Potato Leek Soup Recipe

My Quick and Easy Potato Leek Soup is flavoured with cumin coriander seed powder and is perfect for all you busy bachelors out there. This one pot soup is  perfect for those days when time is scarce, and you are hungry .

This go-to bachelor soup, uses basic ingredients in their pantry. they have onion, garlic, potato, pumpkin, carrot, and red lentils. leeks is the only new ingredient for us here. this hearty  soup is easy to make as it is delicious.

The inspiration for this wholesome soup is my daughters. They have an hectic schedules and  limited kitchen resources and patience . They  crave homemade simple food without compromising flavor.

An easy and forgiving  recipe you can use any ingredients you have leave out what you do not have. I was expecting leftovers but I was finally scraping the bottom of the pan to get some more in my bowl.

This vegetable soup pairs well with these salad recipes. you can also serve it with bread or our favourite focaccia. Here are some more soup recipes that we love.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Pro tips
• Related
• Pairing
• Potato Leek Soup Recipe

Ingredients

These are your ingredients for quantities please check the recipe card.

• Oil 
• Onion
• Garlic
• Potato
• Leeks
• Pumpkin
• Carrot
• Red Lentils
• Stock (vegetable or chicken, your call!)
• Cumin coriander seed powder
• Lemon juice
• Turmeric
• Pepper 
• Salt
• Sugar (because a hint of sweetness never hurt anyone!)
• For garnish:
• Oil
• Garlic 
• Red chilli powder or flakes

Instructions

•  Let us start with the leeks. Use the white part and light green part of the leeks for this soup. (Reserve the green leaves to make stock for your next batch of soup). Remove the tough and withers outer layers covering of the leeks and slit the leek.  Since the leeks we get are not tender, chop them in fine semi circle disks. Set aside. 
• Chop the onions,garlic, potato, pumpkin and carrot.  Try to keep the pieces even and  then they cook at the same time. 
• Rinse the red lentils till the water runs clean. Drain and set aside.
• Use a big pan to sauté the diced onion and garlic cloves in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Keep the flame medium high and stir occasionally. 
• Once the onions are brown add the  leeks, and fry a bit till the leeks wilt. take care not to burn the leeks as the soup may taste bitter. Toss in cubed potatoes, leeks, pumpkin, and carrots.
• Pour the stock and bring to a boil. *
• Add the drained red lentils for that protein boost.
• Add a dash of  salt, sprinkle cumin coriander seed powder (it's good for the tummy). turmeric (an immunity booster), sugar( to balance the taste).  Cover and let the mixture simmer.
• Simmer until your kitchen smells delicious and the veggies are fork-tender.
• Now since we like our soups smooth I used the immersion blender. You can avoid this step. If using the mixer/ blender cool the soup before blending. You do not want to be cleaning the mess of “fly-away” soup and deal with burns it may result. 
• cool the soup a little before you squeeze in some fresh lemon juice for that zesty kick and to balance the sugar. I suggest you do not skip adding the lemon and sugar this is the game changer for this soup.  Sprinkle freshly ground pepper.
• Ladle it into a bowl, add some chilli oil.  Then grab your spoon and enjoy the easiest, most comforting bachelor soup you've ever made.

How to make Chilli oil

• In a small pan, heat the oil and add minced garlic. Let the garlic turn brown.
•  Add the butter and switch off the flame. Add the chilli powder.
•  Your chilli oil is ready. 

Mind you

• Use only the white and light green parts of the leeks. Else your soup may turn bitter. The dark green part use to make stock.
• If you plan to blend the soup remember blending the potatoes for too long will make the soup slimy. This will also happen if you over mash or your potatoes are too full of starch.

Substitutions

• Leeks: if you cannot find leeks you can leave it out. 
• Veggies: Use any veggies you have at hand like cauliflower, broccoli, mushroom.
• Stock: You do not have stock, leave it out. Use regular water.
• Chilli oil: you can avoid the chilli oil and use herbs like parsley, coriander leaves to garnish. 
• Butter: I have suggested butter while making the chilli oil. For a vegan version avoid the butter.

Variations

• You can also use veggie combos of only potatoes and leeks, pumpkin and carrots to make soup.
• Use seasonal vegetables to make your soup.
• Add leafy veggies like spinach and you have caldo verde in your hands. 
• Add boiled chicken, prawns for a non-vegetarian soup.
• In place of lentils you can also use tofu.
• Adjust the spices to suit your taste and pantry.

Equipment

• Knife and board
• Deep pan
• Ladles, spoons
• Immersion mixer or blender
• Small pan for chilli oil
• Bowls to serve

Storage

• Make a bigger batch and cool the soup. Freeze in a zip lock or like me in steel containers. 
•  Use within  2 weeks. I have never tried keeping it longer. Defrost on the kitchen counter and finish the packet. Do not refreeze after thawing.
• It is better to make smaller packets of the soup and naming and dating the packs. 
• If you plan to use the next day store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.heat before consuming.

Pro tips

• The veggies can be anything you have at hand.
• I like the flavour of butter so I use it in my chilli oil. For a vegan version skip it.
• Next time i plan to add some cream or coconut milk to this soup. It will not be authentic turkish soup but a fusion that we will enjoy. 
• Use any  spice powder for a variation in flavour.  You can also adjust the spices to suit your taste.

Related

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Pairing

These are my favourite dishes to serve with Cumin Coriander Seed Potato Leek Soup :

Summary: This Cumin Coriander Seed Potato Leek Soup Recipe soup is simple, and elegant. perfect for any bachelor as it is effortless. No fuss, no fancy stuff. Super versatile, use what you have. Wallet-friendly, nutrient-packed, and, best of all, ready in a snap!

This soup sees the light of the day as a part of Shhhh Secretly cooking as Narmadha from Nams Cooking has requested for Soup Recipes. To celebrate me meeting my diet plan I plan to make her Quinoa Kheer.

I have been paired with Renu of Cook with Renu (check her very new recipe of Vegan Sizzler with Orange Sauce)!  

Renu gave me 2 secret ingredients to make my soup garlic and pepper it threw open an entire range of what I can do.

I gave Renu mustard and garlic and she made the ever amazing Maharashtrian Tomato Saar. Check it out! 

 So busy folks do try my Quick and Easy Cumin Coriander Seed Potato Leek Soup for a fuss-free homemade meal. Let me know what you think, share your stories with me.  Happy cooking!