White Bean Potato Leek Soup, oh my! Now that we are firmly into winter, this cozy, comforting, creamy soup is just what is needed to chase away the chilly blues. Redolent with winter flavors from garlic, leek, rosemary, sage and thyme and loaded with rich protein from the cannellini beans, this soup will be a welcome addition to your soup repertoire.
There is nothing fancy or difficult here and it’s the kind of soup that just gets better each day, so make a big batch and enjoy it all week. I have added baby spinach to mine for color, nutrients and flavor, but Lacinato (Dino) Kale or chard would also be nice additions.
While you can absolutely use a quality canned bean, rinsed and drained, I like to cook my beans. That way I get to add to the depths of flavors since each element is seasoned first before adding it to the soup pot. The soup will be delicious either way, but I do encourage you to try cooking your own beans. You will notice the difference.
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I came across the original recipe on Rainbow Plant Life, a vegan blog that I follow. While I don’t always agree with her flavorings, the author has great ideas and methods for improving your vegan options. As an experienced cook, I don’t require following her recipes slavishly, but she does make vegan cooking accessible to those who are new to it. I did make a few changes to the original recipe.
Serve this one-pot meal (unless you cook your own beans) with a good bread, preferably fresh from the oven, and a simple green salad. And don’t forget a nice glass of wine or cider! A little bit of heaven on a cold winter eve.
Recipe
Yield: About 6 servings
Ingredients
3 Tablespoons buttery EVOO
4.5 cups cooked cannellini beans (you could use Great Northern or some other creamy white bean)
3 large leeks, white and light green parts, well-cleaned and thinly sliced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 pound+ (about 4) golden or red potatoes, peeled and cut into approx. 1-inch cubes
1 large stem each: fresh rosemary, sage and thyme, tied with kitchen twine in a bouquet
2 or 3 bay leaves
6 cups vegetable or chicken broth
kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
2 handfuls of coarsely chopped bay spinach, stems removed
For Serving
About 1 cup of chopped fresh herbs (I used parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme and dill but any combination of these would be good)
1 Tablespoon EVOO
Pinch of salt
Directions
NOTE:
If cooking your own beans, this can be done up to a couple of days ahead. Soak the beans overnight. Then rinse and drain the beans. Place them in a pot large enough to hold them and enough water to cover them by about 2-inches. Add some aromatics like thyme and rosemary and add a teaspoon or two of a garlic EVOO. Bring to a boil, skimming off any scum that forms at the top. Then cover the pot, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 90 minutes. Remove from the heat. These can be refrigerated if you don’t plan on using them immediately. The liquid can be used in soup wherever stock or water is called for. It will make the soup creamier just as pasta water added to sauces do.
In a 6 quart stockpot or Dutch oven, heat the 3 Tablespoons of EVOO. Add the sliced leeks and 1 teaspoon of salt. Sauté on medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the leeks soften and just begin to brown.
After the 5 minutes, add the chopped garlic and potatoes. Stir through and cook for another 3 minutes. Then add all of the remaining soup ingredients. Give a good stir and bring to a boil. If there is any scum, you should skim it. Then cover the pot, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
At the end of the hour, remove the bouquet of herbs. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup only part-way. You want the soup to be creamy but still to have some visible vegetable chunks. Check your seasonings and add salt and pepper as desired. Add the chopped spinach and cook for another couple of minutes on a low heat or until the spinach is just wilted.
When you are ready to serve, very lightly sauté the fresh chopped herbs in the EVOO. The colors should still be vibrant. This will take no more than about 1 minute – just enough to soften the herbs and meld the flavors. You can add a pinch of salt if you like. Ladle the soup into bowls and add some of the fresh herbs to the top. Now enjoy!
