Potato Leek Soup

Published Oct. 9, 2024

Potato Leek Soup
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
45 minutes
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Rating
5(1,620)
Comments
Read comments

This classic, comforting potato-leek soup takes a few simple ingredients and turns them into a silky and decadent soup. Yukon Gold potatoes have golden flesh that’s denser and sweeter than other potatoes, giving the soup a richer texture and greater depth of flavor. Just a brief purée is all it takes to render the soup creamy; resist the urge to overprocess in the blender, which can result in gummy soup. For the silkiest soup of all, you can pass it through a sieve after blending. Enjoy a warm bowl with a green salad, or serve smaller portions as an elegant starter at your next dinner party.

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: give recipes to anyone
    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.
    Subscribe
  • Print Options


Advertisement


Ingredients

Yield:4 servings (about 7 cups)
  • 2tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2medium leeks, light green and white parts only, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1garlic clove, thinly sliced
  • 4cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes (about 4 cups)
  • 1fresh or dried bay leaf
  • 1cup heavy cream
  • Chopped chives, for garnishing
  • Crusty bread, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

487 calories; 30 grams fat; 18 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 47 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 12 grams protein; 1305 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by
Cooking Newsletter illustration

Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large pot, melt butter over medium. Add leeks, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, 1 minute.

  2. Step 2

    Add broth, potatoes and bay leaf; season with salt, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, adjust heat to medium-low and cook at a gentle simmer until potatoes are completely tender, 15 minutes. Discard bay leaf.

  3. Step 3

    Working in two batches, if necessary, transfer soup to a blender and purée just until smooth. (Resist the urge to overprocess in the blender, which can result in gummy soup.) Return soup to the pot or, for an extra-silky soup, strain through a fine-mesh sieve into the pot.

  4. Step 4

    Stir in cream and warm over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes. Season with salt.

  5. Step 5

    Divide soup among bowls and garnish with chives. Serve warm, with crusty bread.

Ratings

5 out of 5
1,620 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Comments

Eliminate the cream (less healthy), add parsnips, celery and carrots. We leave skins on the potatoes but peel the parsnips to avoid a sour taste. (Adapted from an old Molly Katzen recipe). An immersion blender has made preparation and cleanup far easier. You can make a lot and freeze it for quick meals later.

This is what we call Crème Vichyssoise in France. Best frying home-made chicken stock and crème fraiche with a pinch of nutmeg at the end and served with chopped chives sprinkled into the tureen.

Leeks never give me quite as much onion flavor as I like so I always add a sweet onion to the leeks for vichyssoise or cockaleekie or any soup with potatoes and leeks.

Even using an immersion blender sparingly, my soup turned gluey.

I added carrots, onion, and left out the cream. Also, due to running short on time, no blending. ...delicious.

This was always one of my favorite dishes my mom made for me growing up! I wanted to diversify the nutrients without changing the flavors too much, so I used a pound of potatoes a pound of cauliflower. Added the cauliflower before the potatoes and broth to cook out some of the water first. Otherwise made as written. Worked great!

Private comments are only visible to you.

Advertisement

or to save this recipe.