Warm, thick, creamy winter vegetable soup that is chock full of winter veggies and not a drop of cream! Welcome to the perfect cold weather healthy comfort food.
Jump to:
Why you will love this recipe
We make this good and good for you soup on the regular, especially in the cold months (although I bet it would make an excellent chilled soup too!), and here’s why.
It is packed full of a combination of vegetables that taste so good together (! do love a scrumptious vegetable mash-up!), especially when they are cooked until they are tender and then pureed into a thick creamy soup.
And to make things even better, all that warm thick creaminess comes without any, well, cream. Not that I have anything against cream, mind you. But all that hearty deliciousness is good old veggies playing nicely together.
And while you don’t have to, you can add a swirl of horseradish and sour cream to add some fanciness to your lunch. Let’s make it!
Ingredients you need to make this recipe
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Carrots: You can either use three large carrots or around 25 baby carrots
- Leek: Look for this scrumptious member of the onion family in your produce section. You can also swap out the leek for a peeled and chopped sweet onion.
- Potatoes: We like Yukon Golds for this recipe, but Idaho and Russet potatoes will work too. Yukon Golds don’t have to be peeled if you don’t want to (scrub them well!) but the other varieties do.
- Chicken Broth: We find the kind in the box tastes better than canned, and you can find it in the soup aisle next to the canned version.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Here’s how you make this recipe
Step 1: Chop up some peeled carrots, some celery, and a leek. Saute them in a little butter until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
Step 2: Add some chopped potatoes to the pot. We like Yukon Golds (you don’t even need to peel them!), but you can also use Idaho or Russet potatoes (you should peel those, and make the peels into potato chips!).
Step 3: Add some chicken broth and let your veggies simmer until they are nice and tender, about 30 minutes.
Step 4: This part is optional (but SO GOOD)…while the veggies are cooking, mix up some sour cream and horseradish to make a sassy garnish for your soup.
Step 5: When the veggies are done, transfer them to your blender and puree it all up until it is smooth (you might have to do this in batches depending on the size of your blender). If you have an immersion blender you can also puree your soup right in the pot (you might end up with a few small veggie chunks but that’s not a bad thing!
Now all you need to do is season it the way you like it with some salt and pepper and ladle it out!
And if you made that sour cream and horseradish drizzle to go on top, swirl it in now. Just because we are being so very very healthy doesn’t mean we aren’t entitled to a little zing!
Recipe FAQs
Leeks are a thick long veggie that is part of the onion family and are available year round in your produce section. They have a gentler taste than regular white onions.
Leeks are famous for catching sand in dirt in their layers as they grow, so when you are ready to use them, chop off all but the light green and white part and cut them in half vertically. Now rinse them under water to get any of that grit out.
Leeks tend to be sold in bunches of two or three, so if you find yourself with a an extra leek, there are so many scrumptious ways to use them up. Use any leftover leeks in this warm and wonderful Potato Leek Soup. More in a sandwich mood? Try leftover leeks in this roast beef sandwich with leeks and Boursin cheese!
You can! Honestly, any kind of potato will work just fine (even sweet potatoes!). If you are using potatoes with a thin skin (like Yukon Golds or red potatoes) then you can simply scrub them and chop them up. If you are using potatoes with a firmer skin (like Idaho or russet potatoes) you will want to peel them before chopping.
It can! Simply reheat it slowly over medium low heat, adding a little water or chicken broth if it is too thick. If you are doing the sour cream horseradish topping you will want to add that at the last minute.
Pop it in the comments below and I will get back to you pronto!
Want to round out your meal?
We love a warm cream cheese biscuit on the side, or maybe you would like a butter biscuit instead? If a soup and sandwich is what you are craving, this Irish Grilled Cheese is perfection. And for dessert, we deserve a cookie…a Blue Dory cookie is one of our faves.
Other soup recipes we love!
Looking for more soup inspiration? You can find our complete collection of soup recipes here!
We want to hear what you think!
If you try this recipe, we would love to hear how it came out for you! I’d be super grateful if you could leave a star rating (you pick how many stars! ) and your thoughts in the Comments section.
Winter Vegetable Soup
Warm, thick, creamy winter vegetable soup that is chock full of winter veggies and not a drop of cream! The perfect winter comfort food.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6
- Category: Lunch
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
- 1 leek, peeled, rinsed and sliced (white and light green parts only)
- 2 celery stalks, sliced
- 3 potatoes, cut into chunks (and peeled if you like)
- 4 cups chicken broth
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon horseradish
- Freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large deep pot over medium high heat. Add carrots, leek and celery and stir until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add potatoes and stir for another couple of minutes.
- Add broth and bring to a simmer. Cook until veggies are tender, about 30 minutes.
- Transfer soup to blender and puree until smooth – you might have to do this in batches. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- If you want a garnish, mix up the sour cream and the horseradish and drizzle over the top. Grind on some pepper and serve in warmed bowls.
Notes
Leeks: While we love the gentle taste of leeks in this soup, you can also substitute a peeled and chopped sweet onion.
Broth: If you want to make this a completely vegetarian recipe, you can swap out the chicken broth for vegetable broth.
Blending: If you have an immersion blender, you can try pureeing this soup right in the pot! You may end up with a few chunks of veggie here and there, but that’s not a bad thing. :)
Harry says
This is exactly what I need after the Christmas and New Years feast ๐๐ looks delicious and so healthy. Canโt wait to try it!
Thanks Harry! There’s nothing like a nice warm soup on a winter’s day, right?
Rosemary says
This looks delicious! Happy and healthy New Year to you and your family! xoxo
Happy New Year my friend – miss you and hope all is well! xoxo!
Theresa Murphy says
Your quilts are gorgeous and look just right on the blanket ladder! It is definitely soup season here is Iowa. And that soup looks so good! But…I am ditching my family for a week and heading to California to play with my grandbaby girl. ? I can always make soup when I get back.
Oh my gosh, grand baby!!!! The most delicious treat of all! Have the best, best time!