Look no further for light, chunky/creamy, cosy potato leek soup! We have a recipe that will easily become a family favorite. Blend it to smooth, creamy texture or keep it chunky and comforting! Just don’t forget to load it up with bacon! Bacon makes everything BETTER!
Why You Need To Try This Potato Leek Soup Recipe?
- Leeks have this amazing onion-like sweet taste to it when sauteed nice and slow in butter. Which when paired with potato gives hearty, comforting and cozy soup that your whole family would love!
- The soup has clean flavors. Not too spicy, not too bland! Just the RIGHT FLAVORS!
- This recipe is lighter version of leek and potato soup as there is no added cream in it. It’s comparatively healthy!
- It’s easy to make and needs few ingredients. And tastes ridiculously delicious!
- It’s one pot soup recipe. Cook everything in one pot, including blending it using immersion hand blender!
- You can serve it warm or even chilled. Either way it’s absolute winner!
- You can serve this soup as an elegant starter or make it a meal by pairing it with some cheesy crusty bread. It’s filling to make it a meal.
- Because bacon makes everything better, you can load it up with bacon. May not be very healthy, but hey it’s delicious!
What You Need To Make This Soup?
Here’s what you need to make light, healthy and ridiculously delicious leek and potato soup:
Leeks: Trim off the root ends and tough top green leafy parts from the white stalk of leek. Keep white stalk whole.
Cut white stalk into half-length wise.
Fan out layers of leek to separate it out without pulling it apart. Hold it under running water and fan opens the layers to wash out any grits in between the layers. Peel off the outer reedy layer. Slice soft middle part into thin strips.
Potatoes: Russet, Idaho and Yukon gold potatoes are starchy and great for this soup. It makes soup less gluey.
Herbs For Flavors: Fresh or dried bay leaf, dried Italian herbs, fresh thyme and fresh parsley are great herbs that will enhance the flavors of the soup!
Butter: leeks love butter. When sautéed slowly in butter it softens, gets this luxurious sweet onion like rich flavor to it which makes this soup taste better.
Olive Oil: Love to combine butter and olive oil together for my soups. It’s adds richness and flavors to soup. Just butter or just olive oil is ideal as well.
Salt & Pepper: Seasoning is must, season soup with salt and pepper to taste.
Vegetable Broth/Stock: To keep it vegetarian, I used vegetable stock. Use chicken stock if you want more flavor and taste.
Serving Suggestions: Bacon may not be good for your health, but it sure makes the soup ridiculously delicious! Fry bacon on pan until crispy and brown. Crumble it or chop into small pieces. Sprinkle bacon on top of soup to your hearts content!
You can serve plain or garlic or spicy croutons as well.
Garnish Ideas: Fresh chopped parsley sprinkle on top gives makes the soup bright. Use chives instead of parsley. Sprinkle fresh ground pepper for taste.
How To Cut Leeks For Soup?
Trim off the root ends and tough top green leafy parts from the white stalk of leek. Keep white stalk whole.
Note: Use the green leafy part to make stock instead of wasting it. Rinse and slice it thin, add all vegetables scraps and boil in water at low for an hour! Use bay leaf, pepper corns and salt for flavor and seasoning! You can refer to this instant pot bone broth recipe to make vegetarian stock from leeks scraps.
Cut white stalk into half-length wise.
Fan out layers of leek to separate it out without pulling it apart. Hold it under running water and fan opens the layers to wash out any grits in between the layers. Peel off the outer reedy layer. Slice soft middle part into thin strips.
How To Make Potato Leek Soup?
- Heat butter and olive oil together in a deep bottom soup pot.
- Saute rinsed and chopped leeks into the pot. Cook on low flame for about 10 to 12 minutes. Cover the pot to help leeks soften in it’s own steam.
- Once leeks are softened enough, add peeled and chopped potatoes, bay leaf (I’m using dried leaf, if using fresh use 2 or 3 leaves), Italian seasoning, fresh thyme, salt and pepper to taste (Go easy on the salt, as we load the soup with bacon bits while servings. Bacon would make the soup salty. Start off with less salt and then adjust only if needed after taste testing with bacon in it). Pour in vegetable stock. Stir everything well. Cover the pot with lid and cook on low flame.
- Cook until you potatoes are fork tender. Note: If liquid dries out, adjust by adding extra liquid. Do not add too much liquid, start with ¼ to ½ cup as needed.
- Once potatoes are cooked through, remove bay leaves. If you added fresh thyme with stem/stalk you have to remove that as well. I added only the leaves.
- Using hand immersion blenders blend soup to your desired consistency. You can blend the soup smooth and creamy or keep it chunky or in between the two (like I did! Haha!) Jo’s Tip: Do not over blend the soup. Over blending will active the starch in potatoes making it gluey.
- Check for seasoning. Adjust salt and pepper as needed.
- Pour hot soup into serving bowls. Load it with bacon pieces. Garnish with chopped parsley (or chives) and sprinkle fresh ground pepper. Drizzle olive oil. Serve immediately hot!
