Easy Potato Leek Soup
A French classic simply made with a short list of ingredients. It's thick, creamy and rich and easy to make. Serve with Potato Leek Focaccia for the perfect combo.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 301kcal
Equipment
- 1 salad spinner (optional, but makes washing the leeks much easier)
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp butter (salted or unsalted both work)
- 2-3 large leeks, white and light green parts only, roughly chopped and washed very well (around 5-6 cups; see Note 1)
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 large potatoes, peeled and diced (russet potatoes are best, but any kind works)
- 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 dried bay leaves
- ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper, or more to taste
- 1 tsp salt, or more to taste
- ½ - 1 cup half and half or heavy cream, optional (see Note 2)
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-low heat
- Add the leeks and sauté with a pinch of salt and pepper until soft and wilted, about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally
- Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds
- Add the potatoes, thyme, bay leaves and broth and stir
- Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are very soft, about 20-25 minutes
- Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaves (the thyme leaves will have mostly fallen off into the soup, leaving just the sprigs)
- Blend soup with an immersion blender or in batches in a blender until smooth
- Stir in the cream, if desired (see Note 2 and 3)
- Serve topped with chives or green onions
Notes
Note 1: Leeks are really, really dirty. After chopping, make sure to wash them 2-3 times until there's no longer any bits of dirt stuck between the layers. I recommend a salad spinner or a strainer so you can move them around and really get them clean. You only need the white and light green parts of the leeks because the dark green parts are very tough. Save those for homemade stock; they add great flavor but aren't pleasant to chew.
Note 2: A little cream to finish this soup adds a touch of richness and creaminess, but it's totally optional. Once the potatoes are blended, the soup will still have a creamy texture without any added cream.
Note 3: This soup freezes really well. If you plan to freeze some of it, don't add the cream and add it after thawing and heating the soup.
Nutrition Facts are calculated automatically and may be inaccurate. Nutritional information for this recipe is based on one serving.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 301kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 838mg | Potassium: 830mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 850IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 2mg