This one is for all the potato soup lovers out there! Yes, you can have your potatoes and eat them too. And no, you don’t have to feel guilty about enjoying potatoes. (Can we all work on getting over food guilt, please?)

One of the saddest things about the diet wars is that so many good, nourishing foods get labeled as Bad.

When talking about “carbs,” people erroneously lump potatoes into the same group as highly refined flours and sugars, and then declare war on them all. Whole, plant foods that are naturally high in carbohydrate, do not act on the system in the same way as cookies, cakes and pies! Potatoes are nutritionally dense foods that can be a delicious and satisfying part of a health-enhancing diet.

The thing about “traditional” potato leek soup is that it’s not very heart healthy. Most recipes call for loads of butter and heavy cream. The problem is that those foods are incredibly high in saturated fat, and we know that consuming a diet high in saturated fat, leads to high cholesterol, leads to heart disease. Always? No. Are there exceptions? There always are.  But if you’re one of the many out there who are looking to decrease their cholesterol and protect their heart health in the long term, swapping out saturated fats for UNsaturated fats, especially polyunsaturated fats, is a good move. And that’s what we’re doing here.

This healthy Potato Leek Soup gets an additional nutrition boost from red lentils and spinach.

Red lentils, as we’ve talked about before, are adding protein, fiber, iron, folate, potassium, and phosphorous to this soup. They’re also going to break down and fade into the background of the dish, making it thick and creamy without the need to make a roux. Spinach is contributing a healthy dose of anti-oxidants, vitamins and minerals.

Finally, to add a bit of creaminess, we’re going to use 250ml of soy cooking cream, I tend to buy Belsoy because my local grocer stocks it. This is a tetra-packed, shelf-stable product. That means you’ll find it next to the unrefrigerated plant milks, probably not in the refrigerated section. These types of products are gaining market share quickly, so if you don’t find this specific one, look for alternatives! The Bridge makes an Organic Oat Cooking Cream that would be a great option. If you can’t find either of these, you could try adding some unsweetened plant-based milk, or a cup of coconut milk. Please feel free to leave questions in the comments.

On with the recipe!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tbsp olive oil (optional)
• 1 large leek, washed and thinly sliced (approximately 3 cups)
• 2 pounds yellow potatoes, scrubbed and cubed (Leave the peels on for easier prep and higher nutrition!)
• 1 cup red lentils, rinsed
• 6ish sprigs of fresh thyme
• 3 bay leaves
• 6 to 8 cups of water (or veggie broth)
• 6 ounces spinach (I use baby spinach for convenience)
• 250 ml soy or oat creamer (like this or this)
• 1/4 tsp allspice (optional)
• 1 tsp salt

To serve:

• fresh cracked pepper
• 1 bunch fresh chives (optional)
• crusty bread!

*To make it easier to fish out the thyme sprigs and bay leaves later, you can tie them together with kitchen twine.  Alternatively, you could pick the thyme leaves from the stems and chop them finely before adding to the soup.  All options are good, it depends on how much work you want to do 🙂

METHOD

1. Slice the leek down the middle and wash thoroughly, especially towards the upper ends where there tends to be a lot of dirt. Slice thinly. You can use some of the dark green towards to the top, just remove any that is brown or overly coarse.
2. Heat a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil (if using) and sauté the leeks with a pinch of salt until softened. About 5 minutes.
3. Now add the chopped potatoes, 1 cup of red lentils, 6 cups of water (or broth), bay leaves, thyme sprigs, and 1 tsp of salt. Bring everything to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the lentils have collapsed and the potatoes are fork tender. About 25 minutes. If the soup is getting too thick, add up to 2 more cups of water/broth to reach the desired consistency.
4. While the soup is cooking, finely chop the chives for serving.
5. When the potatoes are tender, stir in the spinach, soy creamer and 1/4 tsp allspice (if using). Taste and add more salt if needed.
6. Serve with lots of freshly cracked pepper, a sprinkle of chives, and your favourite crusty bread.

Enjoy!

Looking for something else to do with leeks? Try this Lumanconi with Leeks and Cauliflower