I love potato dishes during the chilly months. Potatoes just stick to your bones, keep you feeling cozy from the inside out, and not to mention, nice and full for pennies! When I want to eat a bit lighter but still keep it comforting, I make this creamy, delicious, and oh-so-easy Potato Leek Soup recipe. I’ll happily cook a big pot and eat it all week long! It’s one of my daughter’s favorite meals, and it couldn’t be any easier to make!
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Creamy Leek and Potato Soup
Potato and leek soup is a classic soup made with tender potatoes, buttery leeks, broth, and cream for a cozy bowl that feels simple and comforting all at once. If leeks are new to you, they’re part of the onion family with a mild oniony flavor that becomes incredibly soft and mellow once cooked, which makes them perfect for soup!
The flavor profile in this recipe for potato leek soup is delicate and simple. Unlike some other potato soup recipes that have lots of extra add-ins, this one stays pared back, so I’m more intentional with the technique to keep the flavors balanced and the texture just right. I boil the potatoes whole (with the skin on for added flavor!), so they don’t absorb too much water and turn gummy or dull the flavor of the soup. Once tender, I dice some and reserve them to stir back in at the end. The rest are mashed into the broth before a portion of the soup is blended until smooth. That gives this homemade potato leek soup the BEST mix of silky broth, creamy potato, and tender chunks throughout! (Though you can blend it all for a totally smooth texture, if preferred! You do you!)
Recipe Success Tips
- Give those leeks a good clean. Even if the outside looks fine, leeks are notorious for hiding dirt and grit between their layers. I like to peel away the tougher outer leaves, trim the ends, and then rinse the tender inner layers really well before chopping so none of that grit ends up in the soup.
- Let the soup cool a little before blending. I never recommend blending soup while it’s boiling hot. Trapped steam can build up fast and force the lid right off your blender, and nobody wants a potato leek soup explosion in the kitchen!! This one is only simmering, so it’s not quite as risky, but I still like to let it cool for a minute or two and make sure steam can escape before blending part of it.
- Use room temperature cream. Using cold dairy can make it more likely to separate once it hits the hot soup. Letting the heavy cream come closer to room temperature first helps it blend in more smoothly!
- Temper the cream before adding it. To keep the soup silky and creamy, I recommend stirring a little of the hot broth into the cream first before pouring it into the pot to help prevent splitting.
- Keep the soup at a gentle simmer after adding the cream. Once the dairy goes in, DON’T let the soup boil. I use the same rule here as in our zuppa toscana recipe: keep the heat low and let it gently simmer so the soup stays smooth, creamy, and balanced instead of turning grainy or split!
- Don’t skip the ACV! I love using a little apple cider vinegar to brighten up my soups, especially if they’re very rich or creamy. This is such a small amount of vinegar, but it really lifts the flavor of the leeks, in my opinion, without the risk of the broth curdling.
Potato Leek Soup
Cost $8.46 recipe / $1.05 serving
Ingredients
- 2½ lbs Yukon gold potatoes ($3.02*)
- 3 Tbsp salted butter ($0.33)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.18)
- 2 leeks (minced, (1½ lbs untrimmed) $2.39)
- 3 garlic cloves (minced, $0.12)
- 1 tsp salt ($0.01)
- 1 tsp black pepper (freshly cracked, $0.05)
- 1 sprig fresh thyme (or ½ tsp if using dry thyme, $0.09)
- 1 bay leaf ($0.14)
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar ($0.01)
- 6 cups vegetable broth ($0.54**)
- 1 cup heavy cream (room temperature, $1.32)
- 1 green onion (minced, $0.12)
- 1-2 Tbsp cornstarch (optional, (as needed) $0.14***)
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
- Boil potatoes (skin on) until fork tender, 15-20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, trim and clean leeks. I separate the tough outer layers and the ends from the tender, inner layers. You want to use the inner layers in your soup!
- Rinse any dirt off the tough outer leaves and ends and save it for future stock. Nothing goes to waste in our budget-friendly kitchen!
- Mince the green onion, leeks, and garlic.
- Strain potatoes once fork tender.
- Melt butter and oil in the same pot you boiled the potatoes in and add prepared leeks, garlic, salt, and black pepper. Sauté until softened, about 8 minutes over medium heat.
- Dice 2 cups of the potatoes into ½” pieces. Set aside.
- Add whole potatoes, thyme, bay leaf, apple cider vinegar, and vegetable broth to the pot with the sauteed leeks. Bring to a simmer.
