Potato Leek Soup
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Cozy up with this comforting potato leek soup, a classic French dish that’s easy to make and endlessly customizable.
Potato leek soup, or potage parmentier, is a French classic. It’s one of the first dishes I learned to make in culinary school, right after a proper omelette and basic vinaigrette, because it’s an essential base soup in French cuisine. You can add watercress to make potage au cresson, serve it chilled as Vichyssoise, or top it with bacon, fried leeks, fresh herbs, or diced vegetables. There are endless variations—just use your imagination (or whatever you have in the kitchen) to make it your own. This potato leek soup recipe is simple to whip up and can be served as an appetizer, paired with a Reuben sandwich or wedge salad, or enjoyed as a satisfying lunch on its own.
What You’ll Need To Make Potato Leek Soup
Step-by-Step Instructions
Potato leek soup is simple to make, but first you have to deal with the leeks. They’re notoriously sandy and dirty, and very good at hiding it, so be sure to wash them well. Start by cutting off and discarding the root ends and thick dark green parts. Cut the leeks in half lengthwise and rinse each half under cold water, pulling apart the layers to remove any grit that’s tucked inside.
Once the leeks are clean, roughly chop them — you should get about five cups of chopped leeks from four large leeks.
To make the soup, melt the butter in a Dutch oven or large soup pot, then add the chopped leeks and garlic.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and wilted.
Next, add the potatoes, chicken broth, bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil.
Then cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
Fish out the bay leaves and thyme sprigs.
Purée the soup with a hand-held immersion blender (or in a regular blender) until smooth. (If using a standard blender, be sure not to fill the jar more than halfway; leave the hole in the lid open and cover loosely with a dishtowel to allow the heat to escape.)
Finally, add the heavy cream. You can reduce the amount if you’d like but I wouldn’t leave it out entirely. Cream makes the soup deliciously silky, rich, and smooth—just add it little by little until the soup tastes good to you.
Bring to a simmer, then taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve hot, garnished with fresh thyme, chives, or anything you like.
Video Tutorial
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Potato Leek Soup
Cozy up with this comforting potato leek soup, a classic French dish that’s easy to make and endlessly customizable.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 large leeks, white and light green parts only, roughly chopped (about 5 cups)
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped into ½-inch pieces
- 7 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Chives, finely chopped, for serving
Instructions
- Melt the butter over medium heat in a large soup pot. Add the leeks and garlic and cook, stirring regularly, until soft and wilted, about 10 minutes. Adjust the heat as necessary so as not to brown.
- Add the potatoes, broth, bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper to pot and bring to a boil. Cover and turn the heat down to low. Simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are very soft.
- Fish out the thyme sprig and bay leaves, then purée the soup with a hand-held immersion blender until smooth. (Alternatively, use a standard blender to purée the soup in batches; see note.) Add the heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. If soup is too thin, simmer until thickened. If it's too thick, add water or stock to thin it out. Garnish with fresh herbs if desired.
- Note: If using a standard blender to purée the soup: be sure not to fill the jar more than halfway; leave the hole in the lid open and cover loosely with a dishtowel to allow the heat to escape; and pour blended soup into a clean pot.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The soup can be frozen, without the cream, for up to 3 months. Defrost the soup in the refrigerator for 12 hours and then reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat until hot. Once heated through, add the cream and bring to a simmer before serving.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Serving size: about 1-1/2 cups
- Calories: 454
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated fat: 14 g
- Carbohydrates: 49 g
- Sugar: 10 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Sodium: 828 mg
- Cholesterol: 78 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Comments
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Just tried this yesterday, cooked it for my son and daughter in law as they are busy with the new baby. We all loved it. I did not have any fresh thyme, so added two shakes of dried. It was so delicious and creamy. None of it made it to the freezer, but I am going to make more and freeze it. Perfect for these cold winter days. Thanks for sharing your wonderful recipes with all of us.
Hi Jenn, just finished this with the homemade chicken stock from earlier this morning. As are all of your recipes, this is spot on! Some for lunch and and the rest as a first course on Christmas Eve. Happy holidays.
Jen, making this tomorrow…will serve for dinner, but I would like to freeze the rest and it will already have the cream in it. Will this present a problem? thanks, Carol
Hi Carol, Technically, it’s best to freeze it without the cream but it should still work. If it separates when you defrost it, it should come together again once reheated.
Did not separate, was absolutely wonderful. Another winner from my favorite chef. Thanks!
Made this as a quick and light dinner and my ten year old is now considering it for her birthday dinner! Simple and delicious. Thanks for the clear instructions on cleaning and chopping the leeks.
Is this one of those soups that tastes better the next day, or should I make it the day I’m serving it? Thanks!
Hi Deborah, I think this tastes great on the first day, but the flavors will have a bit more time to meld if eaten on the second day. Either day, I hope you enjoy!
I’ve been craving Vichyssoise like mom makes. This recipe is great and (believe it or not) slightly healthier than hers. Ate it warm tonight. Looking forward to it cold tomorrow. Thanks for this simple yet delicious recipe.
Using your well-rated recipe as a general guide, tonight’s version completed with 2% milk and bouillon cubes is deliciously satisfying. Thanks Jenn!
I made this for a soup party to give the really picky eaters in our family an option that didn’t involve chunks of things floating in broth. Pureed soups are a great way to hide ingredients! I just called it potato soup and never mentioned leeks, but the leeks are what make it. I served toppings on the side – crumbled bacon, chopped scallions and shredded cheddar. It was simple to make and delicious. I wouldn’t change a single thing about the recipe and can see this going into regular rotation.
Excellent soup! I made the recipe as written, using homemade turkey stock leftover from Thanksgiving. Garnished it with chives and crumbled bacon. Yum!
I want to double this recipe. What changes should I make to do so. Can’t wait to try it. Need reply ASAP.
Hi Chris, you wouldn’t need to make any adjustments to the recipe with the exception of doubling the ingredients. Hope you enjoy!