Classic Potato Leek Soup
Classic Potato Leek Soup made with leeks, onions, and potatoes simmered in broth and cream is so incredibly easy to make and ready in only 30 minutes!
Homemade Soup Recipes are some of my favorite to make in the winter, especially Instant Pot Chicken Stew, Crockpot Corn Chowder, and Slow Cooker Kale and White Bean Soup!
Classic Potato Leek Soup is perfect for the cold weather, and for a quick and easy weeknight dinner. It’s ready in just 30 minutes, and pairs really well with gluten free grilled cheese and a side salad. I use a dutch oven to make mine, because the way a dutch oven heats the food helps a lot with flavor.
I highly recommend having an immersion blender for this potato leek soup recipe, but you can also get away with using a regular blender in batches. It’s also really versatile, and you can try different spice combinations to mix it up!
What You’ll Need
Leeks and Onion. Leeks are one of the main flavors in this dish. But if you don’t have them, you can use only onions. It will taste a little different but it would still be tasty.
Yellow or white onion will work for this dish. You can also try Vidalia onions for a little more sweetness.
For a quick chop, quarter the onions and roughly pulse them in the food processor.
Potatoes. Obviously the other most important ingredient here! The type of potato you use can make a big difference. If you use a potato that’s too starchy, like Russets, the texture will turn out wrong!
I recommend using Yukon Gold Potatoes, which is a classic all-purpose potato that works in most dishes.
Half and Half. This is what gives the soup a really creamy texture. If you can’t have dairy, you can leave this out entirely and just use broth until you reach the desired thickness.
You can also substitute with heavy cream, or regular milk. I like to use half and half because it’s not quite as much fat as heavy cream, but you still get a good texture when it’s done.
Unsalted Butter. The butter adds some flavor and creaminess to the dish. I use unsalted, so I can add whatever amount of salt I’d like later.
You can use extra virgin olive oil if you don’t want to use butter.
Spices. You can season with salt and black pepper to taste here. The cayenne pepper is option, and will add a little bit of spice to the dish. You can also add small a dash of nutmeg, or some curry powder for a different flavor.
I’ve used kosher salt and sea salt, both work fine. If you want to use garlic powder instead, the rule is that 2 cloves garlic = 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder.
Vegetable broth. I think this works the best for flavor, but you can also substitute chicken broth.
Just make sure it’s gluten free. Vegetable stock is basically the same thing, so you can use that, too.
How to Make Potato Leek Soup
- Melt the butter over medium heat and add onions, garlic, and leeks. After they start to soften, add spices and stir.
- Add the potatoes and cook for another 5 minutes, until the potatoes start to soften.
- Add the broth and simmer until the potatoes are soft enough that a fork goes through easily. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup (or puree the soup in batches in a regular blender). Puree everything for a creamier soup, or stop just beforehand for a chunky soup.
- Stir in the half and half and cook for another 3-4 minutes, stir in chives, and serve.
Jacqui’s Tip! This is great topped with cheddar cheese, sour cream, crispy bacon, or gluten free croutons with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil!
More Potato Recipes to Try
- Loaded Baked Potato Casserole
- Cheesy Hamburger Potato Casserole
- Baked Potato Bar Ideas
- Crispy Air Fryer Potato Wedges
Facts & Questions
Usually a gummy texture comes from too much mixing, either with the blender or the immersion blender. I recommend only blending until you have a nice smooth texture and a few bigger pieces of potato left.
If you don’t want any chunks of potato, watch closely and only blend until just smooth.
There are a few ways to get grainy potato soup.
1. It’s overcooked. If you boiled the potatoes too long in the broth, they may become grainy because they’ve absorbed too much moisture.
2. The skins of the potatoes weren’t removed. You might not have grainy potatoes, but just pieces of the skin that don’t puree as well as the inside of the potato. I like to peel my potatoes for this dish.
3. Wrong potatoes. Different potatoes can have different starch levels, and using a starchy potato can produce a grainy potato soup, while a waxy potato will have a smoother texture when blended.
