Leek and Potato Soup is a thick and creamy classic French Potato Soup that starts with garlic butter in which leeks are slowly sautéed to bring out the sweet flavour.
It’s simple to make, cosy and comforting yet also luxurious and elegant. I love how this Leek Soup can be Couch Food OR an elegant starter for a dinner party. Good food is a universal language!
Leek and Potato Soup
Though France might be the epicentre of Michelin star restaurants (second only to Tokyo!), where sauces come in the form of foam and dishes are given excessively fancy names, the heart and soul of French food is simple food made well. It’s rustic, cosy, and often generous on the butter and cheese.
Hence French food and I are very good friends. (Hello Quiche Lorraine, Gougeres, Potato au Gratin, French Onion Soup…to name a few of my best mates!)
Leek soup is another such example. (Though, shockingly, no cheese!). Few ingredients, prepared well, simple to make, and so enjoyable.
What goes in Leek and Potato Soup
Here what you need:
Leeks – essential for a LEEK soup!! 😂 Leeks are sweeter and have a more subtle flavour than onions. Though if you are desperate to make this an leeks are obscenely expensive / you can’t get your hands on them, substitute for regular onions (brown, white or yellow);
Potatoes – use starchy or all rounders, they fall apart when simmered which means less blending for creamy soup = less risk of gluey soup*. 🇦🇺Australia: Sebago (dirt brushed, most common potatoes), 🇺🇸US: Russet 🇬🇧UK: Maris Piper;
Broth – I choose chicken because it has more depth of flavour than vegetable stock/broth. But vegetable stock is also ideal here!
Creamy is optional. This soup is still thick and creamy even without, it just adds a luxurious mouthfeel.
* Common problem with Potato Leek Soups that call for blitzing to death until completely smooth. Power of blender = activates starch in potatoes = gluey. Same thing that happens if you use a food processor or blender for mashed potato!
How to cut leeks
Trim the root off. Take a peek and if you can see dirt in the layers, then split the leek in half and separate all the layers, wash them well, then slice per below.
If you don’t see dirt (like mine pictured above), cut your leeks as pictured below:
Cut off the dark green reedy top and discard (leftmost on leek above);
White end (and the very pale green part) – finely slice; and
Pale green middle part – peel off reedy outer layers and finely slice the softer middle part.
How to make Leek and Potato Soup
Leek are like onions – they have a pretty harsh raw flavour. So the key to a really great Leek Soup is to slowly sauté them in garlic butter until they transform and become soft and sweet. It’s kind of like caramelising onions for French Onion Soup – except we don’t take it as far.
After that, just plonk the potatoes and stock in, simmer until the potato is literally crumbling (the softer they are, the less blending we have to do = better soup texture, no risk of “gluey soup”).
Blitz, stir in cream and serve!
I like to serve mine with croutons. Just a teeny tiny sprinkle of crunchy buttery bread somehow magically makes any soup so much more fabulous.
And while this is a potato based soup, that still doesn’t stop me from tearing up hunks of crusty warm bread, slathering in butter and dunking into the soup.
Carb on carb fabulousness! – Nagi x
PS Or try one of these Soup Dippers – these existing on my website pretty much solely for the purpose of dunking into soups and stews.
Soup Dippers
Watch how to make it
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Leek and Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp (30g) butter
- 2 garlic cloves , large, finely minced
- 3 leeks , white and pale green parts only sliced thinly (about 2 cups) (Note 1)
- 1 kg / 2lb potatoes (Sebago/Russet/Maris Piper) , peeled a diced into 1"/2.5cm cubes (Note 2)
- 1.5 litre / 1.5 qt chicken or vegetable stock , low sodium (6 cups)
- 3/4 cup cream , heavy/thickened (sub milk)
- 1 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt (table salt – reduce by 25%)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Croutons
- 2 thick slices bread , torn into crouton size pieces
- 1 tbsp melted butter, or olive oil spray
- Salt
Garnish
- Chives , finely chopped
- Extra cream , for garnish
Instructions
- Sauté – Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add garlic and leek and sauté for 7 minutes until soft and sweet.
- Simmer 25 minutes – Add potatoes and broth. Turn heat up and bring to simmer, then place lid on and lower heat so it's simmering gently. Simmer for 25 minutes or until potato is very soft and almost falling apart.
- Minimal blitz – Turn the stove off and puree with a stick blender until JUST smooth. Do not over puree (Note 3).
- Season – Add salt and pepper, then stir through cream.
- Serve, drizzled with cream and sprinkled with chives and croutons.
