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No Potato Leek Soup Recipe (Creamy and Easy)

By Elena

Feb 10, 2023, Updated Oct 21, 2023

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This No Potato Leek Soup Recipe is creamy, easy, flavorful, and super comforting! It is similar to a traditional potato leek soup, except we use cauliflower instead of potato! It is a nutritious and wholesome meal in under 30 minutes for a quick weeknight dinner or light lunch.

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More delicious soup recipes Simple Artichoke Soup Italian Recipe, Tomato Soup Recipe (Easy), BEST Zuppa Toscana Soup Recipe, Autumn Squash Soup, and Pasta e Fagioli Recipe.

Best Leek Soup Recipe

If you love potato leek soup, this is the recipe for you! I promise you won’t even miss the potatoes at all!

You will love the creamy texture of this no-potato leek soup recipe- made without heavy cream! The secret to making this creamy soup is the cauliflower. It is flavored with fresh herbs, garlic, and crispy green onions for a final touch!

There is one more secret ingredient- nutmeg! A pinch is needed to add flavor without overpowering the soup. We love nutmeg as a flavor enhancer! It is also added to bechamel when making Classic Italian Lasagna Bolognese with Bechamel Sauce.

Add homemade croutons or crusty bread as a topping. My personal favorite is serving it in bread bowls from our local bakery!

Simple Ingredients

All you need is a few basic ingredients for this delicious soup recipe. The best part is they are all wholesome and healthy! It is a creamy soup to make again and again.

Soup 

• Kerrygold Butter or other good quality butter (sub extra virgin olive oil)
• Onion, chopped
• Cauliflower
• Leeks
• Garlic, peeled and minced
• Bay leaves
• Fresh thyme, chopped
• Fresh rosemary, chopped 
• Kosher Salt
• Ground black pepper
• Nutmeg
• Water, vegetable broth, chicken broth, or bone broth of choice

Crispy Green Onions

• Olive oil 
• Green onions  
• pinch of salt 

See the recipe card for quantities.

What do Leeks Taste Like?

Leeks are healthy, nutritious, and from the same family as garlic, chives, shallots, and onions. Leeks are, however, sweeter than the onion. They are also milder than an onion or shallot. 

How to Make Leek Soup Step-by-Step with Photos

This leek soup recipe is an easy one-pot meal.

How to Make Leek Soup with Cauliflower

In a large pot on medium-high heat, saute the sliced leek in butter or oil until soft, about 8 minutes. Next, add the garlic and cook until fragrant.

Add cauliflower, salt and pepper, nutmeg, and herbs.

Add broth and give it a good stir.

Bring to a boil, cover, and turn down to a simmer for 20 minutes or until cauliflower is fork tender.

Allow soup to cool until lukewarm before blending. 

Use a hand-held immersion blender to blend the soup in the pot until smooth and creamy. Be careful when using a handheld blender in a bot of hot liquid. Alternatively, transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Add more water or broth until desired consistency is reached.

Blend until perfectly smooth or desired consistency.

Crispy Green Onions

In a small saucepan on medium-low heat, heat oil and add chopped green onions. Saute until lightly golden brown and crispy. 

Serve soup in a bread bowl or with crusty bread, and top with crispy green onions, a swirl of creme fraiche, or coconut cream- if desired. Enjoy hot! 

Serving Leek Soup in Bread Bowls

It is optional to serve this soup in bread bowls. I love the beautiful presentation and delicious taste of the crusty bread and the creamy soup. This recipe is light, creamy, and delicious.

Washing Leeks

It’s important to wash leeks as they hold a lot of dirt between each layer. In this recipe, we use the white and green parts of the leeks for a smoother texture. Here is the proper way to wash leeks in a few easy steps.

1. Fill a large bowl with cold water and add sliced leeks.
2. Stir leeks in the water until all the dirt comes out from the insides of the leeks.
3. Use a colander to drain the leeks.
4. Pat leeks dry before using.

Stock or Broth for Leek Soup

For the liquid in this soup, you can use any stock or broth of your preference. See this post for making homemade chicken broth. Use any of the following.

