Potato Leek Soup Recipe

The Easiest Potato Leek Soup Recipe! This Potato and Leek Soup is simple to make with only a few ingredients, creamy and delicious!

 

We have loved our Creamy Potato Soup for so many years and this potato leek soup has everything we love about that soup with the added benefits of nutritious leeks!

It’s creamy and smooth while being vegetarian and vegan friendly, and can be made in your crock pot, instant pot, or on the stove!

Potato leek soup is a classic comfort food. This healthy potato soup recipe makes a delicious meal that’s perfect on a cold or rainy day!

Our creamy potato soup is delicious and the recipe has been popular for many years! The only problem is, it includes heavy cream, so it’s a bit high in fat and calories. This healthier version has the creamy consistency and fantastic flavor of the original, but it’s dairy free and includes nutritious leeks.

In under an hour you could have this warm and cozy soup on your table!

Leek Potato Soup Ingredients:

Ingredients for this soup recipe:

• olive oil
• garlic – We use fresh garlic because it adds so much flavor to the broth.
• leeks – The leek is a vegetable in the Allium family, so it’s related to shallots, garlic, spring onions (scallion), and chives. Physically, it almost looks like an overgrown scallion, but with a bunch of fibrous leaves on the top. The flavor is much milder and slightly sweeter than an onion. Because they grow in sandy soil, leeks need to be rinsed well before you use them.
• potatoes
• vegetable broth
• spices
• milk of choice -We usually use whole milk, but there are plenty of vegan and dairy free substitutions.
• chives – We chop them and sprinkle them over the top of the dish as a garnish. They’re optional though.

tips for making the soup on the stove top

1. Sauté the leeks and garlic, just until fragrant. Fresh garlic burns easily – it just takes a minute for it to become fragrant.
2. Add all remaining ingredients to the pot, except for the milk/cream or non-dairy milk products.
3. Cover the pot and bring the soup to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the soup to a simmer. Allow it to simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Remember to remove the bay leaf. It sometimes sinks to the bottom, so you may need to use a large spoon to find it.
5. To create the creamiest healthy potato soup, use an immersion blender to puree the vegetables. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a counter top blender, but you may need to puree the soup in batches.
6. Be sure dairy products are at room temperature before adding them to the pot. This will ensure that they don’t curdle when you add them to the hot soup.

Leek and Potato Soup in the Instant Pot:

1. Be sure the IP is hot before you add the vegetables. Soften the leeks first, then add the garlic during the last minute of cook time.
2. Wait to add dairy products until after the potato soup is finished cooking.
   If you’re making vegan potato leek soup, it’s also best to wait and add non-dairy milk after pressure cooking is finished. You’ll have an easier time finding the bay leaf in clear liquid.
3. Seal the pressure valve, and pressure cook for 10 minutes on high pressure.
4. Be sure to remove the bay leaf.
5. Use an immersion blender to puree the potato and leek soup. Or, use a counter top blender, but depending on its size, you may need to puree in batches.

How to Make Leek and Potato Soup in the Crock Pot:

1. Don’t skip sautéing the leeks. It only takes a few extra minutes to do this in a sauté pan on the stove top. Trust us; it’s worth doing because it gives them an extra depth of flavor.
2. Wait until after cooking to add dairy or non-dairy milk products.
3. Be sure to remove the bay leaf before adding the milk to your healthy potato soup!
4. If possible, use an immersion blender to puree the potato leek soup. It’s much easier than transferring everything to a blender.

how to cut and clean leeks

Leeks have tightly packed leaves, so it’s important to remove any sandy soil and debris that is trapped between them. There are two options for cleaning and cutting leeks:

Soak first, then slice.

1. Use a sharp knife to cut off the root end, then chop off the fibrous dark green leaves from the top of the stalk. Discard both.
2. Place the remaining uncut stalk into a bowl of cool tap water for a few minutes, occasionally swishing it around to loosen the dirt/debris. When you’re confident that it’s clean, then slice the stalk into small pieces.

Slice first, then soak.

1. Using a large, sharp knife (like a chef’s knife), cut off and discard the root and dark green leaves from the leek, leaving just the light green and white stalk.
2. Slice the stalk in half from top to bottom, then place both halves cut side down on a cutting board. Slice each half into half-moon shaped slices, about 1/4-inch thick.
3. Put the cut leeks into a strainer and place it under cold running tap water to remove any dirt or debris

What part of the leek do you use in soup?

You want to use the white and green parts of the leek in soup.

How do you cut a leek for soup?

Cut off the root end of the leek, then cut the white and light green part of the leek in half. Cut those slices into 1/4.

serving suggestions

Garnishes – Feel free to garnish the soup with any toppings of your choice. Good options are shredded cheese, chopped chives, fresh parsley, or crisply cooked and crumbled bacon.

To make our potato and leek soup recipe heartier, you can include additional vegetables, like carrots, celery, or broccoli. If you don’t need a vegan potato leek soup, you could even make and stir in a bit of Instant Pot shredded chicken or turkey breast.

Salad, Vegetables, or a source of meat go great with this soup. Here are some of our favorites:

• salad – Easy Kale Salad or Apple Walnut Salad
• veggies – Green Beans Almondine, Crispy Potatoes, Honey Roasted Carrots, or Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad
• meat – Chicken Tenders or Baked Boneless Chicken Breast

Potato and Leek Soup Recipe FAQ