- Cheers actor Woody Harrelson and his wife share their flavorful vegan potato leek soup.
- It’s simple to make with minimal ingredients, including red potatoes, leeks and garlic.
- Garnish with truffle oil, mushrooms and herbs, if you like, and pair with a sandwich or salad.
Did you know that Woody Harrelson is vegan? It’s true: The Cheers actor has been vegan for decades, and his wife, Laura Louie, also follows a plant-based diet and lifestyle.
So, fittingly, Woody and Laura shared one of their go-to recipes for the 2026 Veganuary Celebrity Cookbook: creamy potato leek soup. And while “creamy” is in its name, this soup still manages to be vegan—its smooth texture comes from the produce that’s blended in.
It only takes four main ingredients (alongside salt, pepper, oil and water) and minimal prep time to whip up this comforting soup. And we have the recipe—here’s how to make it and why we love it, plus we share more recipes to pair it with for a cozy, complete dinner.
Woody & Laura’s Creamy Potato Leek Soup
Servings: 10-12
Ingredients
- 750 g (1½ pounds) red potatoes, peeled and cut into 1.5-centimeter (½ inch) cubes, divided
- 200 g (½ pound) leeks, trimmed and chopped into 0.5-centimeter (¼ inch) slices
- 2 liters (8½ cups) water, divided
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- 3 tablespoons/cubes vegetable bouillon
- 1 tablespoon Himalayan salt
- Black pepper, to taste
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Directions
Step 1
Steam the potatoes until soft.
Step 2
In a small pan, lightly cook the leeks in a splash of water, or gently fry them in vegetable oil until tender.
Step 3
Place half the potatoes, half the water, leeks, 3 cloves garlic, 3 tablespoons vegetable bouillon, 1 tablespoon salt and the pepper in a high-powered blender. Build power gradually to the highest level. At that point, slowly pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the mixture. Blend until smooth. Pour the mixture into a large pot and gently warm it over a low heat.
Step 4
Blend the remaining potatoes and water, and repeat the slow addition of the rest of the olive oil while blending at the highest speed. Add to the pot and stir every few minutes while warming the soup to the desired temperature. Add more water if your preferred consistency is thinner. Serve hot.
Why We Love This Soup
This soup is incredibly simple. By blending the ingredients and heating them up in a pot, it won’t take hours to cook over the stove. It’s also easy to make ahead of time, store in an airtight container and refrigerate or freeze it until you’re ready to reheat and serve.
It’s also easy to customize. Garnish with a light drizzle of truffle oil, sautéed mushrooms or fresh herbs, depending on your taste buds. This bowl of soup would pair well with a salad or sandwich—like our Veggie & Hummus Sandwich or our Vegan Kale Caesar Salad with Tofu Croutons—for a satisfying, veggie-packed meal.
Plant-based foods can be flavorful and comforting, and Woody and Laura’s soup proves that. We also love this Curried Sweet Potato & Peanut Soup and our meal-prep-friendly Eat-the-Rainbow Vegetable Soup for the perfect plant-based bite.
