This creamy Potato Leek Soup is a healthy and comforting soup recipe that is so easy to make! Loaded with vegetables, it can be easily made dairy-free and gluten-free.
See the step-by-step recipe video down on the recipe card.
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Now that the holidays are over, we are facing our coldest days here in Manitoba, which means soup season is going strong.
This Potato Leek Soup recipe is easy and healthy, and it only requires a few ingredients, making it perfect for midweek dinner!
Don’t let its creamy, luxurious texture fool you though — this soup is made almost entirely of vegetables!
I don’t know about you, but I ate my share of Christmas cookies over the last couple of months and an extra dose of veggies couldn’t hurt! 😉
What are the two veggies that are our stars in this soup?
Leeks — with a mild onions flavor that works in any recipe, and creamy potatoes.
This is one of those recipes where less is more—the ingredients are few, but their flavor really shines through.
Potatoes are a great source of fiber and potassium, as well as other vitamins and minerals, and they blend up to make this Potato Leek Soup incredibly rich and creamy!
Because of their thin skin on Yukon gold potatoes, there’s no need to peel, and they blend in perfectly when pureeing the soup—if you choose to puree it completely!
If you’re looking for more potato soup recipes, check out this Sausage Potato Soup with Kale, this One Pot Chicken Stew, or this deliciously creamy Chicken Pot Pie Soup!
Ingredients Needed:
- Oil: use olive oil or canola oil, or another neutral-flavored oil, for sautéeing the leeks.
- Vegetables: leeks have a mild onion flavor which is great when used with creamy potatoes. I like to use Yukon Gold potatoes, but Russet potatoes would work, too.
- Butter: using unsalted butter will allow you to better control the level of salt in your soup.
- Seasoning: kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper will really enhance the flavor of the leeks. Freshly minced garlic gives an added depth to the dish too.
- Herbs: dried parsley, thyme
- Broth: I use a low-sodium chicken broth but you could use a vegetable broth too to make it vegetarian. You could use chicken stock in a pinch.
- Cream: use heavy cream for the creamiest soup, you could use whole milk or another type of milk instead if you have it.
- Corn Starch: this will thicken the soup if you would like it to be thicker (optional).
How to Make Potato Leek Soup
This is an easy soup recipe to make, and I have included full instructions in the recipe card below. Plus, you can check out my video tutorial for this soup at the bottom of the post.
- Prepare leeks: Cut the dark ends and the root off of the leeks. Halve the leeks lengthwise and slice thinly. Place in a large bowl of water and wash thoroughly.
- Sauté: Sauté chopped leeks, stirring occasionally.
- Add seasoning: Add garlic, salt, parsley, thyme, and pepper.
- Add potatoes: Stir in potatoes and broth and cook.
- Purée: Purée all or part of the soup.
- Thicken: If desired, thicken with cream and cornstarch.
Potato Leek Soup FAQs
You can easily make a creamy vegan potato leek soup by choosing vegetable broth or vegetable stock instead of chicken, and omitting the cream—I promise it will still have tons of flavor and still be very creamy!
If desired, you can always add a splash of non-dairy milk or cream to finish.
Definitely! The important thing to keep in mind is that each vegetable has a different cook time, so you want to make sure you are adding them at the right point in cooking.
If your Instant Pot has a sauté function, you can easily make this soup in the pressure cooker.
Simply sauté the leeks as you would in the recipe below, then add your potatoes and broth and pressure cook on high for 2 minutes.
When the cooking time is finished, allow for a natural pressure release for 5 minutes. Then, open the valve to release the remaining pressure.
Remove the lid and purée with an immersion blender, then stir in the cream if desired.
Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days before serving.
PSA: this soup is actually fantastic if made ahead and refrigerated to serve later, so it’s the perfect make-ahead meal for busy weeks!
Normally, I wouldn’t recommend freezing potatoes, as their texture changes as they thaw. However, since this soup is pureed, it works much better!
If you plan to freeze this soup, just be sure to puree it completely and not leave any chunks of potato, as the texture will not be as appetizing after freezing. Store in a freezer-safe container or freezer bags in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Potato Leek Soup Variations
- Mix up the veggies. You could add finely chopped celery and carrots with your leeks while sauteeing, or stir in chopped broccoli or finely chopped spinach just before serving.
- Spice it up. If you’re one of those people that likes everything with a kick, add a pinch of red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, or a dash of hot sauce into the mix!
- Bacon. Saute some bacon with the leeks before adding the rest of the ingredients, or garnish with crispy bacon bits for a smoky, savory twist.
- Cheese. Serve with some freshly grated Parmesan or shredded strong cheddar cheese on top.
- Fresh herbs. Try mixing up the seasoning a bit with some fresh thyme sprigs or fresh parsley instead of dried herbs, or add a bay leaf for more flavor.
- Garnish. Add finely chopped green onions or fresh chives on top to serve.
Serving Suggestions
This potato leek soup is hearty and filling, but I always love to serve bread with soup to soak up all that goodness! Try some slices of Whole Wheat Bread, my delicious No Knead Artisan Bread, or these Homemade Breadsticks.
More Delicious Soups to Try
- Chicken Vegetable Soup
- Tomato Tortellini Soup
- 20 Minute Creamy Tomato Soup
- 6 Ingredient Cabbage Soup
- Stuffed Pepper Soup
Potato Leek Soup
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 2 leeks (about 4 cups chopped)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1½ pounds Yukon gold potatoes (washed and chopped)
- 4 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- ¼ cup heavy cream (optional)
- 1 tablespoon corn starch (optional)
Instructions
- Cut the dark green parts off the leeks as well as the root. We want to use the white parts of the leek for the best flavor. Halve the leeks lengthwise and slice thinly. Place in a large bowl of water and wash thoroughly.
- Melt butter in a 3-4 quart dutch oven or large soup pot. Drain the leeks and add them to the melted butter. Saute for 5 minutes or until wilted, stirring occasionally.
- Add garlic, salt, parsley, thyme, and pepper and cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in potatoes and broth and bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until potatoes are tender about 10-15 minutes.
- Remove the lid and use a hand-held immersion blender to puree all or part of the soup depending on how much of a creamy texture you want. You can use a regular blender or a food processor if you have one that is intended for hot liquids.
- If desired, whisk together cream and cornstarch. Stir into soup and simmer for a couple of minutes until slightly thickened. Serve.
Notes
- Vegetables: the leeks and potatoes can’t really be substituted in this recipe — you may just want to find another soup recipe to make.
- Dairy free: this recipe is easily made dairy free if you omit the cream. When. you puree the vegetables, it will still be very thick and creamy.
- Vegan: swap the chicken broth for vegetable and omit the cream.
- Sauté the leeks as you would in the recipe, then add your potatoes and broth and pressure cook on high for 2 minutes.
- When the cooking time is finished, allow for a natural pressure release for 5 minutes. Then, open the valve to release the remaining pressure.
- Remove the lid and purée with an immersion blender, then stir in the cream if desired.
- Store: Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days before serving.
- Freeze: Store in a freezer-safe container or freezer bags in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information
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Darcy says
I love this soup but I think I used the immersion blender too much as the soup came out really thick like mashed potatoes.
The Recipe Rebel says
Sorry to hear that Darcy!
Ziggy says
This was delicious! I made it tonight for dinner. I substituted the butter with some reserved sardine olive oil to sauté the leeks. I used vegetable Better than Bouillon to make the vegetable stock and substituted whole milk for the heavy cream because I was out of that. Talk about good! I will definitely make this again.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Ziggy! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Carol says
This was very easy and really good. I did double the amount of the thickener and only blended half.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks for your feedback Carol!