9/13

Creamy Cauliflower and Leek Soup

Comfort Foods, Food, Healthy, Hot, Meal Ideas, Savory, Soups, Veggie Based, Weekday Approved
By Emma Chapman

Soup season is here and I could not be more excited about it! I love vegetables in any form, but blended into a creamy, filling soup has got to be a contender for my #1 favorite. This soup centers around cauliflower and leeks (plus a few other vegetables and ingredients). It’s got a rich and creamy texture and a beautiful pale yellow color. Is it weird to call a soup beautiful? I can’t help it, I really love this one. Plus it’s super quick and easy to make, so it’s an awesome weeknight option.

The ingredients are whole and simple, but there’s lots of ways you could tweak this to make it a little different depending on your needs, wants, deepest desires. (Ha ha, OK, maybe not deepest desires.) But this is one soup you’ll be excited to eat the next day for lunch, and when you’re excited about leftovers, you know you’ve made something delicious.

Creamy Cauliflower and Leek Soup, makes two large servings (I think perfect for two people and then one lunch the next day)

1 head of cauliflower, stem and leaves removed (approximately 430 grams)
1 large leek (approximately 105 grams)
1 russet potato
4-5 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1/2 cup milk or cream

And, the cute bowl is from here. 🙂

Slice up the leek, reserving only the white and light green parts (not the dark green leaves or the roots if still attached). Add to a small bowl of water and agitate with your fingers to loosen any dirt. Drain and rinse. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the leek. Cook for 3-4 minutes.

In the meantime, give the garlic a rough chop as well as the cauliflower and potato (once peeled). Add these ingredients to the pot also and season generously with salt and pepper as well as the cayenne. Cook another 2 minutes. Then add the vegetable stock (or chicken stock if using), reduce the heat to low, cover, and allow to cook until the potatoes are soft enough to mash (about 15-18 minutes).

Use an immersion blender to puree all the ingredients. You could also do this in a good blender; just be careful as you transfer the hot liquid back and forth. Once the soup is blended well, turn off the heat and stir in the milk or cream. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed.

You can top this with anything you like really. Some fresh herbs are nice—I used parsley but cilantro could be nice too. I love adding some torn, toasted bread as the texture against the creamy soup is delicious. Chopped green onions would be good as well. Lots of options but also you could leave this soup as is—it’s yummy all on its own too. Enjoy! xo. Emma

Note: If you are eating this as part of the Weekday Weekend Challenge (from our cookbook), make sure to use a non-dairy milk like almond milk or coconut. Also, if you do serve with torn, toasted bread, choose something 100% whole wheat or other whole grains.

If you haven’t seen, we have a whole tag for Weekday-friendly recipes.

Print

Creamy Cauliflower and Leek Soup

Ingredients

  • 1 head of cauliflower stem and leaves removed (approximately 430 grams)
  • 1 large leek approximately 105 grams
  • 1 russet potato
  • 4-5 cloves of garlic
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
  • 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
  • 1/2 cup milk or cream

Instructions

  1. Slice up the leek, reserving only the white and light green parts (not the dark green leaves or the roots if still attached). Add to a small bowl of water and agitate with your fingers to loosen any dirt. Drain and rinse. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the leek. Cook for 3-4 minutes.
  2. In the meantime, give the garlic a rough chop as well as the cauliflower and potato (once peeled). Add these ingredients to the pot also and season generously with salt and pepper as well as the cayenne. Cook another 2 minutes. Then add the vegetable stock (or chicken stock if using), reduce the heat to low, cover, and allow to cook until the potatoes are soft enough to mash (about 15-18 minutes).
  3. Use an immersion blender to puree all the ingredients. You could also do this in a good blender; just be careful as you transfer the hot liquid back and forth. Once the soup is blended well, turn off the heat and stir in the milk or cream. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed.

Recipe Notes

If you are eating this as part of the Weekday Weekend Challenge (from our cookbook), make sure to use a non-dairy milk like almond milk or coconut. Also, if you do serve with torn, toasted bread, choose something 100% whole wheat or other whole grains.

Credits // Author and Photography: Emma Chapman. Photos edited with the A Color Story Desktop.

21 Comments

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.