Perfect on its own, as a side, or as an appetizer, this potato leek soup is a versatile recipe you can effortlessly whip up. You can serve this cozy soup for any occasion, and everyone will ask for more! It’s such an irresistible soup as it’s thick, creamy, and smooth. Don’t let the simple ingredients fool you, this soup is full of flavor.
Not only as the ingredients simple, but this soup also comes together quickly. Simply simmer all the ingredients together and blend until smooth. It takes around 30 minutes, so you can quickly make it for dinner. If you want to make this soup even more filling then serve it up with a delicious bread recipe like some dinner rolls, homemade breadsticks, or garlic bread.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Leeks — leeks have a mildly sweet, onion-like flavor and should be firm with dark green leaves and white necks. The darker green leaves are tough and fibrous, so we only use the white neck and the light green portion of the leaves for the leek and potato soup.
Potatoes — Yukon gold or russet potatoes are great for this soup recipe, but Yukon gold yields a creamier texture. Avoid using red-skinned potatoes as they hold their shape better and won’t purée as smoothly.
Broth — you can use chicken broth or vegetable broth as the base of the soup.
Herbs — fresh thyme and bay leaves add a delicious flavor to the base of the soup.
Heavy cream — to make the soup even creamier, stir in heavy cream after puréeing the soup.
How to Make Potato Leek Soup
1. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the leeks and garlic to the pot.
2. Sauté until the leeks are very soft.
3. Add the chopped potatoes.
4. Add the broth, thyme, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are very soft.
5. Remove and discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaves.
6. Working in batches, purée the soup in a blender until smooth.
7. Return the puréed soup to the pot.
8. Stir the cream into the potato and leek soup. Place over low heat for a few minutes to reheat, if needed. Serve garnished with chives and black pepper.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- Be careful when blending hot soup. Make sure to have a way for the steam to escape, and avoid filling the blender all the way to the top. You don’t want the steam to build up, and you want there to be room to blend the soup. Leave the hole in the lid open and cover it with a dishtowel before blending. This allows the steam to escape.
- If you prefer the soup to be chunky, you do not have to blend all of the soup until smooth.
- Make sure you dice the potatoes to a similar size to ensure they cook evenly.
- For a more tangy flavor, you can whisk in some sour cream at the end.
- If you do not have fresh thyme, you can swap it for dried thyme. One sprig of fresh thyme equals around ½ teaspoon of dried thyme.
- You can add extra protein to the potato leek soup, such as cooked bacon, ham, chicken, sausage, or pancetta.
- If you don’t have a blender, you can use a hand-held immersion blender or food processor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Due to how leeks are grown, there may be some dirt between the layers. After you cut the leeks, place them in a bowl of cold water and give them a gentle rub. The leeks should float on the water, leaving the dirt will sink to the bottom of the bowl. Lift the leeks out with your hands or a mesh strainer, leaving the water and dirt in the bowl. Pat them dry before adding them to the pot.
You can store the leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. You can reheat the soup in the microwave or on the stovetop over low heat.
You can easily freeze this soup, but I recommend holding off the heavy cream to avoid the soup from separating. The soup will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container.
You can easily make this soup vegan by swapping the butter for olive oil or vegan butter. You can also switch the heavy cream to coconut cream or vegan cream.
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If you’ve tried this Potato Leek Soup recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Potato Leek Soup
Equipment
- Large Pot
- Blender
Ingredients
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (56g)
- 4 large leeks white and light green parts only, chopped (about 6 cups)
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 2 pounds potatoes peeled and chopped (Yukon gold or Russet) (900g)
- 6 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth 1.4L
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1¾ teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup heavy cream (240ml)
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives for servings
Instructions
- In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the leeks and garlic and sauté until the leeks are very soft, about 10 minutes.
- Add the potatoes, broth, thyme, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are very soft, about 15 minutes.
- Remove and discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Working in batches, purée the soup in a blender until smooth. Return to the pot and stir in the cream. Place over low heat for a few minutes to reheat, if needed. Serve garnished with chives and black pepper.
Notes
- Be careful when blending hot soup. Make sure to have a way for the steam to escape, and avoid filling the blender all the way to the top. You don’t want the steam to build up, and you want there to be room to blend the soup. Leave the hole in the lid open and cover it with a dishtowel before blending. This allows the steam to escape.
- If you prefer the soup to be chunky, you do not have to blend all of the soup until smooth.
- Make sure you dice the potatoes to a similar size to ensure they cook evenly.
- For a tangier flavor, you can whisk in some sour cream at the end.
- If you do not have fresh thyme, you can swap it for dried thyme. One sprig of fresh thyme equals around ½ teaspoon of dried thyme.
- You can add extra protein to the potato leek soup, such as cooked bacon, ham, chicken, sausage, or pancetta.
- If you don’t have a blender, you can use a hand-held immersion blender or food processor.
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