This Soup Season, Start With Our Potato Leek Soup (2024)

Healthy Soups
Vegetable Soups
Leeks
Potatoes

This hearty potato leek soup is a classic that's anything but boring.

Elise Bauer

Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.

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Updated May 20, 2024

157 ratings

In This Recipe

Potato Varieties
See Also
How To Thicken Soups: Tips And Techniques A very close look at potato leek soup 7 Easy Ways to Make Any Pot of Soup Better MISO-MAPLE BRAISED LEEKS
Prepping Leeks
Making It Thick and Creamy
How to Serve
Freezing and Reheating

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When cooler weather appears, nothing is more comforting than a warm bowl of potato soup. Potato leek soup is a classic, and so easy to make!

This Soup Season, Start With Our Potato Leek Soup (3)

To make this soup, cook chopped leeks in a little butter, then add diced potatoes, stock, and herbs. Bring it all to a simmer, and cook until the potatoes are done, about 20 minutes. Purée the soup using a blender to get a creamy consistency.

What Kind of Potatoes Do You Use for Potato Leek Soup?

You can use either Yukon gold or Russet potatoes for this soup. Yukon golds will result in a creamier texture, and for this reason I recommend them over Russets, but both will work. Red-skinned waxy potatoes aren't the best for a soup like this, because they tend to hold their shape, when in this soup you want a potato that will purée well.

How to Prep Leeks

Dirt has a sneaky way of getting caught in the layers of leeks because of the way the leeks are grown (mostly underground). Cleaning leeks involves first slicing them lengthwise and rinsing them under running water. Then you slice the leeks crosswise, and soak the slices in water. (Check out our step-by-step tutorial How To Clean Leeks.)

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This Soup Season, Start With Our Potato Leek Soup (4)

How to Make Potato Leek Soup Thick and Creamy

No need for cream to make this soup creamy! Just blend the cooked soup with an immersion blender or standing blender until thick and smooth. Yukon gold potatoes will produce an especially creamy texture. If you would like your soup to be a little chunky, only purée half of it.

What to Serve With Potato Leek Soup

Think of this potato soup as you would a potato side, but in liquid form. You don't really need any more starch to round out the meal, but it is hard to resist dipping a slice of crusty bread in this soup.

Serve the soup as the starter to a steak dinner (steak and potatoes, right?), or roasted chicken. The soup would go well with a side of greens (such as kale, chard, or spinach), and/or a vinaigrette-tossed fresh salad.

How to Freeze and Reheat Potato Leek Soup

You can easily freeze this soup. I recommend puréeing the soup until it's completely smooth if you want to freeze it, as any chunks of potatoes in the soup will have a grainy texture once defrosted.

Sometimes there is separation in soup once you freeze and defrost it. If this happens to you, just purée the soup again until smooth.

Any way you make it, it's simple, delicious, and satisfying. Enjoy!

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More Classics Soups to Love

Minestrone Soup
Broccoli and Cheddar Soup
Quick and Easy Egg Drop Soup
Split Pea Soup
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Potato Leek Soup

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time40 mins

Total Time60 mins

Servings4to 6 servings

Ingredients

3 large leeks(about 3 cups, chopped)
2 tablespoons butter
4 cups chicken (or vegetable) broth
2 pounds potatoes (Yukon gold or Russet), peeled, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
1 teaspoon sea salt, less or more to taste
Pinch dried marjoram
1 or 2 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Sprinkle of Tabasco sauce or other red chile sauce
White or black pepper to taste

Method

Clean and cut the leeks:
Cut off the roots of the leeks. Cut the leeks lengthwise, fan them open under running water to dislodge any dirt or mud hiding inside. Cut off the tough dark green tops and discard (either compost or freeze for making stock).
Slice the white and light green parts of the leeks crosswise into 1/4-inch thick slices. Place the slices in a bowl of cold water and agitate them with your hands to dislodge any remaining dirt. Then scoop out the leeks with a sieve or slotted spoon. (See How to Clean Leeks)
Cookleeks in butter to soften:
Melt butter on medium heat in a 3 to 4 quart thick-bottomed pot. Add the chopped leeks, stir to coat with the butter.
Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low, cook for 10 minutes until the leeks are softened. Check to make sure the leeks are not browning.
Simmer the soup:
Add the broth, diced potatoes, bay leaf, marjoram, thyme, and a teaspoon of salt to the pot.
Increase the heat to high to bring to a simmer, then lower the heat to maintain a low simmer, and cook for 20 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked through.
Purée the soup:
Remove and discard the bay leaf and thyme sprig. Use an immersion blender or standing blender to blend about half of the soup if you want a chunky soup, or all of it if you would like your soup to be more smooth.
Note: if you're using a standing blender, purée the soup in batches, don't fill the blender more than a third full at a time, and remember to hold down the lid while the blender is going.
Season the soup:
Add the parsley, and cook a few minutes more. Add a few dashes of Tabasco to taste.
Add freshly ground pepper and more salt to taste. (Potatoes soak up salt, so you may need to add more salt than you expect.)
Did you enjoy this recipe? Let us know with a rating and review!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
204	Calories
4g	Fat
39g	Carbs
5g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4to 6
Amount per serving
Calories	204
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 4g	6%
Saturated Fat 3g	13%
Cholesterol 11mg	4%
Sodium 564mg	25%
Total Carbohydrate 39g	14%
Dietary Fiber 4g	15%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 22mg	108%
Calcium 56mg	4%
Iron 3mg	16%
Potassium 907mg	19%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.