Secret Tips To Make Best Potato And Leek Soup Recipe
- Wash leeks carefully to remove all grits, even those between layers.
- Slice leeks uniform and thin so it softens evenly and cooks perfect. Do not speed up this step, cook leeks on low flame and wait until it is softened.
- Use starchy potatoes for best results. Yukon gold, Idaho, Russet are best varieties.
- Do NOT over blend potato soup. Over blending will active the starch and turn the soup gluey. Gluey soup isn’t pleasant to drink!
- If you do want to add more flavors, feel free to add some fresh minced garlic along with leeks. For extra kick add a teaspoon of white pepper powder.
- Go easy on the salt, as we load the soup with bacon bits while servings. Bacon would make the soup salty. Start off with less salt and then adjust only if needed after taste testing with bacon in it.
- Potatoes will add body and makes this soup naturally thick. If you want to make it even thicker, add one tablespoon flour to the soup (you can add flour once leeks are softened and cook flour for a minute or two constantly stirring).
- To give luxurious rich texture to soup, stir in one cup of cream at the end once you have blend the soup to desired consistency. Want to keep it light and healthy, just follow the recipe below (no cream added).
MORE CREAMY SOUP RECIPES:
Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup
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Creamy Potato Leek Soup (with no added cream)
Ingredients
- 3 leeks white and mild green part sliced thin, discard dark green stem and roots
- 4 medium potatoes Russet or Idaho or Yukon gold, peeled and cut into cubes
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning dried herbs
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- Salt and pepper to taste
Serving Options:
- Bacon fried and cut into small pieces
- Chives or fresh chopped parsley
- Fresh milled pepper
Instructions
How To Cut Leeks For Soup:
- Trim off the root ends and tough top green leafy parts from the white stalk of leek. Keep white stalk whole.
- Note: Use the green leafy part to make stock instead of wasting it. Rinse and slice it thin, add all vegetables scraps and boil in water at low for an hour! Use bay leaf, pepper corns and salt for flavor and seasoning!
- Cut white stalk into half-length wise.
- Fan out layers of leek to separate it out without pulling it apart. Hold it under running water and fan opens the layers to wash out any grits in between the layers. Peel off the outer reedy layer. Slice white and mild green middle part into thin strips.
How To Make Soup:
- Heat butter and olive oil together in a deep bottom soup pot.
- Saute rinsed and chopped leeks into the pot. Cook on low flame for about 10 to 12 minutes. Cover the pot to help leeks soften in it’s own steam.
- Once leeks are softened enough, add peeled and chopped potatoes, bay leaf (I’m using dried leaf, if using fresh use 2 or 3 leaves), Italian seasoning, fresh thyme, salt and pepper to taste (Go easy on the salt, as we load the soup with bacon bits while servings. Bacon would make the soup salty. Start off with less salt and then adjust only if needed after taste testing with bacon in it). Pour in vegetable stock. Stir everything well. Cover the pot with lid and cook on low flame.
- Cook until you potatoes are fork tender.
- Note: If liquid dries out, adjust by adding extra liquid. Do not add too much liquid, start with ¼ to ½ cup as needed.
- Once potatoes are cooked through, remove bay leaves. If you added fresh thyme with stem/stalk you have to remove that as well. I added only the leaves.
- Using hand immersion blenders blend soup to your desired consistency. You can blend the soup smooth and creamy or keep it chunky or in between the two (like I did! Haha!)Pro Tip: Do not over blend the soup. Over blending will active the starch in potatoes making it gluey.
- Check for seasoning. Adjust salt and pepper as needed.
- Pour hot soup into serving bowls. Load it with bacon pieces. Garnish with chopped parsley (or chives) and sprinkle fresh milled pepper, drizzle olive oil. Serve immediately hot!
Video
Notes
- Wash leeks carefully to remove all grits, even those between layers.
- Slice leeks uniform and thin so it softens evenly and cooks perfect. Do not speed up this step, cook leeks on low flame and wait until it is softened.
- Use starchy potatoes for best results. Yukon gold, Idaho, Russet are best varieties.
- Do NOT over blend potato soup. Over blending will active the starch and turn the soup gluey. Gluey soup isn’t pleasant to drink!
- If you do want to add more flavors, feel free to add some fresh minced garlic along with leeks. For extra kick add a teaspoon of white pepper powder.
- Go easy on the salt, as we load the soup with bacon bits while servings. Bacon would make the soup salty. Start off with less salt and then adjust only if needed after taste testing with bacon in it.
- Potatoes will add body and makes this soup naturally thick. If you want to make it even thicker, add one tablespoon flour to the soup (you can add flour once leeks are softened and cook flour for a minute or two constantly stirring).
- To give luxurious rich texture to soup, stir in one cup of cream at the end once you have blend the soup to desired consistency. Want to keep it light and healthy, just follow the recipe below (no cream added).
Cathy
Very fresh and “herby” I served with bacon and fresh parsley. I’d try chives next time. Pretty easy.