Potato Leek Soup Recipe | 45-sec video
This time of year, local farmers’ markets are filled to the brim with the vibrant colors of fall. Pumpkins, apples and winter squash dominate the scene with their rich warm hues and bright pops of color, but venture a little deeper, and you will discover the subtle shades of fall potatoes.
Deep blues and purples, rosy reds and soft buttery yellows – nowadays, there are hundreds of different kinds in all shapes and sizes – and the farmers’ market is a great place to find these unique varieties.
Starchy potatoes, like russet potatoes, are very low in moisture. When cooked, their cells separate, becoming airy, light and fluffy. They absorb whatever you pair with them – ideal for buttery fluffy mashed potatoes or baked potatoes. Their low moisture content, and high absorption makes them ideal for frying, perfect for french fries or potato pancakes. But these high starch potatoes can also too easily absorb water, so they fall apart when boiled, making them not the best choice for salads.
Conversely, waxy potatoes, including red potatoes, fingerlings, most new potatoes, and some blue potatoes, are low in starch with flesh that is characteristically creamy, firm and moist that holds its shape well after cooking. They’re typically great for roasting in the oven, blanching, pureed in soups and baked in casseroles. Because they have a more cohesive cell structure and don’t get overly mushy, they are an ideal candidate for potato salads.
All-purpose potatoes have a medium starch content falling somewhere in between the starchy and waxy potatoes. They’re a true multi-purpose potato, and can be used in just about any cooking application. The most popular example is the Yukon Gold potato. Other varieties include, yellow fins, and some purple and white potatoes. They’re moister than high-starch potatoes yet hold their shape a bit better.
Other recipes you might like:
Simple Potato Leek Soup
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 4-6
- Category: Soup, stew, vegetarain
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This delicious healthy recipe for Potato Leek Soup is deceiving flavorful! A nourishing, soul-satisfying meal made with the humblest of ingredients. Serve with optional Leek oil and Crusty Bread.
Ingredients
- 2–3 Large leeks -1 ½ inch -2 inches in diameter ( 5 -6cups) Or sub 2 large white onions.
- 4 tablespoons olive oil,butter or ghee)
- 4–6 cloves garlic, rough chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme (or substitute sage, or 1 tsp dry thyme or herbs de Provence)
- 1 1/2 pounds yukon gold potatoes- thinly sliced. (the thinner, the faster they will cook!) or use any thin-skinned potato- red, fingerling, most little potatoes with thin skins.
- 6 cups veggie broth or chicken stock
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, more to taste
- ½ teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
- —————
- ½– 1 cup sour cream ( or see notes for vegan)
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives ( or scallions) for garnish
Optional – Leek oil for drizzling! (make with the green tops of leeks!)
Instructions
- Cut leeks in half lengthwise and slice leeks into ¼-inch thick slices. Rinse under running water to removed dirt and sediment. ( The water will help soften the leeks as well.) Heat oil in heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven, over medium heat. Add rinsed leeks and sauté until tender, golden and fragrant, 8-10 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and sauté for 2-3 more minutes.
- Add potatoes, stock, salt, pepper and fresh thyme. Bring to a boil, turn heat to low and simmer, covered, for 15-20 minutes, until potatoes are fork-tender.
- Make the optional leek oil.
- When the potatoes are tender, use an immersion blender and blend the soup until smooth- or blend in batches in a regular, until very smooth and silky (remember, you don’t want to fill up a blender with hot liquid, or you will have a soup explosion- so blend in small batches, less than half full, holding the lid down firmly covered with a kitchen towel. )
- Return the silky smooth soup to the pot, bring to a simmer over low heat, and stir in the sour cream. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
- To serve, divide among bowls, drizzle with the leek oil, sprinkle with fresh chives or scallions.
Notes
To make this vegan, add a 1/2- 3/4 cup raw cashews to the simmering potatoes and leeks, and let them get soft. Blend the soup as smooth as you can get it. Place back in the pot. Add a very tiny splash of vinegar or lemon juice ( 1/4 teaspoon) and stir in a teaspoon or two of nutritional yeast to taste if you like. Adjust salt and pepper.
Sometimes I’ll add a couple of handfuls of baby spinach right at the end, and blend this in- to give a beautiful greenish hue plus extra nutrients!
Keywords: potato soup, best potato soup, potato soup vegetarian, potato leek soup, vegetarian potato soup, healthy potato soup, easy potato soup
Easy to make and light and delicious.
I’m very interssted
For dairy-free, could I use coconut yogurt or milk instead of sour cream?
I’m afraid the coconut might alter the taste? Is there a vegan sour cream you could use?
For dairy free, just skip the sour cream—soup is still delicious—not quite as creamy white but yummy just the same. I like to use leek and potato as a base for other soups too—add a bit of cauliflower, or parsley root or celery root to this, anything that will blend in well to boost taste and nutrition (at my house it’s called root soup, and kids love the challenge of trying to identify all the flavors). For the grown ups, Frank’s Red Hot sauce makes an unexpected garnish instead of chives.
