This creamy, chunky Potato Leek & Chickpea Soup is the perfect recipe when you want something simple but warm and nourishing in your belly.

Sometimes you just need a good bowl of soup. One that’s easy to throw together but still full of flavour.

I’ve made a number of potato-based soups in the past, but the classic potato leek combo is always a winner. Leeks–in the onion family–bring a lot to the table when it comes to flavour in this recipe. They’re also what create that light, spring-green hue. And the potatoes are what make this soup thick and creamy, without the need to add an extra thickener or starch.

I thought I’d switch things up in this recipe and add in some chickpeas for a little extra plant-based protein. It’s optional if you’d like to stick to just potato and leeks, but it’s adds a nice heartiness.

I also like pureeing only half of the soup mixture, and leaving the rest chunky. That way you get a nice combination of creamy but textured. Although, you could go any which way: completely pureed, or left as-is without any pureeing at all.

Ingredients for Potato Leek & Chickpea Soup

For this recipe you’ll need:

• Potatoes
• Leeks
• Chickpeas
• Vegetable bouillon cubes or broth
• Salt and pepper
• Water

That’s it! You can also add some optional toppings like bacon or fresh herb sprigs. I will say, bacon adds a really nice flavour. I don’t personally buy or recommend shelf-stable ‘bacon bits’, instead I cook up fresh bacon, snip it into pieces, and use it as a topping that way. If you can, look for pasture-raised bacon. You could also do a turkey bacon. Or skip this step altogether if you’d rather keep this recipe vegan.

How to Make Potato Leek & Chickpea Soup

To make this recipe:

1. Slice up your leeks. I cut them into circles by slicing the width, not the length, of the leek. You’ll want the slices to be thin, not thick. You can use the entire stalk, both green and white parts.
2. Dice potato into small pieces.
3. Add leeks and potato to very large pot and cover with just enough water to mostly submerge. For a thinner soup, add water to entirely submerge the vegetables. You can use broth here instead of water, in which case, omit the bouillon cubes.
4. Bring contents to a boil, and then simmer on medium-low. Add in bouillon cubes, salt and pepper, and stir well. Simmer for about 25 minutes, until potatoes can be pierced easily with a fork. During last 5 minutes, add chickpeas and stir.
5. Transfer 1/2 to 3/4 of the soup to your blender and blend until creamy. Pour back into pot with remaining soup and stir. Alternatively, use a handheld immersion blender and blend half of the mixture, leaving some chunks.
6. Serve with freshly cooked bacon on top, cut into pieces, fresh herb sprigs, or a sprinkle of black pepper. A side of some sourdough bread would be lovely, too!

Leave me a comment and a rating below if you give this recipe a try, and tag me on Instagram @meghanlivingstone with your delicious Potato Leek & Chickpea photos!