Creamy Leek and Potato Soup - An Easy Vegetarian Classic! (2024)

Creamy Leek And Potato Soup is the perfect French soup recipe. It’s easy to make from scratch, loaded with flavor, and perfectly balanced. It’s a vegetarian favorite that everyone loves!

Whatever your soup inclination, get ready because this Creamy Leek Potato Soup might just become your new favorite! This delightful vegetarian soup is a creamy purée of soft Russet potatoes, fresh sautéed leeks, broth, and heavy cream, seasoned simply with salt and pepper and fresh thyme. It’s a French classic that is so velvety and flavorful yet simple and understated. You can serve this as a starter for a special meal or just make a batch to warm up on a chilly day.

Ingredients For Potato Leek Soup

• Butter and Olive Oil: For sautéing.
• Leeks: Thinly sliced the white and pale green parts of the leeks, and rinse well to remove any grit or sand.
• Salt and Pepper
• Garlic: Mince or press a little fresh garlic for this recipe.
• Potatoes: For leek and potato soup, you’ll need floury potatoes such as Russets, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes. Don’t use waxy potatoes or the soup will have a “gluey” texture.
• Broth: Low-sodium vegetable broth is my go-to, but chicken broth would also be delicious here.
• Fresh Thyme: Sprigs of fresh thyme lift the flavor and add an earthy fragrance.
• Cream: Heavy cream is my favorite, but you could also use half and half, milk, or sour cream.
• Croutons: Optional, for garnish.
• Parsley and Chives: Chopped fresh parsley and chives also make a fresh, fragrant garnish.

How To Make Creamy Leek And Potato Soup

Okay, let’s talk about the cooking process! It’s very straightforward, so even beginners at this whole cooking thing can definitely make a delicious pot of soup. Here’s the skinny:

1. Cook the Leeks. Place a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, and add the butter to melt. Add a swirl of olive oil, followed by the sliced leeks. Sprinkle salt and pepper and let them cook for about 6 minutes. Stir frequently.
2. Add the Potatoes. Stir in the garlic. Then add the potatoes, broth, and sprigs of thyme.
3. Simmer. Bring the soup to a boil, and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover the soup, and let it cook for around 25 minutes, until the potatoes are very soft.
4. Puree the Soup and add Cream. Remove the soup from the heat and take out the thyme sprigs. Get out your immersion blender and blend just until the soup is smooth. Stir the heavy cream into the pureed soup. Taste for salt and pepper, and adjust as needed.
5. Garnish and Serve. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls, and top with croutons, chopped fresh parsley, and chopped fresh chives.

Recipe Tips

• Bake the Potatoes: If you want to go an extra step that pays off with a much more pronounced flavor, bake the potatoes before cooking them in the soup.
• Don’t Overblend: It’s possible to overdo it with the immersion blender and create a “gluey” texture to your soup. It is better to under-blend the soup and then force any lumps through a mesh sieve.
• Add More Texture: If you’re a fan of soup with a bit more texture, use a slotted spoon to take some of the cooked leeks and potatoes out of the soup before you blend the rest. Then stir the reserved leeks and potatoes right back in.
• Top It Your Way: I usually garnish this soup with croutons, but it’s also amazing garnished with creme fraiche, sour cream, bacon bits, and fried or caramelized onions.

What To Serve with Soup

Potato Leek Soup makes a great starter or side dish, but you can make it a meal if you want if you add a couple of easy dishes like these:

• Dinner Rolls: There’s nothing like a bowl of comforting soup with a warm, homemade dinner roll. Try these No-Knead Rolls for the ultimate easy version!
• Salad: A garden salad is never out of place! Want to up the ante? Then make it a Salmon BLT Salad! Swoon worthy!
• Roasted Veggies: Easy Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Radishes are loaded with color, flavor, and texture! They’re an amazing side dish for any meal, including leek and potato soup.

Storing and Reheating

• Transfer leftover soup to an airtight container and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
• To reheat, you should place the desired portion in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir the soup occasionally as it heats up. Let it get very hot and steaming, but take it off the heat before it boils.

More Cozy Soup Recipes

• Roasted Tomato Basil Soup
• Easy Cream of Asparagus Soup
• Slow Cooker Crack Chicken Soup
• Chicken Pot Pie Soup