rest of the instructions. I hope you enjoy it!
Jan
I just made this soul and it is so delicious. I'll definitely be making it again. Thank you!
Amy Katz
Thanks so much, Jan!
Sam
Delicious. Make this weekly
Amy Katz
I'm glad you enjoy it, Sam!
Alesia
Double WOW!! This was the first attempt to make my husband's favorite soup since going WFPB and SOS free. You would never know this recipe lacks butter and cream. Amazing flavor with the herbs de provence, such a unique choice! I substituted water for the oil when sautéing. Also blended half the soup because we prefer chunks. I will make this again and again!
Amy Katz
I'm so happy you both enjoyed it, Alesia! I like how you kept it chunky. Great idea!
Carrie
I made this soup the other day. It was soooo yummy & super easy in the IP. I am making more tonite. 🙂
Sophia
Just finished making this soup and it’s absolutely delicious!! I make the wild rice soup too! Two keepers! Thanks so much 🥰
Jennifer
The soup doesn’t look like much but the flavor is amazing! Super fast and easy to make. And it’s Perfectly comforting in this cold Minnesota weather!