This flavorful, creamy potato leek soup is comfort food at its best! Plus, it’s super simple to make. It’s a perfect dish for cold winter nights — or a delicious (and easy) way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Can also be made gluten-free and vegan (see notes in the recipe card below).
Easy Potato Leek Soup Recipe
Nothing hits the spot on a cold and dreary day like a big bowl of warm soup. Am I right? And this one is so yummy — and easy to make!
Potato and leek soup is a traditional Irish soup that’s made by simmering sautéed leeks, potatoes, and fresh herbs in broth. It’s then blended into a thick and flavorful soup and garnished with tasty toppings like toasted croutons, chives, and/or grated cheese (and some bacon if you’d like).
It’s both a hearty and healthy soup that can be made both gluten-free and vegan. Just see the instructions in recipe card below!
Soup Ingredients
Here’s what goes into this yummy potato leek soup.
- POTATOES: I used unpeeled Yukon Gold potatoes, which are less starchy than Russet potatoes. But you could also use peeled Russet potatoes if that’s what you have (or prefer).
- LEEKS: If you’re new to leeks, they are a vegetable that is part of the same family as onions, garlic, and chives. Their flavor is milder and sweeter than regular onions. And they work great in soups and stews. While they’re available year-round, they’re in season and at their best from October through May.
- YELLOW ONION
- CELERY
- GARLIC
- BROTH: I used vegetable broth for this recipe but you could also use chicken broth.
- FRESH THYME
- A BAY LEAF
- EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
- KOSHER SALT & FRESH GROUND PEPPER
- CREAM (OPTIONAL): This soup is already super creamy thanks to the blended potatoes. But if you want, you can also add some cream.
- TOPPING IDEAS: Fresh croutons, chives, grated cheese, crumbled bacon.
How to Make Potato Leek Soup From Scratch
This tasty potato leek soup is simple to make! Here’s what you need to do.
SAUTÉ VEGETABLES: In a Dutch oven, sauté the onions, leeks, celery, and garlic.
ADD THE BROTH AND POTATOES: Add the broth, potatoes, and herbs and then simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 10-15 minutes.
PURÉE: Let the soup cool to room temperature. Then use an immersion blender (or a regular blender) to purée the soup until creamy. Add the cream, is using. And then season with salt and pepper to taste.
SERVE: When ready to serve, gently warm the soup to the desired temperature, adjust seasoning if needed, and spoon into individual bowls. Garnish with desired toppings. I used croutons, chives, bacon crumbles, and some grated cheese.
A Few More Things to Know:
How Long Can You Store Potato Leek Soup in the Fridge?
You can store the soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Can You Freeze Potato Leek Soup?
Yes! You can freeze this potato leek soup — without the cream — for up to 3 months. When ready to use, defrost in the refrigerator overnight and then reheat it on the stovetop. When heated through, you can add the cream, if you’re using.
Helpful Kitchen Tools:
An Immersion Blender | Dutch Oven Soup Pot | Soup Bowls
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Yummiest Potato Leek Soup {Quick & Easy!}
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This easy-to-make, flavorful potato leek soup is comfort food at its best! It’s a perfect dish for cold winter nights or a delicious way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Can also be made gluten-free and vegan.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 medium-sized leeks halved and then sliced into 1/2-inch half-moons (use the white and light green parts only!)
- 2 ribs of celery, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/4 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into bite-sized chunks (about 6 potatoes/9 cups diced)
- 5 cups vegetable or chicken stock
- 1/2 cup cream (optional)
- 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaves
- Kosher salt and freshly-cracked black pepper to taste
- Topping options: croutons, grated cheese, bacon crumbles, fresh chives
Instructions
- SAUTÉ VEGETABLES: Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft and starting to turn golden, about 5 minutes. Then add the sliced leeks and celery and the minced garlic. Continue to sauté, stirring often (don’t let the garlic burn!), until the vegetables are soft, about 3 minutes.
- ADD THE BROTH AND POTATOES: Next, add the broth, potatoes, and herbs. Bring to a boil, cover the pot, and bring then down to a simmer.
- SIMMER: Simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 10-15 minutes.
- PURÉE: Remove the thyme sprigs and the bay leaf and let the soup cool to room temperature. When the soup is cool enough to handle, use an immersion blender (or a regular blender) to purée the soup until creamy. Add the cream, is using. And then season with salt and pepper to taste.
- SERVE: When ready to serve, gently warm the soup to the desired temperature, adjust seasoning if need, and spoon into individual bowls. Then garnish with desired toppings. I used croutons, chives, bacon crumbles, and some grated cheese.
Notes
Storage and Freezing: You can store the soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Or in the freezer (without the cream) for up to 3 months. When ready to use, defrost in the refrigerator overnight and then reheat it on the stovetop. When heated through, you can add the cream, if you’re using.
To Make Gluten-Free: This soup is naturally gluten-free, but the croutons I used were not. If you want to keep yours gluten-free, skip the croutons or use gluten-free ones. You can substitute with crumbled potato chips if you’d like.
To Make Vegan: To make this soup vegan, skip the cream and the grated cheese and bacon topping. You can substitute with crumbled potato chips, if desired.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main
- Method: Stovetop
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 236
- Sugar: 5.5 g
- Sodium: 322.4 mg
- Fat: 10.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 27.5 g
- Protein: 7.9 g
- Cholesterol: 17.3 mg