Name: Instant Pot Vegan Potato Leek Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon vegan butter or margarine (or sauté in water or broth for oil free); 2 leeks (quartered and sliced); 3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes (about 8 medium potatoes) (peeled & diced into 1" cubes); 3 cups low sodium vegetable broth; 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast; 2 teaspoons smoked paprika; 1-2 cups unsweetened cashew milk (or milk of choice); salt + pepper (to taste); vegan bacon bits; green onion, chives or parsley

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A thick and creamy vegan potato leek soup, made in one pot, or your Instant Pot. It’s velvety smooth, incredibly comforting and delicious. And you’ll never miss the meat!

bowl with handles filled potato soup with bacon and chive garnish.

This recipe was originally published in April 2019. It has been updated for content and photos.

There’s something quite amazing and comforting about a nice thick and creamy bowl of soup. And if you’re a soup fan, like I am be sure to check out this collection of the very BEST healthy vegan soup recipes, too!

Close up of bowl of potato soup with pecan bacon and chives on top.

Here’s why you’ll love this soup!

Super simple to make! Nothing complicated about it.
All you’ll need is just six ingredients, plus a couple optional extras.
Incredibly delicious, satisfying and filling!
This soup may be vegan, but you’ll never miss the meat! It’s got a subtle smoky flavour, and absolute perfect texture.

Three bowls of soup with bacon and green onion garnish.

How to clean your leeks

I’ve always found leeks a bit difficult to clean. There’s dirt in every nook and cranny, but here’s an easy way to get them cleaned and chopped!

Start by cutting the tightly rolled part of your leek off, the lighter coloured section. (photo 1)

Then slice that section lengthwise, in quarters. (photos 2-3)

Now slice those quarters horizontally, in about half to one inch pieces. Don’t worry about making them the same size, everything will get pureed later, anyhow. (photo 4)

Now do the same for the darker green part of your leek. (Don’t throw it out, that part is good too!) Slice lengthwise and then slice horizontally into half inch pieces, or so. (photo 5)

Finally, add all the chopped pieces to a colander in your kitchen sink and rinse well to remove all the dirt. (photo 6)

How to make your soup

(This is a summary with step by step photos, full recipe measurements and instructions are in the recipe card below.)

Gather your ingredients. You’ll only need a handful.

Then chop up your leeks (see above for a quick method to clean and slice them) and peel and chop your potatoes.

Ingredients to make potato leek soup on grey deck.

If you’re using your Instant Pot, set the pot to sauté and add the butter to melt it, if using. (photo 7)

NOTE: See the recipe card below for stove top directions.

Then sauté the leeks for about 2 minutes, until they begin to sweat. (photo 8)

Add all remaining ingredients, except the milk. Mix well, close the lid and make sure the valve is set to the sealing position. (photo 9)

Instant Pot with leeks being sautéed and then potatoes and spices added.

Set your Instant Pot to high pressure for 8 minutes (it will take 10-15 minutes to build pressure) and then quick release once the timer is complete and open the lid when safe to do so. (photo 10)

Use an immersion blender to puree your soup until smooth. (photos 11-12)

Soup in pot being pureed with hand blender.

Starting with one cup of milk, pour and stir it in until combined, adding more until desired consistency is reached. (photos 13-14)

Milk being stirred into soup inside instant pot.

Top your vegan potato leek soup with this AMAZING candied pecan bacon and green onion or chives for an absolute flavour bomb.

How long will it keep?

Your vegan potato leek soup may be refrigerated for 3-4 days. However, it will thicken as it cools, so you may need a splash of broth or milk when reheating, to loosen.

To freeze, make sure the soup is completely cooled to room temperature. Then store in a freezer safe, air tight container, leaving a little room for expansion. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Can I make any substitutions?

For oil free, simply omit the butter and use a couple tablespoons of broth or water to sauté the leeks, instead.

For nut free, swap the cashew milk with another milk of choice, such as soy or coconut, but not the canned kind.

If you do not have Yukon gold or yellow potatoes, white potatoes work too, but I prefer the texture of yellow, if you can get them.

Expert Tips

Weigh your potatoes for best results, or use a 3 pound bag. If you do not have a kitchen scale, use 8 medium potatoes or 4 large.
Start with only 1 cup of the milk, mix well and add more if a thinner consistency is preferred.
Use an immersion blender for efficiency and less mess. If you do not have one, you may carefully transfer to a standard blender. However, use extreme caution when blending hot liquids. Do not overfill and work in batches, as needed.

More delicious vegan soups!

If you tried this recipe, please let me know about it in the comments below. I always love hearing from you! Don’t forget to Subscribe to This Healthy Kitchen to be among the first to get my new recipes! You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter to see more delicious food and get all the latest updates.

Buon appetito,
Rosa