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!!
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 teaspoons Scarborough Fair seasoning
- ½ teaspoons 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
Rebecca Bryant
what a delicious way to warm up on these cool winter nights. Plus a great way to satisfy your hunger.
Chef G
Thank you for stopping by.
Athena
I have never had leeks but as I get older I find that I am more interested in trying new foods. So I may just have to try this!
Chef G
Really…they are part of the onion family.
Helene Cohen Bludman
I love potato leek soup but I am not a fan of beets. Can I make it without?
Chef G
Absolutely….they are only added in at the end…so just don’t bother with them. Enjoy!!
Ashley @Irishred02
Mmmm roasted beets sounds tasty. I need to pin this recipe for later
Chef G
Enjoy!!
Maggie
We aren’t big fans of leeks, however, the Broccoli Overload Soup sounds delicious and something that my family would eat. Thank you for sharing these recipes!
Chef G
You are welcome….enjoy!!
Cathy
I’ve always wanted to make a potato soup for my family, but I’m just not sure I could sell them (okay, or myself) on the beets. They sound like an interesting addition, though.
Chef G
Roasted beet are so sweet. You should give them a try!!
Tracy | Baking Mischief
As I was reading the post and looking at your pictures, I kept wondering why the soup was’t bright pink from the beets and then I got to that last one after you stirred and was like, THERE is it! 😉 This looks so good. I love potato and leek soup. Beets sound like a great addition.
Chef G
HAHA….yes it does make the soup pink once you stir them in.
Shelley @ Two Healthy Kitchens
Mmmmmmm … what an absolutely wonderful idea to add the delicious, earthy sweetness of roasted beets to the classic, comfort-food flavors of potato and leek soup! Yummy and so pretty, too! Perfect for a chilly day (like the one we’re having in Ohio right this very moment)!
Chef G
Thanks…we really enjoy it!!
Emily, Our house now a home
Yum! I love having some warm soup for dinner and this one looks amazing!
Chef G
Thanks…hope you give it a try.
Brandy M.
Funny story here. We raise potatoes and my husband doesn’t venture to far out on the food spectrum. We were recently at a restaurant that had potato leek soup as the special and my husband freaked out as he didn’t know what a leek was. In his world leek is actually a bad thing because it’s a disease potatoes get. He couldn’t figure out why anybody would willing serve a diseased potato! It took a little explaining but he caught on 🙂
Chef G
That is funny. I totally understand why he wouldn’t want to eat them.
Kathryn @ Family Food on the Table
I’m such a fun of roasted beets! They really are so simple but bring so much flavor. I’m a big fan of the yellow ones, too – maybe because I also can only get them at the market so they seem more rare 😉 And I love that you added beets to this soup – what a great combination! Can’t wait to try it!
Chef G
We love roasted beet…and we can only get the gold beets during market season. Such a shame since they are so good.
Sherri @ Watch Learn Eat
I love all of the flavors in this soup, especially the roasted beets! Not to mention, I am now humming the tune of “Scarborough Fair” 🙂 Great recipe!
Chef G
Thanks…I like that song too!!
The Food Hunter
I love the addition of the beets on this soup
Chef G
Thanks…it really does add another level to the soup.
Robin Rue (@massholemommy)
This sounds so good. I think my whole family will love it. I can’t wait to try it.
Chef G
Thanks…enjoy!!
Chef G
Thanks for including my soup in this great list!!