If you’ve never tried cooking or making a recipe with leeks, this nourishing creamy leek soup is one of my favorites! It is smooth, comforting, and super easy to make. With a base of buttery sauteed leeks and layers of potatoes, broth, spices, and cream, this flavorful soup is quick to make with a few simple steps and is ready to serve in under an hour.
Enjoy a bowl of this comforting soup as-is, loaded with your favorite toppings, or with warm fresh bread. Or, serve it as a side dish or a first course for a holiday meal! A pot of this soup simmering on the stove will warm up even the coolest or most dreary days. If you’re looking for more creamy soup recipes, try my homemade pumpkin soup, easy chicken enchilada soup, or corn chowder recipe.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Leeks – choose leeks that are crisp and firm to the touch, with a white neck and dark green leaves. Scrub the leeks well to remove any sand, dirt, or other debris. You will need 4 large leeks or about 6 cups when chopped. Use only the light green and white part of each leek.
Potatoes – I recommend using Yukon golds to give this leek soup a delicious buttery texture and flavor. Alternatively, you can use russet potatoes.
Broth – choose chicken broth or vegetable broth to add a delicious savory base to the soup. If you want to have more control over the saltiness, select an unsalted or low-sodium broth and season to your taste.
Herbs – fresh thyme and dried bay leaf add an earthy, peppery-sweet tone that accentuates the other flavors. If you do not have fresh thyme, 1 teaspoon of dried thyme can be substituted.
Heavy Cream – also known as heavy whipping cream, this makes the texture of the soup even creamier and adds a tasty richness.
How to Make Potato Leek Soup
1. In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add the leeks and garlic.
2. Sauté until the leeks are very soft, for about 10 minutes.
3. Add the potatoes and stir them with the leeks.
4. Add the broth, thyme, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Bring it all to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are very soft, for about 15 minutes.
5. Remove and discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaves.
6. Working in batches, purée the soup in a blender or a food processor, or use a hand-held immersion blender in the pot until smooth.
7. Return the pureed soup to the pot.
8. Stir the cream into the pot until well combined. Warm the pot over low heat for a few minutes to reheat, if needed. Serve potato and leek soup garnished with chives and black pepper.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- Purée the soup in batches. When the time comes to purée the soup, only fill the blender halfway per batch. Leave the blender lid’s hole open and cover the opening with a dishtowel before blending to allow the steam to escape and prevent the hot soup from splattering. If you have an immersion blender, use it to blend the soup directly in the pot, and skip transferring it to another container.
- Chop the potatoes in even sizes. Chop the potatoes uniformly so they cook evenly. Thicker pieces will take longer to cook than smaller ones, and you’ll end up with a less smooth soup when blending.
- Make it vegan. This recipe is super easy to adapt for dietary needs! Omit all dairy and animal products by swapping out the chicken stock or broth for vegetable stock and the butter for equal parts olive oil or vegan butter. Sub the heavy cream for dairy-free heavy whipping cream or full-fat coconut milk. The soup is also naturally gluten-free.
- Optional blending alternatives. If you don’t have a blender, you can also use a hand-held immersion blender or a food processor. If using a food processor, be sure to blend in batches as some processors will leak out liquid if over-filled above the top of the processing component.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store leftover leek and potato soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave until warmed through. If the soup thickens during storage, you can thin it out with a splash of broth, water, or cream before reheating.
Yes, you can definitely freeze this recipe; however, the cream may separate when reheating. If you make the soup with a plan to freeze it, I recommend leaving out the heavy cream. Cool the soup to room temperature before freezing in a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or over low heat on the stovetop. Once heated through, stir in the cream and serve hot.
Load up hot bowls of this soup with your favorite toppings and pair them with a dippable side like homemade breadsticks, dinner rolls, garlic bread, or a slice of crusty bread. We love to top our soup with shredded cheddar cheese, crispy bacon bits, freshly chopped parsley, or toasted pine nuts.
To prepare leeks, first cut off the root ends and dark leafy parts. Then, cut each leek lengthwise and thoroughly rinse the halves under cold water while gently pulling the layers apart so water can run between them and remove all hidden grit. Once all the halves are clean, pat them dry and chop them up! If they are still damp, I recommend patting the sliced leeks dry again.
I used Yukon gold potatoes for an extra luscious creamy texture, which I recommend. Alternatively, you can use russet potatoes – just note that the texture will be slightly thicker due to the higher starch content. I would not suggest using red-skinned potatoes because they tend to have a waxier texture and don’t pureé as smoothly.
If you love this recipe try these out!
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
- Purée the soup in batches. When the time comes to purée the soup, only fill the blender halfway per batch. Leave the blender lid’s hole open and cover the opening with a dishtowel before blending to allow the steam to escape and prevent the hot soup from splattering. If you have an immersion blender, use it to blend the soup directly in the pot, and skip transferring it to another container.
- Chop the potatoes in even sizes. Chop the potatoes uniformly so they cook evenly. Thicker pieces will take longer to cook than smaller ones, and you’ll end up with a less smooth soup when blending.
- Make it vegan. This recipe is super easy to adapt for dietary needs! Omit all dairy and animal products by swapping out the chicken stock or broth for vegetable stock and the butter for equal parts olive oil or vegan butter. Sub the heavy cream for dairy-free heavy whipping cream or full-fat coconut milk. The soup is also naturally gluten-free.
- Optional blending alternatives. If you don’t have a blender, you can also use a hand-held immersion blender or a food processor. If using a food processor, be sure to blend in batches as some processors will leak out liquid if over-filled above the top of the processing component.
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