So smooth and creamy, this Cauliflower Leek Potato Soup will soon become your new favorite soup recipe. Packed with vegetables, with a secret ingredient for a flavor boost that will have you coming back for more!
Are soups the only thing that make winters tolerable? Maybe. And there is certainly nothing better to pair with a thick slice of sourdough bread. Whether it’s my Creamy Tuscan Bean Soup, my Carrot Ginger Soup, or my French Lentil Soup, there is nearly always a soup in my refrigerator. This upgrade to a classic potato soup came into the rotation and has barely left. Here’s why.
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Why Make This Recipe
- So many veggies packed in there!
- Get past the chopping, and this soup is super easy to make
- So creamy and savory, it’s just comfort in a bowl
- Great vegetarian meal option—just pair with salad or crusty bread
🥗 Ingredients
- Potatoes: Use a creamy yellow potato like Yukon Gold. Baking potatoes (russet potatoes) are a little too starchy for a great soup.
- Cauliflower: Look for a bright white head of cauliflower without a bunch of brown spots or sad leaves around it.
- Leeks: Leeks can be a pain to wash, but their flavor is so delicate and lovely. If you can’t find them though, try replacing with a sweet white onion.
- Vegetable Stock: Try making your own with this easy Vegetable Stock recipe. Chicken broth or chicken stock can be substituted, if you don’t need a vegetarian soup.
- Heavy Cream: Use either heavy cream or coconut milk to make it even more luxuriously creamy. Coconut milk is perfect for a dairy-free soup.
- White Miso Paste: The secret ingredient! Miso adds so much depth of flavor to this soup. You can use red miso paste instead of white, but the flavor will be a little stronger. The soup will also turn a slightly darker color.
- Green Onion: The contrast of raw scallions on top of the soup is nice, but you could also garnish the soup with fresh herbs like chives, dill, or parsley. Fresh thyme would also work well.
🥣 Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Peel and chop 12 ounces Yukon gold potatoes into ¾-inch chunks. Cut ½ pound cauliflower into small florets. (You will have about 2 ½ cups of florets.)
Step 2: Cut off the dark green leaves of two leeks, so that only the white and light green parts of the leek remain. Rinse well. Remove the outside leek layer, and check to see if there is dirt between the remaining layers. If not, just slice thinly.
If there is more dirt, the best way to remove it is to thinly slice the leeks and place leek slices in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes. Remove leeks with a slotted spoon, trying not to disturb the dirt at the bottom of the bowl, and pat dry. Peel and chop 2 garlic cloves.
Step 3: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan or dutch oven over medium heat. Add chopped garlic, sliced leeks, and 2 teaspoons white miso paste. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened but not browned and miso is fully incorporated into the vegetables.
Step 4: Add chopped potatoes and cauliflower florets and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
Step 5: Add 4 cups of vegetable stock, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook for 15-20 minutes, with the pot partly covered, until potatoes and cauliflower are tender.
Step 6: To blend, either use an immersion blender directly in the soup pot, or let soup cool slightly before pouring into a regular blender. Return soup to your large pot after blending (if necessary).
Step 7: Bring soup back to a simmer, and add ½ cup heavy cream or full-fat coconut milk. Stir in 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Heat gently for 5 minutes, to allow the flavors to meld. Taste, and add additional salt and pepper, as needed.
Garnish with a swizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of sliced green onions, if desired.
Leftover soup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
🧐 Recipe FAQs for Cauliflower Leek Potato Soup
Yes, you can freeze this soup. When you defrost it, it will look a little separated, especially if you have used cream instead of coconut milk. But just whisk the soup well, and it will come back together as you reheat it.
Yes, just use coconut milk instead of heavy cream, or leave it out entirely. It will still be a creamy soup, even without the cream! Or, try this Vegan Potato Leek Soup for another vegan option.
👩🍳 Expert Tips
Make sure that if you are using a regular blender to blend your cauliflower leek soup, you let it cool somewhat before you ladle it into the blender—blending very hot liquid can be dangerous! Don’t fill the blender jar all the way to the top either. Blend in small batches as needed.
I love my Vitamix for getting a super velvety texture on creamy soups like this. It's great with my Creamy Butternut Squash Bisque too!
If you prefer a thinner soup, add more vegetable broth or water as desired. In addition, soup may thicken after being refrigerated. You can add additional broth or water at that point as well.
What to Serve with Cauliflower Potato Soup
For a vegetarian full meal, pair with this simple soup with Arugula Apple Salad, this Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad, or this Hearts of Palm Salad. Try it with a hearty Beet Salad with Oranges. Or, serve with a grilled cheese sandwich or any kind of panini. In fact, even a couple of thick slices of Baguette Garlic Bread would be lovely.
Other Soup Recipes
If you love this cauliflower soup recipe as much as I do, you’ll want to check out some other tasty soup recipes like this Roasted Cauliflower and Pumpkin Soup. Try my classic French Onion Soup or Italian Wedding Soup recipes or my No-Cream Pumpkin Soup. Or try one of these:
If you try this easy cauliflower leek potato soup recipe, I would love to hear from you! Please rate this recipe and leave a comment below—your feedback is invaluable to me.
And please follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook or subscribe to our newsletter. We’d love to inspire you with more delicious, healthy, and seasonal recipes!
📖 Recipe
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Cauliflower Leek Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 12 ounces Yukon gold potatoes
- ½ pound cauliflower about 2 ½ cups of florets
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 leeks
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons white miso paste
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- ½ cup heavy cream or full-fat coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Sliced green onion for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Peel and chop potatoes into ¾-inch chunks.
- Cut cauliflower into small florets.
- Peel and chop garlic cloves.
- For the leeks, cut off the dark green leaves, so that only the white and light green parts of the leek remain. Rinse well. Remove the outside leek layer, and check to see if there is dirt between the remaining layers. If not, just slice thinly. If there is more dirt, slice thinly and place leek slices in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes. Remove leeks with a slotted spoon, trying not to disturb the dirt at the bottom of the bowl, and pat dry.
- Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
- Add chopped garlic, sliced leeks, and miso paste. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened but not browned and miso is fully incorporated into the vegetables.
- Add potatoes and cauliflower and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add vegetable stock, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook for 15-20 minutes, with the pot partly covered, until potatoes and cauliflower are tender.
- To blend, either use an immersion blender directly in the pot, or let soup cool slightly before pouring into a regular blender.
- Bring soup back to a simmer after blending, and add heavy cream. Stir in salt.
- Heat gently for 5 minutes, to allow the flavors to meld.
- Taste, and add additional salt and pepper, as needed. Garnish with a swizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of sliced green onions, if desired.
Notes
Leftover soup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Recipe Tips:
Make sure that if you are using a regular blender to blend your cauliflower leek soup, you let it cool somewhat before you ladle it into the blender—blending very hot liquid can be dangerous! Don’t fill the blender jar all the way to the top either. Blend in small batches as needed. If you prefer a thinner soup, add more vegetable broth or water as desired. In addition, soup may thicken after being refrigerated. You can add additional broth or water at that point as well.
Nutrition
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More About Molly
Cooking healthy(ish) meals with seasonal ingredients is my passion. Trained as a French pastry chef, I spent over 10 years as a personal chef. Here you'll find well-tested recipes that you and your family will love!
Karen says
How much sweet white onion if you don’t use leeks?
Molly Pisula says
I'd say use about 1/2 of a large sweet white onion. About 1 cup of roughly chopped onion, or a little less.