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White bean and leek soup with toasted seeds
youryum.com/recipes/white-bean-and-leek-soup-with-toasted-seeds · serves 4

A creamy bowl with a nutty crackle

Toasted seeds give creamy leek soup a dry, nutty edge and make each spoonful more interesting.

  • Vegan
Maren Ashby in her kitchen, in a dark apron, looking away from the camera
By Maren Ashby · Writes and tests everything here
Published 2 September 2026
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White bean leek soup with toasted pumpkin and sesame seeds
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Prep
20 min
Cook
35 min
Total
55 min
Serves
4
Per serving
371kcal
Effort
Easy

Leeks need time before stock. Give them a slow ten minutes in olive oil and they become sweet enough to make a simple bean soup feel deliberate. The beans bring body, the potato rounds the stock, and lemon keeps the bowl from becoming heavy.

The finishing ingredient changes the texture at the table, not in the saucepan. Crispy chickpeas and toasted seeds need to stay dry, yogurt and tahini need to stay cool, and herbs need to go in after the heat. The soup base is quiet on purpose so each finish can still be heard.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Soup

Toasted seeds

Equipment

  • Wide saucepan
  • Stick blender or jug blender
  • Ladle

Method

  1. Wash the leeks properly

    Trim the roots and dark green tops, then split the leeks lengthways and wash between every layer. Slice them thinly. Grit hides in the folds, and it is much easier to remove now than from a finished bowl.

    Warm the olive oil in a wide saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and leeks with a pinch of salt and cook for ten minutes, stirring often, until soft but not browned. Slow cooking gives the soup its sweetness.

  2. Build the soup

    Add the garlic and thyme for one minute, then stir in the potato, beans and hot stock. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 20 minutes, or until the potato is tender. Keep the bubbles quiet so the beans do not break apart before you decide how smooth the soup should be.

    Taste the stock halfway through. If it is already salty, wait before adding more. Beans and stock vary, and the final finish may bring more seasoning.

    Hands stirring white beans leeks and potato in a wide saucepan

  3. Blend to the texture you want

    Blend two ladlefuls of soup until smooth and stir it back into the pan. This thickens the stock while leaving some beans and leek visible. For a completely smooth soup, blend the whole batch in stages and return it to the saucepan over low heat.

    A stick blender makes a rougher, more homestyle texture. A jug blender makes it silkier, but never fill it more than halfway with hot liquid and vent the lid so pressure can escape.

  4. Add the ${v.finish}

    Toast pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds and thyme in a dry pan for three minutes, shaking often. Tip onto a plate and sprinkle over the soup.

    If the soup has tightened while standing, add a splash of hot stock. It should coat a spoon lightly and still pour easily into a bowl.

  5. Rest and serve

    Leave the soup off the heat for five minutes, then taste once more for salt, pepper and lemon. Serve in warmed bowls with the finish visible on the surface.

    The leeks should taste sweet, the beans should make the stock feel rounded, and the potato should have disappeared into the body rather than sitting as hard cubes. That is the check that the timing has worked.

What's in it

Nutrition, buying and storage notes for the ingredients this recipe leans on.

Leeks 83 g water
Leeks white beans potato stock and toasted pumpkin and sesame seeds ready for soup
Everything is ready before the leeks start sweating in the saucepan.

The leek washing step earns its place

Leeks are grown in layers, and soil can travel surprisingly high into the white part. Slicing first and washing after exposes the folds. Rinsing an intact leek only cleans the outside and leaves grit tucked inside the rings.

Dry them roughly before they hit the oil. A little water is harmless, but a wet pile lowers the pan temperature and delays the softening that gives this soup its base flavour.

Blend only what the soup needs

A soup made from beans and potato can become thick quickly. Blending a portion gives the stock a creamy body without adding cream, while whole beans make the bowl feel like dinner. Start with two ladlefuls; you can always blend more.

If you are using a jug blender, work in small batches and leave the vent open under a folded tea towel. Hot liquid expands. A stick blender is less silky but simpler for a weeknight saucepan.

Nutrition

Per serving, for 4 servings. Estimated from ingredient weights — it moves with the brands and cuts you actually use.

NutrientPer serving
Calories 371 kcal
Protein 14 g
Carbohydrate 48 g
Fibre 13 g
Fat 12 g

Source: Estimated from ingredient weights, USDA FoodData Central

Questions

Can I use sunflower seeds?
Yes. They toast quickly, so check them after two minutes.
Can I make the seed topping ahead?
Toast it up to three days ahead and store it sealed at room temperature.
Can I use nuts?
Yes. Chopped walnuts or hazelnuts work well with the leeks.

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