My creamy lentil and leek soup is so comforting and warm, yet uses surprisingly few ingredients for a soup. This soup is super well balanced nutritionally, making it easy to hit all your nutrient goals! It’s high in fiber and protein, low in saturated fat, and can be easily made vegan or vegetarian.
I use leeks in this recipe because they really are an underrated vegetable. Leeks add a delicious onion/garlic flavor, however they are more digestion friendly than acutal onions and garlic for a few reasons. Due to their lower acidity and sulfur compounds, they are better for reflux than onions. Additionally, they are easier to digest than onions/garlic because they contain less gas-producing oligosaccharides. I was actually determined to create a lentil soup high in fiber and protein, while keeping it friendly for those of us with acid reflux. The soup uses turmeric and bay leaf for it’s warming spice profile, giving an almost curry like flavor without the reflux! Turmeric is also soothing for reflux due to it’s curcumin, a powerful antioxidant. To keep it even more soothing, feel free to leave out the pinch of red pepper flakes.
I’ve also made it super easy because I use precooked lentils that you can find in the refrigerated or canned section of the grocery store. I add in some chicken to amp up the protein, which cooks right in the pot for easy clean up! Give it a try and let me know how you like it. Oh and make sure to heat up some fresh bread to go with it 🙂
Creamy Lentil and Leek Soup
This wholesome and warming lentil soup combines leeks, turmeric, and cashew cream into a delicious, nourishing meal you will love.
Ingredients
Cashew Cream
Instructions
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Heat a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add olive oil and wait for about a minute for it to warm up.
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Add in your diced onion, leek, and carrots. Cook for about 8-10 minutes until the leeks and onions start to brown and caramelize.
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In the meantime, mix together your cashews and boiling water in the cup or pitcher of your blender. Let this sit to soak until the soup is almost ready.
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Next, add your garlic and turmeric to the pot with the veggies and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
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Add in your chicken broth, lentils, bay leaf, and whole chicken breast to the pot. Make sure the chicken is mostly covered by the liquid. Cook covered for about 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through to an internal temperature of 165F.
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When the chicken is almost done, blend your cashews with the water and nutritional yeast on high for 60 seconds.
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Once the chicken is cooked, remove from the pot to a cutting board and cube it into bite sized pieces. Add chicken back to the pot along with your cashew cream.
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Stir it up and taste to see if you need to add additional salt or pepper.
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Serve and enjoy! Leftovers keep for about 5 days in the fridge. I'm sure you can freeze the soup, however I have not tried it yet.
Notes
How can I make this soup with dried lentils?
You will need to use about 3/4 cup of dry green or brown lentils to make 2 cups cooked. Add the lentils in at the same time in the recipe above. You will need to increase the amount of liquid in the recipe with either water or additional broth. I would start with 1 cup extra and monitor if you will need additional liquid throughout the cooking process. The lentils will need to cook significantly longer and may take up to 30 minutes. It's important to pull out your chicken once it's done. You can wait until the lentils are done to add back the chicken and to add the cream.
Can I make Lentil and Leek Soup vegan or vegetarian?
Yes! It's simple to make this soup vegan/vegetarian. Simply use vegetable broth in place of chicken broth and leave out the chicken breast.
What can I use to subsitute cashew cream?
I love to use blended raw cashews to make cream for my soups because it is neutral in flavor, creamy, and low in saturated fat compared to heavy cream or half-and-half. You can subsitute it with any plant based heavy cream alternative or use dairy options like heavy cream or half-and-half. You can also leave it out if you prefer a clear brothy soup.
What is nutritional yeast?
Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast (not baking yeast!) that contributes a cheesy, nutty flavor. It is totally vegan and provides a ton of B vitamins. I love it's flavor here and the nutrition it adds, however it's totally okay to leave it out.
How do you wash leeks?
Make sure you trim off the tough dark green leaves at the top and the root at the bottom. Slice the leeks and then add to a mesh strainer or salad spinner. Rinse with water well and then drain off the water. Now they are ready to use!
Watch this video here to see a tutorial: How to Wash Leeks on Youtube
