30-Minute Cauliflower Potato Leek Soup (Dairy Free)
This easy and creamy cauliflower potato leek soup is ready to enjoy in about 30 minutes. Made with chopped cauliflower, potatoes, and leeks sauteed in broth, it’s full of flavor. It’s easy enough to make on a busy weeknight or to whip up on a lazy weekend. It’s the perfect warm and comforting soup.
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What makes this recipe so great
If you’re looking for more comforting soup recipes, here are a few of our favorites to bookmark:
Ingredients for Cauliflower Potato Leek Soup
Optional Toppings
If you want to dress up your potato cauliflower soup bowls, here are some optional toppings:
- shredded cheese (gruyere or cheddar cheese would be delicious)
- parsley
- bacon
- seasoned croutons
- crusty bread
- green onions
- caramelized onions
Kitchen Tools Needed
The best part of this quick cauliflower potato soup? It uses very little ingredients and simple tools that you probably have in your kitchen.
- 8 quart stock pot. I like using Dutch ovens to make soup.
- Wooden spoon.
- Blender. We used a Vitamix but you can also try an immersion blender.
- Ladle.
How to Make Cauliflower Potato Leek Soup
Prep the vegetables:
- Cut the cauliflower into bite-sized pieces.
- Cut off the dark green part of the leek, then slice the leek in half. Cut it into ¼-½ inch strips and rinse well to remove any dirt.
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1-inch cubes.
Cook the Aromatics:
- Add the oil to a large pot over medium heat, then add the leeks and garlic.
- Stir them together and cook until the leeks are soft and translucent.
Season the Base:
- Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes (if using). Stir well to combine.
Add Cauliflower, Potatoes, and Broth
- Add the cauliflower, potatoes, and broth to the pot. Stir everything together and bring the mixture to a boil.
Simmer
- Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for 20 minutes. The vegetables should be soft by the end; if not, simmer for another 5 minutes.
Blend the Soup
- Working in batches, carefully add the soup to a blender and blend until smooth (about 20-30 seconds per batch).
Final Seasoning
- Return the blended soup to the pot. Taste and adjust with more salt and pepper if needed.
Storage Instructions
Store the leftover cauliflower leek potato soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To reheat you can transfer the soup to a saucepan and reheat over medium heat.
You can also microwave the soup by placing it in a microwave-safe container and microwaving it for 45 seconds then stir the soup and continue to warm up in 15-30 second intervals until the soup is warm (timing will depend on your microwave).
Troubleshooting Tips
Why does my soup taste bitter?
When onions, leeks, and garlic are cooked too long they can become bitter. Keep your heat to medium when you are sauteing your leeks and allow them just to become translucent. This is before they start to become brown.
Why did my soup turn out slimy?
Did you know that over-blending potatoes can make them slimy?
The starch from the potatoes can leak out and create a slimy texture to the soup. To prevent this from happening, you will want to blend until smooth and try not to over-blend the soup.
If your soup has simmered resulting in soft cauliflower and potatoes you should only need to blend for 20-30 seconds.
What to Serve with this Soup
If you have a family full of teens or high-appetite eaters, here are some suggestions to add a little extra to this meal.
- Grilled cheese sandwiches.
- Your favorite sandwich (turkey, ham, etc) we love our Caesar Steak Sandwiches.
- Dinner rolls, breadsticks, or biscuits. We love our classic lunch lady rolls and/or Copycat Red Lobster biscuits.
- Apple or pear slices.
- Garlic toast.
Cauliflower Potato Leek Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower cut into bite-size pieces, about 2 lbs
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 leeks white and light green parts only washed, halved, and sliced
- 4 cloves garlic
- 4 cups Yukon gold potatoes peeled and chopped into cubes (3 large or 6 medium/small)
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes optional
Option Garnish
- Shredded cheese
- Green onions
- Croutons
- Crusty bread
Instructions
- Cut your cauliflower into bite-sized pieces.1 head cauliflower
- Cut the dark green part of the leek(s) off, slice the leek in half and then slice the leek into ¼-½ inch strips. I recommend rinsing the leeks as they can have dirt inside the layers.2 leeks
- Peel and cut your potatoes into 1” cubes.4 cups Yukon gold potatoes
- In a large pot over medium heat add the oil then add the leeks and garlic. Stir to combine and allow them to sweat and become almost translucent.2 tbsp olive oil, 4 cloves garlic
- Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes (if using). Stir to combine.1 tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- Next add the cauliflower, potatoes, and broth. Stir to combine and bring to a boil.4 cups vegetable broth
- Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover it, and allow it to simmer for 20 minutes.
- After it has simmered the potatoes, cauliflower, and leeks should be soft. If not, simmer for 5 more minutes.
- Working in batches, add the soup to a blender and blend until smooth (20-30 seconds at medium-low speed using a high-speed blender is all that was needed – more time might be needed for different blenders)
- Transfer back into the pot and check the seasoning. You can add more salt and pepper to taste at this point.
- Serve immediately, add with any additional desired toppings.Shredded cheese, Green onions, Crusty bread, Croutons
Notes
- Kirkland olive oil
- Pacific vegetable broth
- Kirkland sea salt
- Kirkland pepper
- Kirkland red pepper flakes
Oh my goodness, this was SO quick and easy to make! My family absolutely loved this soup and will be adding this to our normal rotation. Thank you so much for the recipe!
So happy you liked it Jenn! Have a great week 🙂