This smooth and creamy Potato, Leek and Cauliflower Soup has a secret ingredient that makes it so flavoursome. Top with crispy bacon bits and soak it up with your favourite bread slathered in butter for the ultimate comfort dish.
As soon as the weather gets dreary, all I can think is soup and this Potato, Leek and Cauliflower Soup recipe is my new favourite. Packed with nutritious ingredients like veggies and broth, not only does this soup taste soup-er yummy, it is really healthy as well. The soup is blended until smooth and so creamy without using any cream! For more cauliflower soup recipes you need to try my Saffron Coconut Cauliflower Pumpkin Soup or my Leek Soup Recipe (without potato).
What’s to Love About Potato, Leek and Cauliflower Soup
Potato and Leek soup just got a glow-up with the addition of Vitamin C packed cauliflower! I’ve always been a lover of cauliflower and I have to say, this one is next level! Here’s what I love about it:
- healthy – this soup is loaded with vegetables, healthy fats, complex carbohydrates and fibre. Potatoes that are cooked and then cooled form resistant starches, which help to feed the good bacteria in our tummy’s so there is an added gut health benefit if you are eating the leftovers. I love serving this soup with my Zucchini Turkey Meatballs for some added protein.
- easy to make – one of my favourite things about making soup is just how easy it is! Everything comes together in one pot meaning less mess.
- allergy friendly – this recipe is gluten-free, egg-free, nut-free and dairy-optional. I’ve also included notes for making this recipe dairy-free and vegan.
- delicious – I’ve been enjoying this soup for lunch and dinner since making it because it is so delicious!
Ingredients Notes & Substitutions
You really only need a handful of ingredients to make this delicious leek, cauliflower and potato soup. I’ve popped everything you need below as well as any ingredient notes and possible swaps. The ingredient quantities can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- leeks – you will need two leeks for this recipe, using the white parts and light green parts only. Hold onto the green tops of the leeks though as you can use them to make a homemade chicken broth or vegetable broth. Slice the leeks in half lengthways and give them a good wash to get rid of any dirt hidden between the layers. Leeks are of course one of the main ingredients in this recipe but if you can’t find any then you can swap them for brown onions.
- head of cauliflower – the head of cauliflower that I used for this recipe was pretty petite, weighing around 500 grams. I roughly cut it into florets, no need to cut them too neatly as they will all get blended up anyway!
- potatoes – I used creme gold potatoes for this recipe – a creamier white potato works best. You could also use Yukon gold potatoes, Dutch cream potatoes or kipfler potatoes.
- fresh garlic cloves – if you’re using jarred minced garlic then use about a teaspoon per garlic clove that is called for.
- extra virgin olive oil & butter – I use a combination of olive oil and butter, butter for adding extra flavour and olive oil for adding healthy fats and antioxidants to the recipe. If you’re dairy-free, swap the butter for a dairy-free butter or use all olive oil.
- chicken broth – you can use chicken broth or chicken stock, either is totally fine. If making this recipe vegetarian or vegan, use vegetable stock or broth.
- soy milk – instead of using heavy cream I’ve used soy milk to add some more creaminess to the soup. You could also use regular milk if you’re not dairy intolerant. Or if you really want to, use about a 1/4 cup cream.
- fresh thyme – you could also use other fresh herbs like oregano or marjoram. Or add dried bay leaves instead.
- parmesan rind – this is the secret ingredient that I mentioned earlier. The parmesan rind is the end part of a block of parmesan that is usually discarded. I highly recommend holding onto them so you can throw them into soups and stews to add that umami flavour.
- sea salt flakes & cracked black pepper
To Serve
I love topping this cauliflower potato leek soup with some crispy bacon bits and sliced chives but you could swap for croutons, cheddar cheese crisps or thinly sliced green onions. The world is your oyster!
To Make Dairy-Free/Vegan Soup
Swap the butter for a vegan butter or use more oil. Don’t add the parmesan rind. You can add a little nutritional yeast for that cheesy flavour if desired.
To make vegan, also swap the chicken broth to vegetable broth and omit the bacon.
How I Make Cauliflower Leek Potato Soup
I can’t stress enough just how easy this soup recipe is to make. Seriously. Everything comes together in a total time of 40 minutes. Here’s what you need to do.
Sauté the leek
First, heat a large Dutch oven or large pot to a medium heat. Add the olive oil and butter and stir as the butter melts.
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To the pan add the leek and sauté until tender and starting to caramelise. Add the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant – there is no better smell in my opinion then leek and garlic sautéing in butter!
Add the remaining ingredients
To the pan add the chicken broth, cauliflower florets and potatoes and stir to combine. Add the parmesan rind, thyme, salt and pepper and bring the soup to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and simmer until the potato and leek are tender and fall apart when pierced with a fork. This will take about 10 minutes.
While the soup simmers, fry the bacon bits in a pan until they reach your desired level of crispiness.
Blend and serve
Remove from the heat, remove the sticks from the thyme sprigs and the parmesan rind and add the milk. Use an immersion blender to blend until you reach your desired texture. I love this soup smooth and creamy but if you want some more chunks, that’s totally fine too!
Note: Please be careful using the immersion blender and always make sure it is unplugged before attempting to clean it to avoid injury.
To serve, spoon the soup into a bowl and top with the bacon bits and finely sliced chives.
Storage
Store the leftover soup in a glass airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat before eating, either in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stovetop. This soup freezes really well, I recommend ladling the soup into individual portion sized containers. Once cooled place in the freezer and freeze for up to 6 months.
Potato, Leek and Cauliflower Soup
Equipment
- Sharp knife
- Chopping Board
- Dutch oven or large saucepan with 5L capacity
- Immersion blender
Ingredients
- 50 grams butter
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 leeks, ends removed, white parts rinsed and thinly sliced
- 5 cloves garlic, skin removed, minced
- 1 medium head cauliflower, leaves removed, cut into florets
- 550 grams potatoes, (about 4 medium) peeled and diced
- 1 L chicken stock, or vegetable stock
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 parmesan rind
- ½ cup soy milk, or regular milk
To serve
- 200 grams bacon, diced
- small handful chives, finely sliced
- drizzle extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Bring a large pot or Dutch oven to a medium heat. Add the olive oil and then leeks, sauté until tender. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant.
- To the pan add the cauliflower florets, diced potatoes, chicken stock, thyme, salt, pepper and parmesan rind and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and simmer until the potatoes and cauliflower are tender (about 10 minutes).
- While the soup simmers, bring a frying pan to a medium heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil and then the bacon and fry until crispy or to your liking. Transfer the bacon bits to a paper towel lined plate and set aside.
- Once the potato and cauliflower is tender, remove the sticks from the thyme and the parmesan rind and add the milk. Turn off the heat and use an immersion blender to blend until smooth and creamy. Alternatively, transfer to a bench-top high-speed blender and blend on high until smooth and creamy. You might just want to wait until the soup has cooled a little first if using a bench top blender.
- To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and top with a drizzle of olive oil, crispy bacon bits and finely chopped chives. Serve hot.
Notes
Make it Dairy-Free
- Swap the butter for a dairy free butter or more olive oil
- Don’t add the parmesan rind, you may need to add extra salt for flavour.
Make it Vegan
- Follow the instructions to make it dairy-free.
- Omit the bacon and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
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