Potato Leek Soup
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
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
You May Also Like
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
Powered by 
- 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.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Love this soup. Perfect amount of creaminess. Have made this soup many times!
This is by far one of my favourite soups, especially in the chilly winter months here in Ontario.
While I’m sure this recipe could tolerate some modifications, I’ve never seen the need to change anything. The flavours are perfectly balanced and once pureed, the texture is sublime.
I like to pair it with some freshly baked bread (the artisan loaf on this site is an absolute winner and an excellent accompaniment).
I have made this soup a few times now and it is always a hit. Just to note, once I forgot the garlic(?) and it did make a difference. We preferred it with, though the recipe isn’t garlicky at all.
This has gone into my rotation, as I make soups frequently during our cold winters! Thank you.
A bowl of warm soup rich in flavour – what can be more comforting on a snowy day in winter? This recipe got into my inbox exactly at the right moment.
The preparation was really easy and not in the least time-consuming.
I used vegetable broth and dried thyme as I don’t have fresh herbs in my garden at that time of year. As my family (male-dominated!) are convinced that a simple soup can’t be filling, I topped it with crispy bacon cubes that I had sautéd in advance, with some slices of ciabatta at the side.
What shall I say? Everybody was happy and satisfied!
XOXO
Soup is delicious, Jenn! I put in a couple extra potatoes and used a slotted spoon to scoop them out before pureeing with the hand blender. Added back just before serving to have a few small chunks of potato per serving. We are trying to watch our cholesterol consumption, so I try to avoid dairy-based heavy cream where possible. I discovered that Silk brand makes a wonderful dairy-free heavy whipping cream that is surprisingly quite tasty. Not my first choice as I know the dairy cream is sweeter. Darn it that we have to pay attention to our health! Ha!
The direction for making recipe are perfect. I’ve made this soup twice and it is a hit on my home. I’ve also made care packages for people giving them some of this soup.
Outstanding and tres francais! Merci!
This is my family’s absolutely FAVORITE soup, and it’s so easy to make. I’ve been making it for years and it never disappoints. I make the soup exactly as the recipe is written, but I would guess that it’s pretty forgiving if you need to make a substitution. I pair the soup with a tossed green salad and some freshly baked bread for a great meal. Thanks to Jenn for a go-to perfect-for-winter dinner that is always a winner!
I’m reading Julia Child’s memoir, My Life in Paris, and want to cook recipes like hers for the full experience. This soup is similar to a recipe Julia wrote so I tried it and I’m so glad I did. This soup is full-bodied and comforting. It will be a regular in my rotation throughout this winter.
I love this recipe! I substitute about a quarter of the chicken broth with white wine. I also add carrots and serve with a little truffle oil. Delicious!