4. Freezing. Freezing can give this a grainy texture that is unpleasant. I don’t recommend it.
For potato leek soup, you want to use a waxy or in-between potato, and avoid starchy potatoes. Try using red bliss potatoes (any size), fingerlings, or a medium-waxy potato like Yukon gold (my personal favorite for its flavor and smooth texture).
Avoid potatoes that have a higher starch level, like Russet potatoes (aka baking potatoes) and Idaho potatoes. These are better suited for things like French fries or gnocchi.
Refrigerated. Store your potato soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in a saucepan over medium heat. You can also add a splash of cream if the soup thickened.
Don’t freeze it. I do not recommend freezing this soup. The potatoes have a tendency to be grainy after being frozen, and the texture won’t be as nice.
If you already frozen your soup, I would defrost it in the refrigerator, then reheat it in a saucepan over medium-low heat.
Then add a small amount of cream and use an immersion blender or a standard blender to try and bring the texture back as much as possible.
Cooking Tips
- You can turn this into vegan potato leek soup by substituting the butter with extra virgin olive oil and either leaving out the half and half, or replacing it with coconut milk (the type in a can, whisked first until smooth).
- You can change up the flavor by adding different spices like red pepper flakes, fresh thyme, or a dash of curry powder for more depth of flavor.
- Top with fresh chives, a spoonful of sour cream, and crispy bacon!
- If you use a standard blender, be really careful and ladle your soup in a small amount at a time, because it will be very hot!
- You can swap the chives with green onions for a great flavor.
- You can substitute the garlic cloves for powdered garlic. 1 clove is 1/4 tsp garlic powder.
- Serve this with gluten free crusty bread, or with a side salad.
If you loved this recipe, be sure to leave a 5 Star review below, and tag me with a photo of your finished recipe on Instagram @Jacqui_DishingDelish!
Classic Potato Leek Soup
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 3 large leeks, washed and dark green parts/roots removed, chopped
- 3 large Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne, optional
- 4 1/2 cups vegetable broth, gluten free
- 1/4 cup half and half
- 2 tbsp chives, chopped
Equipment
- pot or dutch oven
Instructions
- Melt butter in 3-quart pot over medium heat.
- Add garlic, onion, and leeks. Cook until softened (about 5 minutes).
- Add potatoes, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Stir ingredients together, cover pot and cook an additional 5 minutes, or until potatoes begin to soften (about 5 minutes).
- Add broth, stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a slow simmer. Cook until potatoes are completely soft (about 10 minutes).
- Either use an immersion blender, or ladle soup into a big food processor or blender. Blend until pureed and return to pot. You may have to work in batches, depending on how big your appliance is.
- Once pureed soup is returned to pot, reduce heat to low and stir in half and half. Cook for an additional 3-5 minutes or until hot.
- Top with chives and serve.
Notes
- Make this vegan by substituting the butter with extra virgin olive oil and either leaving out the half and half, or replacing it with coconut milk.
- You can change up the flavor by adding different spices like red pepper flakes, fresh thyme, or a dash of curry powder for more depth of flavor.
- You can substitute the garlic cloves for powdered garlic. 1 clove is 1/4 tsp garlic powder.
- If you use a standard blender, be really careful and ladle your soup in a small amount at a time, because it will be very hot!
- You can swap the chives with green onions for a great flavor.
- Top with fresh chives, a spoonful of sour cream, and crispy bacon!
- Serve this with gluten free crusty bread, or with a side salad.
Nutrition
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Delicious! So simple and so good! Hearty and perfect for this cold winter day! We like it with bites of potatoes so puréed half… really easy to adjust to your own preference. Thank you for sharing!
By far, my favorite soup. I have made it dozens of times with perfect results. I have zucchini to use up and would like thoughts about using in this soup.
I think zucchini is a great idea! It would cut down the carbs for a lighter more summertime version. Cannellini beans would be good with the zucchini, too.