Gluten-Free Vegan Potato Leek Soup

Gluten-free dairy-free vegan potato soup

Soup for an Insomniac.

Last updated: April 27, 2025

Twenty-nine hours. That's how long I've been awake. I could blame the full moon, big as a gleaming white soup plate hanging in the clear desert sky last night. Or the pollen. The hostile spiky spewing of hundreds of junipers rooted round our plucky little casita. Every time I drifted toward the promise of sleep I would sneeze straight up and fumble in the dark for a Kleenex, my throat as raw as Tom Waits' vocal chords after belting, Make It Rain. We're talking ragged.

So excuse me if I keep today's ramblings short and sweet. I'm hovering outside my body. Any moment now, I might spin off with the tumbleweeds and roll down the dirt road to the highway. I might not even mind, if I end up tumbling west, rolling into the City of Angels in my sleep, snoring down Sunset Boulevard all the way to Ocean Avenue and south to Venice Beach where I live a parallel life in an alternate universe surfing at dawn.

And if you see me, give me a sign.

Any sign will do.

But before I spin toward the crooked dream highway I'll leave you with a perfect soup for spring. Stir it up when the blustery winds blow. xo

Gluten-free dairy-free vegan potato leek soup

Top with spring onions or chives.

Potato Leek Soup Recipe- Vegan and Dairy-Free

We cooked up this vegan dairy-free soup in our trusty old Crock Pot and went to see a movie. Where I took a nap.

Ingredients:

A dash of olive oil
2 leeks, washed, dark green section trimmed, sliced
6 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled, cut up
Sea salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups plain non-dairy milk of choice, the creamier the better

Instructions:

For slow cooker-

Drizzle a scant amount of olive oil into the crock. Add the leeks. Stir. Add the potatoes. Season with sea salt and pepper, to taste. Cover with just enough fresh water to reach the top of the potatoes. Cover and cook on High for several hours until the spuds are fork tender. Maybe 5 hours or so.

For stove-top-

Drizzle a bit of olive oil into a soup pot and heat over medium heat. Add the leeks, toss in a little salt and stir. Cook for 15 minutes, till softened. Add the cut up potatoes. Season with sea salt and pepper, to taste. Carefully add enough water to just cover the spuds. Cover and bring to a simmer. When soup is simmering, lower heat and continue to simmer until potatoes are tender- roughly 40 to 45 minutes.

When the potatoes are fall apart tender, blend the soup with an immersion blender till smooth. (Or puree in batches in a blender or Vita-Mix- be careful to cover tightly!)

Stir in the non-dairy milk and return to heat, gently heating and stirring. Taste test for seasoning adjustments.

Serve with chopped chives, scallions, or parsley on top, if desired.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Notes:

This soup is fabulous chilled as well. A fun make ahead recipe for a warm June day.

And yes, you can use butter and milk if you're not vegan. Just don't heat till boiling, as the milk might curdle. Stir it in and warm it through at the end.