Croutons
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan-forced). Drizzle bread with melted butter (or spray with oil). Bake for 5 minutes or until golden and crunchy. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt while hot!
Recipe Notes:
- Australia – Sebago (dirty brushed / common washed potatoes you can get at any supermarket. Do not use red potatoes or new potatoes i.e. the ones that you use for potato salad because they are low in starch so will not break down as much when boiling to create a creamy soup)
- US – Russet
- UK – Maris Piper
- I use vegetable or chicken stock instead of water;
- Leeks are sautéed in garlic butter instead of just simmered in water
- I added garlic. Because in my world, where there is butter, there is garlic!
- I added croutons. Because buttery crunch + creamy leek soup = match made in heaven
Nutrition Information:
Originally published October 2015. Spiffed up March 2020 – most importantly, new Life of Dozer section added!
Life of Dozer
Cactus and Dozer is like me and chilli – I know it’s gonna hurt, but I just can’t resist.
We loved this soup! My son and I wanted to make this soup and it was fantastic, didn’t change a thing 🙂
My 16 year old son’s favourite soup. I cook so many of your recipes. Thanks so much 🙏
I’m a terrible cook but even I could make this soup. At first I thought it was bland but it got better each day it was in fridge. Yummy!
I’m on a fixed income and I’ve decided to start making my own soups to freeze portions. I had limited items on hand. I used a chicken noodle soup packet and the rest chicken broth. I didn’t have cream so I substituted a cream of garlic condensed soup. I also added 1 more diced yellow onion. It turned out beautifully. Thanks for helping me learn something new!
I made this tonight – I only had 1 leek so I used 2 medium onions along with that. Spectacular! I didn’t have bread in the house so served it with crackers and sprinkled chopped spring onions on the top. Everyone ate 2 bowls and there is nothing left. Will definitely make again.
Oh my lordie, I always like the idea of soup in theory but barely ever enjoy them in practice. This one was Delicious. First time I’ve ever gone back for soup seconds
Beautiful soup, we used Greek Yogurt instead of cream with few more garlic cloves.
That’s awesome Michael – thanks so much! N x
Hi Nagi!! I love your recipes I think I would have cooked over 20+ so far!
One thing I really struggle with is using stocks, I can’t handle the smell of soup the next day where I’ve used chicken or veg stock (makes me want to vomit!). I was just wondering if I could potentially use water here in this recipe? If so what herbs or spices should I add? Thank you so much! I hope you reply to me! Xxx
Hi Nagi
Another beautiful recipe.
I love love love your dishes
This was perfect on a cold, rainy, lockdown day here in Brissy – thanks Nagi, yet another winner, winner!!! I have found with your recipes I read all your tips, watch the video and follow the recipe to the T and they always work out fantastic. So thank you for providing all the extra helpful information, it really does make a big difference. ☺
Only got 2 cups of leeks. Do I have to lessen the potatoes and stock? Or can I add 2 medium onions and remain the same quantity on stock and potatoes?
Hi El, the recipe calls for 2 cups – so you can make as per the recipe. N x
Thanks Nagi.
Only got 2 cups of leeks. Do I have to lessen the potatoes and stock?
Recipe says “2 cups”
Thanks Helen.
Thanks Nagi, another winner in our home!
This a beautiful and tasty recipe. I added a sprig of thyme and a bayleaf when simmering the soup then removed them prior to blending. Yum!
Easy Recipe Yum Soup. Thanks again Nagi 🤗
This was LOVELY. Served it with olive rye bread from the local bakery. Will skip the cream next time. Such a great soup!
This was lovely, but I think it will be better the next day. When it was freshly blended, it was a bit bland, even after I added the salt, pepper and cream but as it cooled down the flavour became far more intense. So I suspect it will be absolutely to die for tomorrow… Not that it wasn’t nice tonight but the left overs should be great
Cooked this soup tonight for dinner and it was so tasty. Very easy to make. Makes enough for 2 meals.
This was so easy and SO divine! You have never let me down with a recipe, Nagi. Even my five year old is scoffing it down. That’s a serious win!
This recipe is yummy and easy to make.
Great basic recipe. I always wing it with proportions. Today I used about 3# potatoes and 8 cups broth. A mixed chicken and veggie broth. I also added thyme and bay leaf to the broth to add more flavor. I like to have a little bit of potato chunk in the soup, so I took about 1# diced potatoes and 3 diced carrots and simmered it in 2 cups of broth. After puree’ing the rest of the potatoes and leeks I added the other potatoes and carrots.
It’s delish and so easy to make. I also dice up a couple of potatoes, simmer and put them in when the soup is done so they don’t disintegrate.😀