• Chicken Stock or Chicken Broth
• Vegetable Stock or Vegetable Stock
• Water (adjust salt)
• Beef Stock Beef Broth

Easy Leek Soup Recipe

This comfort food hearty soup is one of those healthy recipes that makes you feel good from the inside out! It is so easy to make and comes together in one pot in a dutch oven or large stock pot.

Substitutions

If you have food allergies or want to make this a vegan leek soup, here are some options.

• Add a little coconut milk for extra creaminess.
• Top with nutritional yeast instead of cheese.
• Use vegan bacon for an extra crispy topping.

Variations

The next time you make this cauliflower leek soup try these delicious variations and additions.

• Add a little heavy cream for added creaminess.
• Top with cheddar cheese.
• Add a little spice. Top with chili pepper flakes (red pepper flakes) and/or chili oil.
• Crispy bacon. This recipe includes crispy green onions, but what about adding bacon? That sounds delicious.
• Fresh parsley. Garnish with fresh parsley for an extra herb flavor.
• Lemon juice. A splash of lemon juice will brighten the leek soup recipe soup.

Equipment

Here are some of my favorite tools that come in handy when making this No Potato Leek Soup Recipe.

• Hand-held Immersion Blender, or use a Regular Blender, or High Power Blender
• Large Sauce Pan

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FAQs

What to Serve with No Potato Leek Soup Recipe

This soup is so light and refreshing that it makes a great year-round soup recipe. This soup pairs beautifully with BEST Breaded Chicken Cutlets (Italian), Dad’s Famous Dry Rub Pork Ribs (EASY), or this delicious Salmon Piccata recipe.

Adding a lean protein source along with this soup, you have a quick and easy well-rounded meal.

Try an easy appetizer like King Crab Salad Recipe (Simple and Easy) or Hot Mascarpone Spinach Artichoke Dip.

An Italian salad, like Italian Salad with Pears, Walnuts, and Gorgonzola, would be delicious too.

Don’t forget the bread- Fast Italian No Knead Ciabatta Bread and dessert- Simple Italian Apple Cake (one bowl)!

More Soup Recipes

• Classic Italian Wedding Soup Recipe
• Authentic Italian Pasta e Fagioli Recipe (soup)
• Pasta e Ceci (Italian Pasta with Chickpea Soup)
• Italian Pastina Soup Recipe (with Chicken broth)

Easy and Creamy Leek Soup Recipe (Creamy and Easy)

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Pin Recipe

This No Potato Leek Soup Recipe is creamy, easy, full of flavor, and super comforting! It is similar to a traditional potato leek soup, except we use cauliflower instead of potato! It is a nutritious and wholesome meal in under 30 minutes for a quick weeknight meal or light lunch.

• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 4–6 servings 1x

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

Soup 

• 3 tablespoons Kerrygold Butter or other good quality butter (sub extra virgin olive oil)
• 2 heads cauliflower, cut into pieces
• 2 leeks, washed and sliced, both white and green parts of the leek
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 4 cups water, vegetable broth, chicken broth, or bone broth

Crispy Green Onions

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 green onions finely chopped
• pinch of salt

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Instructions

Soup

1. In a large pot on medium-high heat, saute the sliced leek in butter or oil until soft, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant.
2. Add cauliflower, salt and pepper, nutmeg, herbs, and broth and give it a good stir. Bring to a boil, cover, and turn down to a simmer for 20 minutes or until cauliflower is fork tender. Allow soup to cool until lukewarm before blending. 
3. Use a hand-held immersion blender to blend the soup in the pot until smooth and creamy. Be careful when using a handheld blender in a bot of hot liquid. Alternatively, transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Add more water or broth until desired consistency is reached.

Crispy Green Onions

1. In a small saucepan on medium-low heat, heat oil and add chopped green onions. Saute until lightly golden brown and crispy. 

Serve soup in a bread bowl or with crusty bread, and top with crispy green onions, a swirl of creme fraiche, or coconut cream- if desired. Enjoy hot! 

Notes

How to Store

FRIDGE. Store leftover soup in the pot or an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat an individual serving size before serving.
FREEZER. To freeze the leek soup, wait until it is cooled to room temperature before transferring it to a BPA-free, airtight container.

• Author: Elena
• Prep Time: 10 min
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Category: Savory
• Method: Italian
• Cuisine: French/Italian