Leek and Potato Soup Without Cream (Vegan, One Pot)

Name: Leek and potato soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 3 medium leeks (about 450 g trimmed, white and light green parts); 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (54 g: 3 for cooking, 1 to finish); 1 medium onion (about 110 g, chopped); 2 cloves garlic (6 g, sliced); 600 g floury potatoes (peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes); 1.1 litres water or vegetable stock (4 1/2 cups); 1 bay leaf and a few sprigs of thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried thyme); 1 tsp fine salt (5 g, less if you use stock); Black pepper; To serve: chopped chives or parsley (a squeeze of lemon (optional))

2 min readUpdated: 5 Nov 2026Jump to recipe ↓

Contents 6

Leek and potato soup
Nutrition per serving
Swaps and variations
Storage and reheating
Related
FAQ

By Nikola · Precision Nutrition L1 · Sources checked 5 November 2026

Leek and potato soup usually comes with a carton of cream. This one does not need it. Floury potatoes break down into a thick, velvety base, slowly softened leeks bring the sweetness, and a spoon of good olive oil stirred in at the end does the job cream normally does. It costs very little, takes about 50 minutes and is happy to sit on the stove until everyone is home.

Portion: about 450 ml each · Difficulty: Easy, one pot · Diet: Vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free

Leek and potato soup

A thick, velvety leek and potato soup made with olive oil instead of cream. One pot, 50 minutes, vegan and gluten-free.

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 35

Total Time 50

Course Soups

Servings 4 servings

Calories 317 kcal

Ingredients

3 medium leeks about 450 g trimmed, white and light green parts
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 54 g: 3 for cooking, 1 to finish
1 medium onion about 110 g, chopped
2 cloves garlic 6 g, sliced
600 g floury potatoes peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes
1.1 litres water or vegetable stock 4 1/2 cups
1 bay leaf and a few sprigs of thyme or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp fine salt 5 g, less if you use stock
Black pepper
To serve: chopped chives or parsley a squeeze of lemon (optional)

Instructions

Clean the leeks: cut off the dark green tops and the root, halve them lengthways and rinse under running water, fanning the layers to wash out any grit. Slice into 1 cm half-moons.
Warm 3 tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the leeks, onion and a pinch of salt, cover and let them soften for 10-12 minutes, stirring a couple of times. They should be soft and glossy, not browned.
Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
Add the potatoes, water, bay leaf, thyme and the rest of the salt. Bring to the boil, then simmer partly covered for about 20 minutes, until a potato cube crushes easily against the side of the pot.
Take out the bay leaf and thyme stalks. Blend with a stick blender in short bursts until smooth. Stop as soon as it is smooth: overworked potatoes turn gluey.
Loosen with a little hot water if it is too thick, season with pepper and more salt if needed. Ladle into bowls, drizzle the last tablespoon of olive oil over the four bowls and finish with chives and a few drops of lemon.

Keyword autumn, budget, dairy-free, gluten-free, leeks, no cream, one pot, potatoes, soup, vegan, winter

Nutrition per serving

Per serving, 1/4 of the pot, calculated from USDA FoodData Central for each ingredient, including the finishing olive oil.

Energy	317 kcal
Protein	5.2 g
Fat	14.0 g
Carbohydrate	45.3 g
Fibre	5.7 g
Salt (added)	1.25 g

Data: USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy: Oil, olive, salad or cooking (FDC 171413); Leeks, (bulb and lower leaf-portion), raw (FDC 169246); Onions, raw (FDC 170000); Garlic, raw (FDC 169230); Potatoes, flesh and skin, raw (FDC 170026). Potatoes are calculated with the values for raw potatoes with skin on the peeled weight. Herbs, black pepper, lemon and stock are not included (water assumed). Carbohydrate is USDA “by difference” and includes fibre.

Swaps and variations

Chunky version: blend only half the pot and stir it back in.
More vegetables: add a diced carrot or a small piece of celeriac with the potatoes.
Greens: stir in two handfuls of spinach before blending; the soup turns bright green.
More filling: add a can of drained white beans with the potatoes, then blend as usual.
Crunch on top: toasted pumpkin seeds or small croutons from whole wheat bread.

Storage and reheating

Keeps 4 days in the fridge. It thickens as it stands, so reheat gently with a splash of water and stir often so it does not catch on the bottom. You can freeze it for up to 3 months; potato soups can turn a little grainy after freezing, and a few seconds with the stick blender after reheating fixes most of it.

Recipes: Minestrone with pumpkin and cabbage · Pumpkin soup with ginger and turmeric · Baked apples with walnuts and cinnamon
Encyclopedia: Leeks · Potatoes · Extra virgin olive oil
Diet: Mediterranean diet · 7-day Mediterranean meal plan

FAQ

How do I make leek and potato soup creamy without cream?

Use floury potatoes, cook them until they fall apart and blend well. The potato starch thickens the soup, and the olive oil added at the end gives it a rounder, silkier feel.

Which part of the leek do I use?

The white and light green parts. The dark green tops are tough; keep them for vegetable stock.

Can I use a jug blender?

Yes, but let the soup cool for a few minutes, fill the jug no more than half full and blend briefly. A powerful blender running too long is the quickest way to a gluey soup.

This recipe is for information only and is not medical or dietary advice. Nutrition values are estimates calculated from standard databases and will vary with your ingredients.

Terms in this article

Carrot Mediterranean Diet White Beans Spinach Garlic Onions Leeks Parsley Chives Thyme Extra Virgin Olive Oil Olives Whole Wheat Bread Pumpkin seeds Potatoes Lemons