Vegan Creamy Leek Soup with Plant-Based Mince
I'm not sure if you've ever heard of this cheese and leek soup with minced meat, but Germans will definitely know it. In my family, it's even kind of a classic dish at big family celebrations, just like a soupy cousin that visits on these occasions.
But after all, it's also no surprise since this soup is easily done and so filling that you can serve it as starter and main equally. The meaty 'original recipe' uses a cheese spread and heavy cream, but we wanted to create a lighter version of this soup and didn't even try to find a vegan fatty substitute, but instead will use plant-based heavy cream only. Adding nutritional yeast helps to give this soup a cheesy flavor and viscous consistency.
When it comes to a vegan substitute for minced meat, just grab your favorite product. Some dry soy products will need to be soaked ahead, while there are also ready-to-use alternatives. Just make sure to fry it in a separate pan to get it crispy and browned. Adding it to your soup only right before serving will help to not soften the vegan minced meat too much. We also love to add some sunflower seeds to the pan that will ensure a kind of bite in this soup.
As for the amount, I can only recommend to cook half of the recipe for everyday life (the given amount is more suitable for the family celebration).But in case there's some soup left, you can combine the leftovers with boiled potatoes and even add both to a baking dish, add some vegan cheese on top and bake it at 170°C/350°F for approx. 15 minutes.
Vegan Creamy Leek Soup with Vegan Mince
Ingredients
- 300 g (10.5 oz) leek
- 1 onion
- 1 garlic clove
- 250 g (8.75 oz) vegan ground meat
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp agave syrup
- 50 g (1.75 oz) sunflower seeds
- 1 tbsp flour
- 600 ml (2.5 cups) vegetable broth
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 250 ml (1 cup) vegan cooking cream
- 200 ml (0.75 cups) water (as needed)
- 0.5 tsp nutmeg
- neutral vegetable oil for frying
- salt
- pepper
Instructions
Clean the leek and cut it into rings. Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic.
Heat vegetable oil in a pan and fry the vegan ground meat over high heat for about 5 minutes. Add soy sauce and agave syrup, then fry for another 5 minutes. Finally, add sunflower seeds, season with salt and pepper, and continue frying until the soup is ready.
Heat vegetable oil in a large pot over low heat. Sauté the onion and garlic until the onion turns translucent. Add the leek and sauté for another 3–4 minutes. Sprinkle with flour and stir in the vegetable broth. Let everything simmer for about 10 minutes.
Add nutritional yeast and vegan cream, then season the soup with salt and pepper. Let it simmer for another 5 minutes, adding more water if needed until the desired consistency is reached. Add the vegan ground meat and sunflower seed mixture before serving, then season the soup with nutmeg.
