Vegan Leek and Potato Soup - A Quick Recipe for a Hearty Fall Dish (2024)

FAQs

Why is my leek and potato soup bland? ›

Although leeks are known for its powerful taste, your potato and leek soup can occasionally come out bland. The reasons are usually two: you didn't season your soup at all, worrying it might be too salty because of the leeks; or you added to much water for the stock.

Why is my potato leek soup gummy? Potatoes should be diced in similar size so they cook evenly, but don't drive yourself crazy getting them teeny-tiny. If they're too small, you risk the potatoes releasing too much starch, which can make the soup gummy when pureed.

Potato Leek Soup Serving Suggestions

Jack and I often enjoy this potato and leek soup on its own, with good crusty bread, homemade focaccia, or dinner rolls on the side. If you're craving a larger meal, I recommend pairing it with a salad.

Add flour or cornflour

Put a tablespoon of either into a small bowl and stir in 2-3 tbsp of the soup until you have a smooth mixture. Stir this back into the soup and bring it to a simmer. Cook for a few minutes to allow the starch granules to burst to thicken, and to cook out any flour flavour.

Add acidic ingredients.

Foods that have a great deal of acidity, like lemon juice, vinegar, white wine, and tomato puree, can help liven up the flavor of bland-tasting bone and other broths. "The acidity of these ingredients works to complement and enhance the broth's flavors, not mask it.

Add the leeks to the pot, lowering the heat if necessary and saute for 10-15 minutes , or until soft and translucent. Be careful not to burn the leeks, as they will impart a bitter taste to the soup. The excess liquid from cleaning the leeks should help prevent any burning.

Sautéing leeks before adding them to the soup can enhance their flavor and bring out their sweetness. Heat some oil or butter in a pan, then add the sliced leeks. Cook them over medium heat until they become soft and slightly caramelized. This step adds depth of flavor to your soup.

Cornstarch is a very effective thickener, and a little bit can go a long way. Add cornstarch to a small amount of cold water or other liquid (wine or stock) and whisk into a thick slurry.

It looks as though some of your potatoes might have got a bit scorched. Did you fry them off before adding the liquid? The colour from the browned potatoes could be what is turning it brown.

How do you fix gluey potato leek soup? ›

It turns out, then, that contrary to internet opinion, it is possible to redeem your potato leek soup if somehow it becomes gluey. Ladle some into a freezer bag, freeze it flat, thaw it, and pour off the water.

Top pairings

Here are my favourite pairings: * Smooth dry white wines such as Chenin Blanc and unoaked or subtle oaked Chardonnay or Italian whites such as Gavi or Soave work with dishes that have a creamy texture or a light cheese sauce or leek dishes with eggs like a leek and cheese quiche.

A fresh and light combination of sauteed onions, leeks and peas is one that is guaranteed to add a nice touch of green to your plate. A healthy side dish, packed with simple ingredients, delicious flavour, with an additional bonus of an astonishing amount of natural protein in the peas!

Try adding a little more salt. That's usually the answer to any issue of blandness, no matter the recipe in question. A basic Appalachian style potato soup uses only a handful of simple ingredients, leaning on milk and water and often bouillon to create the brothy soup base.

With a simple soup like potato, I would stick to salt and pepper only. If you do use other spices, be careful because they will easily overwhelm the delicate flavor. Some ingredients I like to include in potato soup: Cooked, chopped bacon.

Cheese: I recommend a good sharp cheddar cheese here for maximum flavor. Greek yogurt or sour cream: To make the soup extra-creamy. Salt and pepper: Add in as much as you need at the end to season your soup well.

If the soup is already made and you just want to deepen the flavour, try a shake of a pre-made sauce such as Worcestershire, brown sauce, barbecue sauce, soy or even kecap manis etc. For next time, more or better beef stock.