The classic potato and leek combination with the added sweetness of roasted beets. Potato & Leek Soup with Roasted Beets is earthy, savoury and oh so pretty to look at.
During our last few wonderful visits to the Farmer’s Market, all the wonderful veggies that were available made it so easy to create yummy dishes in the kitchen. I love root vegetables in the fall and winter…and when I saw these HUGE leeks, I immediately scooped them up and knew turning them into soup was my plan.
I love leek and potato soup, but then I found these gorgeous gold beets (along with regular red ones) and thought…hmmm I will make Potato & Leek Soup with Roasted Beets!
Roasting beets is so easy and it really brings out their natural sweetness. I cannot ever find gold beets in the grocery store, so I try to get my fill during market season. Great for salads, side dishes…and my soup, roasted beets happen to find their way into my kitchen quite often.
If you have never roasted beets before you might be surprised at how simple it is. Wash the beets and trim the ends off. No peeling, just wrap them in foil and bake them for about 90 minutes at 425º F. NOTE: Be sure to place them on a dish as they may leak and you don’t want that mess in your oven. When they are done to your liking, unwrap and cool for a few minutes…then easily peel the skins off and they are ready to use in your favourite dishes. I use some latex gloves during the peeling process to avoid the “red” hands!!
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While your beets are roasting away, go ahead and make the soup. This is a simple soup to prepare and makes great leftovers. Thinly slice the leeks and sauté them in a heavy bottomed pot. I used bacon flavoured olive oil, but the choice is yours. Sauté for about 10 minutes or until softened. I seasoned my leeks with Silk Road Scarborough Fair seasoning….if you haven’t tried their wonderful spices treat yourself…they are awesome!!
Next I added the peeled and diced potatoes to the leeks and seasoned with some dried Silk Road Chervil. To this mixture I then added chicken stock, brought everything to a boil, then reduced the heat and simmered for about 40 minutes till the potatoes were fork tender.
When the soup was done I removed a some of the chunks of potato with a slotted spoon into a bowl. I love the texture that the chunks give. Then I used my immersion blender and puréed the remaining soup into a nice smooth consistency. At this point if you want a thicker soup, return it to the heat and thicken with a bit of cornstarch/water combo. Add the chunks back into the pot.
When you are ready to serve, get your wonderful roasted beets and dice up a few. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the beets. Stir…isn’t it so pretty!! Enjoy your wonderful soup!!
Looking for other awesome soup recipes…here are a few:
Potato & Leek Soup with Roasted Beets
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beets (roasted)
- 1 pound leeks (sliced)
- 3 pounds potatoes (peeled and diced)
- Oil for cooking (I used bacon flavoured olive oil)
- 8 cups chicken broth
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1 tsp Scarborough Fair seasoning
- 1/2 tsp dried Chervil
- Cornstarch (to thicken)
Instructions
To roast the Beets:
- Heat oven to 425º F.
- Wash beets, trim ends (do not peel) and wrap in foil.
- Place on baking dish and roast for about 90 minutes.
- Open, cool slightly and easily peel the skin off.
For the Soup:
- Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pot and sauté for about 10 minutes. Add your seasonings (salt, pepper, and Scarborough Fair).
- Add the diced potatoes, chevril and chicken stock.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 40 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender.
- When soup is done, remove a few ladles of the potato chunks in a bowl.
- Purée remaining soup with an immersion blender.
- If you want a thicker soup, return to heat and use a cornstarch/water mixture to thicken.
- Return potato chunks to the pot.
- Ladle soup into a bowl and garnish with some of the diced roasted beets.
- ENJOY!!
Notes
Mom's Pea Soup with Ham
Creamy Multiple Mushroom Soup
Marisa Franca
September 17, 2018 at 11:02 AMWhat a great sounding soup and this would be ideal the minute the temperature turns cool again. Potatoes and leeks are a classic combination and for aa reason — they taste fantastic in combination. I like the addition of roasted beets to the beautiful silky smooth soup. A recipe that deserves high points for goodness.
Homemade & Yummy
September 17, 2018 at 9:19 PMThanks so much. It is a delicious soup for sure….and pretty too. Love when I can get some of the gold beets at the market.
Tiffany C.
March 2, 2016 at 12:51 PMI definitely need to give this a try. I’m wanting to introduce my children to new flavors and veggies they don’t normally eat.
Chef G
March 2, 2016 at 12:52 PMThis would be a great start for sure. Good luck!!
Cynthia L
March 2, 2016 at 7:59 AMIt is still chilly enough where I live to enjoy a great bowl of soup. I love leeks and so I think this soup could become a favorite.
Chef G
March 2, 2016 at 9:36 AMHope you enjoy it!!
Censie
March 1, 2016 at 11:42 PMI make a leek soup too but I have never added beets. Looks like a great soup I will be trying this next time Ipick up some leeks.
Chef G
March 2, 2016 at 9:38 AMThe beets add a nice touch!!
Lory
March 1, 2016 at 6:37 PMThanks for sharing. I have always loved potato soup. This looks great. I would probably skip the beets because of a bad experience with them as a child. 😉
Lory
Chef G
March 1, 2016 at 6:50 PMYou can certainly make them without….it would still be delicious!!
A GEEK DADDY
March 1, 2016 at 10:52 AMI love potato & leek soup but never have been a big fan of beets. After reading through your post though I’m going to give the beets a try 🙂
Chef G
March 1, 2016 at 11:50 AMThe beets work really well in this soup.
Scott
March 1, 2016 at 10:35 AMMy mom used to make a killer potato and leek soup when I was growing up. Never saw it with beets though – love the color it makes!
Chef G
March 1, 2016 at 11:56 AMBeets were an experiment that worked really well. It does make a beautiful colour.
dixya @ food, pleasure, and health
February 13, 2016 at 9:35 AMi have started to love beets an adding it to soup is a great idea!
Chef G
February 13, 2016 at 10:23 AMThanks, they really do work well in the soup.
Oana@AdoreFoods
February 13, 2016 at 9:27 AMPotato and leek soup is my favorite soup! I could use a big bowl today, as it is so cold over here 🙂 Loving the beets addition…sounds even yummier 🙂
Chef G
February 13, 2016 at 10:24 AMWell thanks, and the beets work great in the soup.
Shadi
February 12, 2016 at 9:51 AMI love how smooth and creamy this soup looks!
Chef G
February 12, 2016 at 10:37 AMThanks
Chris @ SimpleFood365
February 11, 2016 at 10:30 AMIt is a great time of year for a rich and hearty soup and potato and leak soup is just that. Adding beets is a great option and the color is just perfect for Valentine’s Day!
Chef G
February 11, 2016 at 11:36 AMThanks…it is a nice soup for sure.
Florentina
February 10, 2016 at 7:33 PMI love potato and leek soup. Never added beets to it before, sounds so interesting, I’ll have to give it a try this way.
Chef G
February 10, 2016 at 7:34 PMHope you do. The beets really go well with the soup.
Sandi (@fearless_dining)
February 10, 2016 at 5:44 PMSuch a pretty color for Valentines 🙂
Chef G
February 10, 2016 at 7:33 PMYes I would have to agree with you. Thanks for stopping by.
Autumn @Mamachallenge
February 10, 2016 at 12:23 PMThat looks like a great soup! I have not had a beet soup before, but I want to try it!
Chef G
February 10, 2016 at 4:08 PMPlease enjoy!!
Tonya C
February 9, 2016 at 11:09 PMI love all kinds of soups , I cant wait to try this soon! Looks delicious!
Chef G
February 10, 2016 at 9:40 AMThank you, we like it a lot.