- Mash the potatoes in the pot while simmering.
- Remove bay leaf and thyme stem. Temper the cream by adding some of the hot broth to the room temperature heavy cream.
- Add the tempered cream to the pot and turn the heat down to low, simmering for 5-8 minutes.
- Ladle half of the soup broth (with chunks of potatoes and leeks included) into a blender. Let it cool for a few minutes before blending until smooth.****
- Pour the pureed soup back into the simmering pot with the rest of the soup.
- Add the green onions and reserved diced potatoes into the pot.
- Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper, if desired. (Add corn starch to thicken by creating a slurry, if desired.) Serve and enjoy.
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Notes
Nutrition Information
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Gather all of your ingredients.
Cook the potatoes: Add 2½ lbs Yukon gold potatoes (skin on, unless you prefer to remove it) to a large pot of water. Bring to a boil and cook until fork-tender, about 15-20 minutes.
Clean the leeks: While the potatoes boil, trim and wash 2 leeks (about 1½ lbs untrimmed). I separate the tough outer layers and the ends from the tender inner layers. You want to use the inner layers in your soup.
Rinse any dirt off the tough outer leaves and ends and save them for when you make stock in the future.
I like to bag the unwanted scraps from the leeks up and freeze them. Then I can just pull them from the freezer when I next make stock. Nothing goes to waste in our budget-friendly kitchen!
Chop aromatics: Mince the cleaned leeks, mince 3 garlic cloves, and mince 1 green onion. Set aside.
Drain the potatoes: Once fork tender, drain the potatoes and set them aside briefly.
Sauté the leeks and garlic: In the same pot, melt 3 Tbsp salted butter with 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add the 2 minced leeks and 3 minced garlic cloves, plus 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes.
Reserve some potato chunks: Dice about 2 cups of the cooked potato into ½-inch pieces. Set aside for later.
Build the soup base: Add the remaining whole potatoes back to the pot along with 1 sprig thyme (or ½ tsp dried thyme), 1 bay leaf, 1 tsp apple cider vinegar, and 6 cups vegetable broth. Bring to a gentle simmer.
While the soup simmers, mash the potatoes right in the pot until the broth looks creamy but still has some texture.
Temper the cream: Remove the bay leaf and the thyme sprig/stem if using fresh. Slowly whisk a ladleful of the hot broth into 1 cup room-temperature heavy cream to warm it up.
Add cream and gently simmer: Stir the warmed cream mixture into the pot, reduce heat to low, and simmer gently for 5-8 minutes. Don’t let it come to a boil or the cream may split.
Blend part of the soup: Carefully ladle about half of the soup (including some potato/leek solids) into a blender. Let it cool for a couple minutes, then blend until smooth.
If you like to blend all the soup, I’d recommend doing it in batches.
Pour the blended soup back into the pot and stir to combine.
Add texture: Now stir in the reserved diced potatoes and 1 minced green onion.
Season and adjust thickness: Taste and add extra salt/pepper if needed. If you want it thicker, whisk 1-2 Tbsp cornstarch with a splash of cold water in a small bowl to make a slurry, then stir it in and simmer for 1-2 minutes until thickened. Serve hot and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
This potato leek soup is rich and creamy, so I love adding something crunchy on top for a little contrast. I’d go for homemade croutons, but some crispy air fryer bacon crumbles would also work well. It’s also so good with a side of crusty sourdough, ciabatta, or no-knead focaccia for dipping. My daughter especially loves dunking pieces of bread into this soup, so I almost always serve it that way.
Storage & Reheating
Leftover potato leek soup keeps well in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. You can reheat it in the microwave or gently on the stovetop (try not to let it boil once reheated, since that can affect the texture of the cream). If it thickens up in the fridge, add a splash of broth to loosen it back up. I don’t recommend freezing this one, since both cream and potatoes tend not to freeze and thaw very well. There’s a very good chance the texture will become grainy and separated if frozen and thawed.
Love Potato Soups? Try These Next!
- This Slow Cooker Potato Soup is a seriously hearty potato soup recipe that lets the slow cooker do all the work, while cream, sour cream, and plenty of potatoes make it extra cozy!
- I just love this easy and budget-friendly Potato Corn Chowder. It’s hearty, thick, and full of sweet corn flavor.
- My Ham and Potato Soup is creamy but not too heavy, with salty ham and fresh vegetables in every bowl.