★★★★★
Thanks Bri! Very Helpful! Appreciate this.
Delicious and easy recipe. Yummy for a quick healthy dinner on a cold night.
★★★★★
Hi Sylvia! I made this recipe last week and it turned out so amazingly creamy and cozy. It hasn’t taken me long.. I am now an official fan of your recipes and style. Love the way you easily combine ingredients and make them into really interesting and delicious recipes.
I didn’t use sour cream and I added an extra onion (because I like it too much!). I also added a little bit of nutmeg (that’s a final touch my parents always add to their recipe) – but loved the proportions and easy recipe you presented here. Thanks so much! Spreading the word… 🙂
Hi Silvia, Thanks! So happy you enjoyed and modified it to your taste. Appreciate your comment and your spreading the word. Have a beautiful day!!!
Absolutely loved this soup. I used the vegetable stock and I chose to wait on adding the sour cream to see how it would taste without it. I thought it was very good without the sour cream too if someone wanted to keep out the dairy. It would also be fine to add a dollop of sour cream per bowl to taste. I also chose to blend half of it very smooth creamy and the other half I left some chunks of potatoe, the mixed it all together. Excellent recipe. Thank you.
★★★★★
Thanks Steven, I’m so happy you enjoyed! Appreciate the feedback!
Will be making next ????
I just wanted to say this is by far the best soup recipe I’ve ever made! I am allergic to dairy and did not add the sour cream, so delicious still !!
★★★★★
Oh this makes me so happy! Glad you enjoyed. I hope you find more here that you like. Have you tried the Mexican Noodle Soup ? Another favorite dairy free.
I just made this tonight, and the flavor was amazing! I was A little heavy-handed on the leaks so that the soup was more green than cream colored, but it was incredibly smooth and velvety. Will be making again!
★★★★★
Glad you enjoyed it!
Really loved making this soup, it was so simple yet flavourful. I didn’t really need the cream as it was rich enough for me without any, but I’m sure adding it would enhance it even more!
★★★★★
Glad you enjoyed it Alice!
Hi, im just wondering if the addition of sour cream will freeze ok?
You know, honestly, I’m not sure. I haven’t tried freezing the soup. Let me know if you try it and how it goes….thanks!
Love this soup! xx
https://asparklingjourney.wordpress.com/2016/04/14/leek-and-potato-soup/
I was doing leek-potato soup for quite a while now but there was always something missin’…thyme!
I did use other spices but it wasn’t what i wanted…sometimes spices overpowered the taste of leek….and i was just like “what the heck…”
Thank you, you made my day today…this soup is so creamy and delicious. I made it with vegetable stock. I have one that is very light in flavour so it didn’t overpowered the leek. Even my husband loved it…he never takes another bowl of soup, but today he did 🙂 🙂 !
Thank you for this gorgeous recipe
xoxo
★★★★★
That is always the true test, isn’t it? If our spouses take another serving! Thanks and Im so glad you enjoyed it!!
I made this soup with the following modifications:
Chicken broth Instead of stock;
No added cream;
Added mushrooms;
Doubled the leeks (6).
That kept the calorie count to 130 (8 1-cup servings). It was delicious! Thanks for this fantastic recipe that I plan to use all the time!
YUM! This sounds delicious!
Really delicious! I thought the vegetable stock overpowered the flavor a little. I think next time I will cut it with water.
This one knocks it out of the park – full-bodied and full-flavored, and immensely satisfying. Thank you for sharing!
Oh yay!! Glad you enjoyed!!
This sounds lovely. Going to give this a go. thanks for sharing this recipe.
Simon
Does it freeze well?
It was very interesting comparing the nutritional values with veggie stock vs chicken stock. Made me sway towards making this with the veggie stock. On my menu for this week. Do you have to peel the potatoes?
It was very interesting comparing the nutritional values with veggie stock vs chicken stock. Made me sway towards making this with the veggie stock. On my menu for this week.
It was interesting to me as well!! Let us know how you like it.
Thanks- found the bowl at a thrift store. 🙂
This soup sounds delicious! Also, love the bowl- where did you get it?
how many servings does this yield?
Ooops I forgot to say, didn’t I? I will update the recipe. 4-6 servings. Thanks!
Thanks
Oh yummy. I love leek and potato soup! I actually have both leeks and potatoes in my fridge right now and I was wondering whether to make soup or try to find a new recipe with these ingredients. You post has me leaning towards the soup now!
This has to be awesome. Yukon potatoes are the best. Garlic and leeks and creams and and—gotta be great.
Love potato and leek soup, lovely photos!
I love potato and leek soup! Thanks for reminding me how delicious it is.. definitely need to recreate the recipe soon. Pinned!
perfect… very easy to find leeks in france. Can’t wait to make this!
Valentina
Valentina Duracinsky Blog
Yes, I think this is a classic French soup, isn’t it?
Such a gorgeous fall soup. This looks lovely!