This potato leek soup recipe is cozy goodness in every spoonful!
Leeks, celery, and potatoes are blended into a rich and creamy soup for a restaurant worthy favorite at home.
Holly’s Recipe Highlights
- Flavor: This is a creamy soup with a delicate leek flavor. Leeks taste like sweet mild onion.
- Difficulty: One-pot Potato and Leek Soup is every day easy but elegant enough for guests.
- Prep note: When softening the leeks, for the best flavor ensure they don’t brown.
- Budget tip: Budget-friendly potatoes are filling and flavorful.
- Feeling fancy? When I made this soup at our culinary school, we strained it through cheesecloth or a mesh strainer. If enjoying this recipe at home, I usually don’t bother.
Ingredient Tips for Potato Leek Soup
- Leeks: Leeks look like large green onions. The green part of the leeks are tough and should be discarded while the white parts are deliciously sweet and tender once softened. Leeks can have a lot of dirt or grit between the layers, so wash them well. It’s easiest to wash leeks once they’ve been cut.
- Potatoes: For the best texture, use Yellow, Russets, or Yukon gold potatoes.
- Broth: Chicken broth adds the best flavor. You can replace it with vegetable broth, which tends to be a bit lighter in flavor and a bit sweeter.
How to Make Potato Leek Soup
- Soften the leeks in butter until tender.
- Add potatoes, broth, herbs, and seasonings and simmer.
- Discard bay leaf and thyme stems and blend the soup until smooth.
- Stir in cream and season (full recipe below) before serving.
Pro Tips for Potato Leek Soup
- How to Cut Leeks: Cut the white bulb from the dark stalks. Cut the bulb into thin slices or rounds, separate the layers and rinse in a colander to remove dirt.
- Peel the potatoes for a smooth soup.
- For an extra velvety texture, squeeze the soup through a cheesecloth. For a rustic soup, leave some of the potatoes and leeks unblended.
- Add more pureed potatoes or potato flakes for a thicker soup, or for a thinner soup, whisk in more broth.
Storing Leftover Soup
Keep leftover potato leek soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave. Cream-based soups don’t freeze well, so use this one up within a few days after making it.
Creamy Cozy Soups
Did you make this Potato Leek Soup? Leave us a rating and a comment below.
Potato Leek Soup
Fragrant leeks are simmered with potatoes and broth until perfectly tender. Once blended, a splash of cream turns it into a smooth, elegant and comforting soup!
Equipment
- Immersion Blender or hand blender
- Large Pot or Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 3 large leeks white only
- 2 ribs celery ½-inch chopped
- ½ cup salted butter
- 2 pounds russet potatoes about 5 medium, peeled
- 6 cups chicken broth or vegetable stock
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- chopped fresh chives or thyme for garnish
Instructions
- Cut off the green of the leeks and discard (or freeze for stock). Cut the leeks lengthwise and then thinly slice them, you should have about 5 to 6 cups of leeks.
- Rinse the leeks very well under cold water to remove dirt or grit.
- Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add leeks and celery and cook until leeks are tender, about 7-10 minutes.
- Cut potatoes into large chunks and add them to the pot with the broth, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
- Discard bay leaf and thyme stems. Using an immersion or hand blender*, blend soup until smooth. Add cream and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
Notes
Optional: Once blended, run through a strainer lined with cheesecloth to achieve a smoother texture.
Leftover soup can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 300 | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 59mg | Sodium: 844mg | Potassium: 618mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1307IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Appetizer, Entree, Main Course, Soup
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Very good flavor and easy
This soup is fantastic. I didn’t blend mine as I like the soft chunks of veg. I used white pepper like my Mam used to. It was so good. I will definitely make it again. It will be a regular soup for me.
Pure comfort, purely delicious! A cinch to put together, this soup paired well with a grilled cheese sandwich (a favorite among our family) otherwise a simple baguette and butter would be perfect!
Happy to hear you enjoyed this soup, Stephanie!