Gluten-Free Potato Leek Soup

No need for gluten or dairy in this velvety potato soup.

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 forth, Make It Rain. We're talking ragged.

It ain't pretty.

So excuse me if I keep today's ramblings short and sweet. I'm hovering outside my body- nineteen inches to the left of myself. 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. As long as you dream walk the same blue wavelength.

But before I spin toward the rutted crooked highway I'll leave you with a perfect soup for spring. Stir it up when the March winds blow, and soothe your winter weary bones.

Potato Leek Soup Recipe

We cooked up this vegan dairy-free soup in our trusty old Crock Pot and went to see a movie. Last Chance Harvey. It was the perfect antidote to an ornery pollen infested week. Dustin Hoffman is mad sympathetic and subtle and sweetly sad, and Emma is achingly good- as always. Don't miss it. It's a lovely movie- for grown-ups.

You'll need:

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 hemp milk or non-dairy milk of choice

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 hemp milk and return to heat, gently heating and stirring. Taste test for seasoning adjustments.

Sometimes I add a splash of Irish Whiskey to the soup and heat through.

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

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

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

Printer-friendly recipe.

Browse more delectable potato soup from favorite food bloggers:

Pear Pecorino Potato Soup from Cooking With Amy
Curried Potato and Vegetable Soup from Elise at Simply Recipes
Nicole's Hearty Potato Leek Soup Recipe at Pinch My Salt

Quick and Easy Potato Soup from Susan at FatFree Vegan Kitchen
Leek, Potato, Salmon Soup from Lydia at Perfect Pantry
South Beach friendly Turkey Cannelinni Bean Soup with Sweet Potatoes & Rosemary from Kalyn's Kitchen
Rich & Creamy Leek Soup with Baby Spinach and Shrimps from Ilva at Lucullian Delights