This is a fabulous Potato Leek Soup recipe that tastes far more indulgent than it actually is. Naturally gluten-free and vegan-adaptable, the simple, classic flavours will fill you with nostalgic warmth.
The weather forecast continues to show pretty dismal days ahead and nothing soothes like a warm bowl of soup. This puréed Potato Leek soup is both easy to make and quick to cook and makes a delicious lunch or light dinner with salad or crusty bread.
Reasons To Love This Soup
Potato leek soup is nourishing, cheap and filling. Served piping hot, it provides warmth and comfort with little to no effort. And quickly, too. Truth be told, I had forgotten about this soup for years but now that I have been making it again, I can’t get enough it.
The ingredients are few and the process is simple: sauté leeks until they sweat and soften, add smashed garlic and diced potatoes along with a few bay leaves and broth. Season well, in fact, season generously. Simmer until potatoes are tender then blitz it all until smooth. An optional splash of heavy cream gives the soup a rich and luscious touch.
Though this is a cozy soup that will warm your bones on chilly evenings, it is light enough to enjoy in the spring or summer. This is a delicious, versatile soup I know you will love as much I do.
Key Ingredients And Notes
You only need a few, budget-friendly ingredients to make this delectable potato and leek soup.
- Leeks – Delicate and sweet once cooked, I like to use a good amount of leeks in this soup. For this recipe, you will need 3 to 4 large leeks. Only the white and light green parts of the leek will be used but save the dark tops for future homemade broth. They need to be sliced thinly so they almost melt away as they sweat, adding body as well as flavour to the soup.
- Olive oil and butter – Sautéing the leeks in butter makes them creamy-soft nd flavourful. I like to add a bit of olive oil as well to ensure they don’t brown too quickly.
- Garlic – A few sliced garlic cloves add loads of flavour to this simple soup.
- Fresh thyme sprigs and bay leaves – To add subtle, herby flavours. You can use a pinch of dried thyme if you don’t have fresh.
- Potatoes – For potato leek soup, you will find that some swear by Russets, while others wouldn’t hear of using anything but Yukon Golds. I honestly don’t find the results to be that different so I use whichever of the two varieties look best at the grocery store.
- Low-sodium chicken, or veggie broth – Homemade broth is of course always best, but a good-quality store-bought will work just fine. For a veggie broth, I highly recommend a bouillon powder as opposed to the boxed ones which can be overly sweet and overpower this delicatly-flavoured soup.
- Salt and pepper – Don’t skimp on the salt. Season the soup in stages and taste before adding any cream—it should taste perfect and delicious at this point.
- Heavy cream – Undoubtedly, a good splash of heavy cream will take this perfectly fine soup into the realm of the delectable. That said, I like to keep the cream fairly minimal in order to still taste the pure essence of the vegetables. For a lighter version, you can use half and half, if you prefer, or even just a small dollop of sour cream or yogurt for some tang. You can omit all dairy if you wish, the soup will still be delicious. Just add a generous drizzle of good olive oil to finish.
- Fresh chives (or scallions) for garnish – Freshly cracked pepper and chopped chives or scallions are the perfect final touch for this simple potato leek soup.
How To Clean Leeks
Leeks will often have dirt stuck in between the layers so simply washing the leek on the outside, will not get rid of this dirt. For this potato leek soup, we are chopping the leeks up which makes them easier to clean. Though perfectly edible, the dark green tops are very tough and take a long time to cook. However, you can use them to make stock so don’t discard them. Here’s how to prepare the leeks and get them squeaky clean:
- Slice off the root and leaves. Use a sharp knife to cut off the root end of the leek. Cut off the green part of the leek at the top, where they start to turn light green.
- Slice the leeks into half-moons. First, cut each leek in half lengthwise. Then, cut-side down, slice each half crosswise into thin slices.
- Rinse. Place sliced leeks in a bowl of cold water and swish the leeks with your hands to separate the layers. Let sit for 1 minute to allow any dirt to settle to bottom of bowl. Lift the leeks out of the water and transfer to a colander. Rinse again under running water for just a few seconds. (Don’t dump the leeks with the water into the colander or the dirt that settled at the bottom will pour over them again.)
How To Make The Best Potato Leek Soup
Once you have cleaned and chopped your leeks, making this soup is a breeze. You should have 5-6 cups of chopped leeks from 4 large leeks.
Heat the butter and olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Once butter has melted, add the leeks, reduce heat to medium low and cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft, but not browned, about 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the garlic during the last 3 minutes of cooking.
Add the diced potatoes, chicken or vegetable stock, salt, pepper, bay leaves, and thyme sprigs. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat down to a gentle simmer. Cover, and simmer until the potatoes are perfectly soft and tender when pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes.
Remove and discard the bay leaf. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup just until it’s smooth and creamy—over blending can cause it to turn gummy. Alternatively, transfer in batches to a blender and again, blend only until just creamy and smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt and pepper as needed. Stir in heavy cream, if using.
Serve immediately garnished with a drizzle of olive oil, chopped chives and freshly cracked pepper.
FAQ’s
For a creamy and delicious, dairy-free version of this potato leek soup, use 1/2 cup coconut milk, or any plant-based milk that is creamy.
It is best to use Yukon golds or Russets for this potato leek soup. Other potatoes may not blend as well. If you try a different variety, be sure to use the same weight measure called for in this recipe when determining quantity.
Serving Suggestions
For an easy lunch or light dinner, we adore this potato leek soup with sourdough toasted bread topped with slices of parmesan cheese and drizzles of olive oil. So good!
Equally delicious and filling with a rosemary-scented focaccia, or a hearty salad. This potato leek soup is also fun to serve as appetizers, ladled into small bowls or glasses.
Storage Tips
Leftovers of this potato leek soup are great for lunches and they also freeze well.
- To store: Store cooled soup in airtight containers and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- To freeze: Store cooled soup in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
More Delicious Soup Recipes To Try
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Potato Leek Soup
Ingredients
- 4 large leeks, white and light green parts only
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to serve
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
- 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper plus more for garnish
- 2 bay leaves
- 3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- freshly chopped chives for garnish
Instructions
- Halve the leeks lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise. Rinse away any grit (see notes).
- Heat the butter and olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Once butter has melted, add the leeks, reduce heat to medium low and cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft, but not browned, about 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the garlic during the last 3 minutes of cooking.
- Add the diced potatoes, chicken or vegetable stock, salt, pepper, bay leaves, and thyme sprigs. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat down to a gentle simmer. Cover, and simmer until the potatoes are perfectly soft and tender when pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes.
- Remove and discard the bay leaves. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup just until it’s smooth and creamy—over blending can cause it to turn gummy. Alternatively, transfer in batches to a blender and again, blend only until just creamy and smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt and pepper as needed.
- Stir in heavy cream, if using. Serve immediately garnished with a drizzle of olive oil, chopped chives and pinches of freshly cracked black pepper.
Notes
- To rinse the leeks: Place sliced leeks in a bowl of cold water and swish the leeks with your hands to separate the layers. Let sit for 1 minute to allow any dirt to settle to bottom of bowl. Lift the leeks out of the water and transfer to a colander. Rinse again under running water for just a few seconds. (Don’t dump the leeks with the water into the colander or the dirt that settled at the bottom will pour over them again.)
- To make dairy-free: Substitute heavy cream with full-fat coconut milk or simply omit entirely.
- To store: Store cooled soup in airtight containers and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- To freeze: Store cooled soup in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
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