Cauliflower Leek Soup

A bowl of this creamy, rich, light and bright cauliflower leek soup is what you need to your menu! It’s a creamless velvety but not heavy, hearty and comforting, with a depth of flavor. Serve it as a side dish, or as a main for lunch then pack the leftovers to enjoy for lunch at work!

This soup is vegan, Whole30 compliant, paleo, and dairy-free.

Leeks are currently in season, and this week I received 6 leeks in my weekly organic fruit and veg box. I like leeks either roasted, fried, or in soups. And with our cold Cardiff weather, I figured that it was time to make hearty leek soup. I also had a head of cauliflower that I needed to use up, so cauliflower leek soup it is!

This soup is made super creamy thanks to the cauliflower, and the leeks make it extra flavorful. It’s so simple and really quick to make. So let me show you how I made this soup!

Leeks have a sweet and delicate flavor, and if you’ve never cooked with them then please do give them a chance! They’re so healthy and versatile and can be added to a lot of dishes.

How to prepare leeks

Before you cook with leeks, it is very important that you wash them really well as dirt usually collects between the layers. After you wash them, slice them and then use a salad spinner to make sure that any dirt stuck between the layers falls off and doesn’t ruin your soup.

The other thing that you need to know, is that the dark green part of the leeks is quite bitter so it’s a good idea to discard that part.

Use the white part of the leek, slice it up and stop when you get to the dark green part.

As for the cauliflower, you also need to make sure that you wash the cauliflower head really well. Then cut it roughly into florets and bite-size pieces using stems and all.

How to make cauliflower leek soup

• In a pot, heat oil and saute the sliced leeks on medium heat for a couple of minutes while stirring regularly.
• Add minced garlic, and cook for a minute or until it’s fragrant.
• Add cauliflower florets, vegetable stock, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, and simmer until the cauliflower is cooked and tender.

• Remove from heat, let it cool down a little.
• Using an immersion blender blend the soup until smooth. If it’s too thick, add more vegetable stock and blend.
• Adjust seasonings to your preference, ladle into bowls and serve with sliced green onion and crispy bacon (optional).

This soup has a similar texture to a potato soup. It’s dairy-free, and vegan if you don’t add bacon (I used vegan bacon).

Storing tips

• Fridge – Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Make sure that the soup has completely cooled down before it goes into the fridge.
• Freezer – Freeze in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months.
• Reheat – Either reheat in the microwave, or in a pot over the stovetop on medium heat.

Top Tips

• This soup is super creamy as it is, but you can add potato if you like to make it creamier and more filling.
• For protein, you can add some extra-firm tofu to the soup.
• You can use frozen cauliflower instead of fresh.
• You can use chicken stock instead of vegetable stock if you’re not concerned about this soup being vegetarian.
• If you would like to take this soup to the next level, roast the cauliflower and the leeks. Spread cauliflower florets on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, and roast. Add the sliced leeks, and roast for 7-8 minutes with a drizzle of olive oil.
• You can mash the cauliflower and leeks with a wooden spoon if you don’t have an immersion blender, or leave it chunky if you like.

More delicious soup recipes

• Easy tomato soup
• Jerusalem artichoke soup
• Instant pot lentil soup
• Instant pot cauliflower soup
• Roasted rutabaga soup
• Slow cooker butternut squash soup