Name: Potato Leek and Lentil Soup with Caraway Seeds
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: Czech
Ingredients: 3 tbsp avocado oil; 1 tsp vegan butter (optional); 3-4 leeks (approx. 5 cups chopped); 2 celery stalks, thinly chopped; 2 tsp caraway seeds; 2 tsp oregano; 1 tsp marjoram; 3-4 potatoes, peeled and diced into bite-sized pieces (3-4 cups chopped); 3 bay leaves, divided; 1 cup dry brown or green lentils (soaked for at least an hour prior to cooking); 1 piece of kombu (optional); 1 tbsp miso (I used brown rice miso); ½ tsp harissa paste (or 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes); Sea salt and pepper; fresh oregano and marjoram (for garnish)

Description

Hearty, cozy, and the most perfect soup for the cold fall and winter months. It's vegan yet super creamy thanks to the potatoes! The added lentils make this soup filling and packed with protein.

Ingredients

Units Scale

3 tbsp avocado oil
1 tsp vegan butter (optional)
3-4 leeks (approx. 5 cups chopped)
2 celery stalks, thinly chopped
2 tsp caraway seeds
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp marjoram
3-4 potatoes, peeled and diced into bite-sized pieces (3-4 cups chopped)
3 bay leaves, divided
1 cup dry brown or green lentils (soaked for at least an hour prior to cooking)
1 piece of kombu (optional)
1 tbsp miso (I used brown rice miso)
1/2 tsp harissa paste (or 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes)
Sea salt and pepper
fresh oregano and marjoram (for garnish)

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Instructions

Start by soaking the lentils. Place them in a big bowl and cover with at least twice as much water. They absorb a lot of water while they soak. Set the bowl aside and let the lentils soak for at least an hour.
In a big pot, heat the avocado oil and butter (if using) over high heat. Add the chopped leeks, chopped celery, and caraway seeds. Lower the heat and cook for about 10 minutes. When the leeks soften and have reduced in size, add the oregano, marjoram, diced potatoes, 2 bay leaves, and boiling water. Bring back to a boil, lower the heat to medium-low and simmer covered for about 30 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.
When ready to cook the lentils, drain and rinse them, place them in a medium pot, cover with 2 1/2 cups of water, add 1 bay leaf, and 1 piece of kombu (if using) and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cook covered for about 15 minutes or until soft. Drain any excess liquid and set aside.
To finish the soup, discard the bay leaves, add the miso, harissa paste (or red pepper flakes) to the soup, and stir to combine. To blend it, either ladle about half of the soup into a bowl and use an immersion blender to blend the rest of it that's left in the pot. Return the reserved soup in the bowl back into the pot and stir. Or you can carefully ladle about half of the soup into a blender, blend until smooth, and pour it back into the big pot. Lastly, add the lentils (as much as you like) and reserve some for garnish if desired.
Serve with more lentils, red pepper flakes, and fresh herbs.
Cool the soup completely before sealing in an airtight, preferably glass, container, and storing in the fridge. The soup should be good for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.

Notes

I don't recommend using a Nutribullet or a similar blender for blending the soup as the heat needs to escape while blending and that's difficult with a blender you flip upside down. The heat could make it explode if extremely hot.

Nutrition

Serving Size:
Calories: 405
Sugar: 5.4 g
Sodium: 667 mg
Fat: 12.3 g
Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 61 g
Fiber: 10.6 g
Protein: 15.7 g

Keywords: potato, leek, lentil, soup, czech