Potato Leek Soup
Updated September 13, 2023
Quick Summary
Potato Leek Soup- this creamy potato leek soup is always a favorite and easy to make at home. Serve with crusty bread and a salad for a simple and delicious meal.
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Pin ItPotato Leek Soup is a CLASSIC and one of my personal favorite soup recipes.
I love this recipe because it’s made with basic ingredients and only takes about 30 minutes to make. The soup doesn’t taste basic though, the flavors and textures are luxurious!
The mild flavors of the leeks pair perfectly with the creamy potatoes. The soup is rich, buttery, and oh so cozy. A bowl will warm you up and fill you up!
I like to serve crusty bread on the side so everyone can dunk the thick bread slices into the nourishing soup. SO good!
Table of Contents
Soup Ingredients
- Leeks– Leeks have a very mild onion flavor with a hint of sweetness. You can find leeks in the produce section, they look like giant scallions. Choose leeks that have a long white to pale green shaft. You will need 4 large leeks for this soup recipe.
- Butter– I like to use butter because it adds a rich flavor to the soup, but you can use olive oil if you want.
- Garlic– to add flavor to the soup.
- Potatoes– use Yukon Gold potatoes for the soup, they give the soup a super creamy texture. If you can’t find them, Russet potatoes will work.
- Broth– I use vegetable broth to keep the soup vegetarian, but chicken broth works well too.
- Thyme– I use dried thyme because I always have it in the pantry.
- Heavy cream– finish the soup with heavy cream to make it rich, creamy, and luxurious. If you need the soup to be vegan or dairy-free, you can use coconut milk. It will give the soup a slightly different flavor.
- Fresh chives– for garnish!
How to Cut & Clean Leeks
The most edible parts of leeks are the bottom white and light green parts. They are tender and have great flavor. You can eat the dark green parts, but they are pretty tough so I don’t use them for the soup.
With a sharp knife, cut off the roots and the tough dark green part of the leeks. Slice the white and light green part of the leeks into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
Leeks have a lot of dirt and sand in between their layers so it’s important to wash them well before using.
Place the sliced leeks in a colander and rinse well under cold water to remove the dirt. Use your hands to toss the leeks and dislodge any stubborn dirt or sand that is sticking to the leeks. Drain well.
How to Make Potato Leek Soup
- In a large Dutch oven or pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the leeks and sauté until tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add the potatoes, broth, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil and turn the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until potatoes are fork tender.
- Use an immersion blender to blend the soup in the pot. Blend until smooth, but don’t over blend or the soup will get gummy in texture.
- Alternatively, you can blend the soup in a large blender. Let the soup cool for a few minutes before blending so it’s not steaming hot. Fill the blender halfway, don’t fill it any fuller or you will have an explosion. Place a towel over the top of the blender. Hold the towel in place with your hand and blend the soup. Pour pureed soup back into the pot. Repeat with remaining soup and return to the pot.
- And if you prefer a chunky potato leek soup, you can use a potato masher instead of an immersion blender or blender to give you a chunkier soup texture.
- Once the soup is all blended, stir in the heavy cream. Taste and adjust salt and pepper, if necessary. Gently warm over low heat.
- To serve, pour the soup into bowls and garnish with fresh chives.
What to Serve with the Soup
- Crusty Bread or Garlic Bread
- Buttermilk Drop Biscuits
- Easy Green Salad
- Simple Kale Salad
- Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad
- Simple Arugula Salad
How to Store
Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave. If the soup is too thick, you can stir in a splash of broth or extra cream.
You can also freeze the soup! Let the soup cool completely. Transfer to a freezer container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw, reheat, and eat!
More Soup Recipes
- Potato Soup
- Easy Butternut Squash Soup
- Homemade Vegetable Soup
- Lentil Soup
- Easy Minestrone Soup
- White Bean Soup
- Cabbage Soup
Check out all of our SOUP RECIPES HERE!
Potato Leek Soup
Ingredients
- 4 large leeks
- 2 tablespoons butter, can use olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, washed peeled, and chopped
- 5 cups vegetable broth, can use chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup heavy cream, or more to taste
- Chopped fresh chives, for garnish, optional
Instructions
- With a sharp knife, cut off roots and the tough dark green part of the leeks. Slice the white and light green part of the leeks into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Place in a colander and rinse well under cold water to remove the dirt. Drain well.
- In a large Dutch oven or pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the leeks and sauté until tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the potatoes, broth, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil and turn the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until potatoes are fork tender.
- Use an immersion blender to blend the soup in the pot. Blend until smooth, but don’t over blend or the soup will get gummy in texture.
- Alternatively, you can blend the soup in a large blender. Let the soup cool for a few minutes before blending so it’s not steaming hot.Fill the blender halfway, don’t fill it any fuller or you will have an explosion. Place a towel over the top of the blender. Hold the towel in place with your hand and blend the soup. Pour pureed soup back into the pot. Repeat with remaining soup and return to the pot.
- Once the soup is all blended, stir in the heavy cream. Taste and adjust salt and pepper, if necessary. Gently warm over low heat.
- To serve, pour the soup into bowls and garnish with fresh chives, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?
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This was really yummy! I missed putting the garlic in, I assume that should have been added while the leeks were sautéing? I didn’t see it in the instructions. Still tasted great :).
This was very simple and delicious! It was the first recipe I came across that was under and hour so I went with it. I left the skins on my potatoes and was working with a left over mixed bag of baby red and gold potatoes. I think I used more than 2 lbs of potatoes which just made it nice and thick. I added some milk at the end to thin it out a little (I use ripple non dairy milk bc it lasts SO much longer in the fridge lol). We added cheddar cheese and my husband added sausage to his. Highly recommend and will be making again!!
This looks great! So comforting. I have used a similar recipe for years that uses nutmeg as the spice instead of thyme and doesn’t have garlic. You should try it sometime as it’s delicious!
Good idea!
It is cold here, well, for Los Angeles, it is cold. And this soup was perfect after an afternoon spent outside with the dog.
Creamy, hearty, satisfying and just perfect!!
This is a tasty, simple, and healthy soup! Everyone in the family loved it.
Yay! Glad everyone loved it.