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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Subbed 1:4 red for gold potatoes, didn’t have cream so mixed 1/2 C whole milk with 1/2 C Carbonara Sauce, and finished with Bacon crumbles. Easy, fast, delicious!!!
I made this last winter and loved it. Getting ready to make more as the weather is getting colder.
Do you think coconut cream would work in place of the heavy cream? If so, can it be added before freezing? Thanks.
Hi Steven, Glad you enjoyed the soup. I do think coconut cream would work, but it definitely would add a bit of coconut flavor to the soup. And yes, because it’s non-dairy, I think it would be fine to add it before freezing. Please LMK how it turns out!
(Another!) fabulous recipe with great exposition of method for preparation–hopefully inspiring folks who have never tried leeks to experience there wonderful flavor. I prepared with homemade stock. To serve, I cubed some leftover country ham and placed in bottom of bowls and ladeled soup over and topped with shredded cheese.
Jenn, thanks again. You never disappoint! This was a lovely, comforting soup on a cold day. Cheers!!
Oh my gosh, this potato leek soup is positively delicious…the ultimate in comfort food. I prepared it as written: no tweaks, no substitutions, no additions, no changes of any kind. This recipe is definitely a keeper. Although it is not necessary, I purchased a large Le Creuset cast iron enameled pot specifically with this soup in mind. Wish I could give it more than 5 stars.
I absolutely love this recipe. So quick to make and very delicious. There are only two of us so I love to take my leftover soup and package it in 2 serving size portions in freezer bags. I lay the bags flat, remove as much air as I can and then seal and place in the freezer flat. This takes up less space and makes a delicious dinner always on hand. Thanks for another great recipe.
Excellent recipe! Always a favourite!
I don’t blend it at the end though, I’ve tried it both ways and I prefer it a bit chunky instead of a smooth soup!
I never though of putting bacon on top of the soup to serve it! I’m doing that today for lunch…yummy!!
This has become my favorite soup, it is easy to make and delicious. I found a great way to clean the leeks by standing them in a tall Tupperware pitcher after prepping them and letting soak a bit. Fill it to the top with water so the entire leek is submerged. After a while, remove rinse well, drain and finish cutting them for the soup. I also use my home made chicken stock instead of broth – seems to give a little more depth of flavor.
I made this tonight and it was lovely! I only had two large leeks, so I added a little bit of yellow onion, which I sauteed along with the leeks and the garlic. I used an immersion blender (so easy!) and it came out velvety and delicious. Thanks for another wonderful recipe, Jenn!
this soup is absolutely fabulous. It is easy to make and the flavor is incredible. I wouldn’t change a thing! That being said, I did add extra leeks the first time I made it because I had them. But, I have made the recipe a number of times and it is great as written.