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
Chris @ SimpleFood365
It 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
Thanks…it is a nice soup for sure.
Florentina
I 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
Hope you do. The beets really go well with the soup.
Sandi (@fearless_dining)
Such a pretty color for Valentines 🙂
Chef G
Yes I would have to agree with you. Thanks for stopping by.
Autumn @Mamachallenge
That looks like a great soup! I have not had a beet soup before, but I want to try it!
Chef G
Please enjoy!!
Tonya C
I love all kinds of soups , I cant wait to try this soon! Looks delicious!
Chef G
Thank you, we like it a lot.
Christina
Color-changing soup! Haha! This sounds delicious and perfect for those late winter dinners!
Chef G
HAHA…yes it is kind of fun!!
Patricia @ Grab a Plate
I love this soup, and it couldn’t get any better than with those beautiful roasted beets. They definitely have dual purpose — great taste and a beautiful presentation!
Chef G
Thanks so much for the wonderful compliments.
Amanda Love
This sounds really yummy! I love beets and don’t think I’ve had any of these together in a soup. Sounds like a great combo.
Chef G
They do really work well together.
Tina @ My Highest Self
Oh, I’ll have to try this! I will head over and check out the other soups too.
Chef G
Thanks for stopping by….enjoy!!
carissa garabedian
I love soup. I think this sounds so good. I do not generally like beets, but I know they are so good for you. I am going to try ! Thanks
Chef G
Thanks…hope you enjoy it.
Julia @ bavarianpicure
I love beets but most of the time I’m too lazy and buy them precooked. I think I have to change that now! Your potato soup looks delicious and I love that it changes color when adding the beets. Pretty in Pink!
Chef G
Beets are so easy to roast. I usually do a whole bunch and have them for things throughout the week.
Tracy @ Served from Scratch
Oooh I LOVE leek and potato soup but with roasted beets? Genius!
Chef G
Well thank you!!
Carol Bryant
OOH what a lovely looking and sounding winter meal. I can just taste the broth simmering now. Delish!
Chef G
We really enjoy it.
Donna
Oh yum this sounds great! I love potato and leek soup, but would never have thought to add beets – great idea!
Chef G
Thanks…it does add another level of goodness for sure.
Bri
Beets are really delicious and has a host of health benefits. Soup is a great comfort food that can be enjoyed as leftovers too.
Chef G
Totally agree with everything you say. Thanks for stopping by.