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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I just made this and it is delicious! I didn’t change a thing, followed recipe as is. Thank you Jenn for another delicious & easy recipe!
I have made this a half dozen times. I think the soup is sufficiently rich and creamy that it doesn’t need to be finished with cream, but adding it does ramp up the flavor a bit. To each their own. Nonetheless, Ilike the recipe, simple and delicious.
Perfection in a bowl
I’m a soup junkie and every year the moment there is even a hint of cool in the air, I start souping. I have a short list of soups that are to be made “the first of the season,” and this is certainly one. Look at the ingredient list and it doesn’t look like much, but it’s luscious, simple, and the perfect bowl every time! I typically use half and half and less of it and it still creates a wonderfully filling and rich soup. Love, love, love.
I made the Potato Leek Soup exactly to the recipe. I recommend this recipe highly, it was a creamy tasty soup. We had a leafy salad on the side and some very seedy bread. My husband is a meat eater but this soup along with the salad and bread satisfied his hungry stomach. My husband is Scottish so leeks were definitely part of his diet when growing up in Scotland.
Every time I make a soup from this site my husband says it is his favourite. When I made this one I was a little apprehensive as he is not really a “potato” guy but as soon as he devoured his bowl he claimed it to be his “new” favourite. Another recipe from this site that will be a staple in our household.
I found this recipe awhile back, but it has become a favorite. In fact it is so good, I have printed it out and awarded it a coveted place in my recipe binder.
This is the best Potato Leek Soup ever. Our family of 13 absolutely loves this. Of course I have to double the recipe, and other than cleaning the leeks, it’s an easy prep. I usually serve this for Sunday dinners with the whole gang on a cold winter evening along with sandwiches prepared on your outstanding Rosemary Focaccia Bread. What a treat!
A family favorite! The leeks bring out great potato flavor. I partially blend the soup as the bits add a pleasant feel. Simple ingredients and a short recipe. Thank you.
This potato leek soup was perfect! I’ve always wanted to get more comfortable with using leeks in dishes and this was a great entry to that. I didn’t change a thing about the recipe and feel it was perfect as is. It had a great creamy consistency, and I wouldn’t skip out on the heavy cream. It was also very easy to make. This was a hit with the family. Highly recommend this recipe!
Potato Leek soup is a big hit. It’s perfect for the cold weather days in New England. We ate this with some crusty bread and a salad and found it a satisfying meal. I froze some of it because it makes enough for several days. When we chose to have it for another meal , it was just as good as the first batch. Highly recommend.