This lightened up Potato, Cauliflower and Leek Soup includes an entire head of nutrient and fiber-rich cauliflower swapped in for half of the potatoes. A hint of bacon and a pureed texture provide indulgent richness without cream.
Thanks to Aneto Natural for sponsoring recipe development for this Potato, Cauliflower and Leek Soup.
Potato Leek Soup is a classic, rich hearty meal that can be enjoyed all winter long. Swapping in cauliflower for half of the potatoes lightens it up a bit. this Potato, Cauliflower and Leek Soup also makes a fantastic meal for that weird part of March where its often cold one day and warm the next. It’s rich and hearty, but topped with scallions and served alongside a green salad, there’s something slightly springy about this recipe.
St. Patrick’s Day Alternative
Besides being vaguely spring-like, this recipe makes a great alternative dish for celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. I’m personally not a fan of traditional corned beef and cabbage, so I’m always looking for alternate recipes to make. A few years ago, I made an amazing Guinness Beef Stew and figured that a traditional Potato Leek Soup would make and equally worthy dish (with a few tweaks of course).
Simple Ingredients, Big Flavor
This recipe starts with just a few simple ingredients. While most potato leek soups start by sautéing the leeks in butter or olive oil, I started with diced bacon. Once the bacon is crisp and the fat is rendered transfer the bacon crumbles to a paper towel to dry. Drain off all but two tablespoons of the fat and use THAT to sauté your leeks. The bacon fat imparts incredible flavor and smokiness.
Next add your potatoes and cauliflower, a bay leaf, a sprig of thyme and your broth. I used Aneto Low Sodium Chicken Broth since the bacon already adds some salt to this soup. As always, I recommend using a high quality, all-natural broth like Aneto to ensure you’re getting the best possible flavor without additives or preservatives.
Let everything simmer for about 20 minutes over low heat and then puree until smooth. The result is a surprisingly rich and flavorful soup with very little added fat. I like to add a squirt of lemon when adjusting the seasoning, to brighten the flavor and cut the richness a bit.
Whether you’re celebrating St. Patricks Day or just trying to get through another rainy night this Potato, Cauliflower and Leek Soup is the perfect comforting bowl of goodness.
Featured Products:
Aneto Natural Low Sodium Chicken Broth
Print
Potato, Cauliflower and Leek Soup
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Soups
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Irish
Description
This lightened up Potato, Cauliflower and Leek Soup includes an entire head of nutrient and fiber-rich cauliflower swapped in for half of the potatoes. A hint of bacon and a pureed texture provide indulgent richness without cream.
Ingredients
- 4 slices of bacon, finely diced
- 3 leeks, thoroughly cleaned and white and light green parts thinly sliced
- 1 lb. Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 lb. cauliflower florets
- 4 cups high-quality low-sodium chicken broth, such as Aneto Natural Low Sodium Chicken Broth
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 cup parsley, finely minced
- juice of half a lemon
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional garnishes: reserved bacon crumbles, finely sliced green onions
Instructions
- Heat a large, heavy bottom pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until fat is rendered and bacon is crisp. Use a slotted spoon to transfer bacon to a bowl lined with paper towels. Reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon fat and drain the rest to discard.
- Return pot with 2 tablespoons bacon fat to burner set to medium heat. Add leeks and stir to coat with fat. Cover the pot and lower the heat to low, cook for 10 minutes until the leeks are softened. Check to make sure the leeks are not browning.
- Add the diced potatoes, cauliflower bay leaf, thyme, broth and a teaspoon of salt to the pot. Increase the heat to high to bring to a simmer, then lower the heat to maintain a low simmer, and cook for 20 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked through.
- Remove and discard the bay leaf and thyme sprig. Use an immersion blender or standing blender to blend about half of the soup if you want a chunky soup, or all of it if you would like your soup to be more smooth.
- Add the parsley and lemon juice, and cook a few minutes more. Add freshly ground pepper and more salt to taste. (Potatoes soak up salt, so you may need to add more salt than you expect.)
Notes
- Soup can be prepared with all potatoes instead of the cauliflower or all cauliflower instead of the potatoes
- For an even richer soup, a 1/4 cup of half and half can be stirred in with the salt and pepper in step 5.
Keywords: soup, St. Patrick’s Day, potatoes, cauliflower
