Vegan Potato Leek Soup

Prep the veggies by dicing the leeks and peeling and chopping the potatoes. I like to chop each potato into 6 evenly sized pieces so they're not too small. If using fresh garlic instead of garlic powder, also mince the garlic at this point.
Once the veggies are prepped, add the vegan butter to a large pot or dutch oven and turn on the heat.
Once the butter has melted and is bubbling, add in the diced leeks, garlic/garlic powder, dried parsley, chili flakes, salt, and pepper. For reference, I use about ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon ground pepper to start and add more if needed.
Then, saute the leeks for about 5 minutes until they have become soft and are starting to caramelize.
Next, add in the vegetable broth, chopped potatoes, cooked cannelini beans, and Bay leaves. Stir together and brign the soup to a boil.
Once the soup is boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pot with a lid, and cook for 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are cooked through and easily piercable, but not too soft and musghy.
Remove the bay leaves from the soup and discard. Then, turn off the heat and use an immersion blender or add the soup to a standing blender and blend until smooth.
Once the soup is completely smooth and creamy, add in the lemon juice and any additional salt and pepper needed to season the soup. Then, stir and serve warm with your favorite toppings. Enjoy!