Golden Leek and Potato Soup Recipe (2024)

By Melissa Clark

Updated Feb. 29, 2024

Golden Leek and Potato Soup Recipe (1)

Total Time
1 hour 15 minutes
Rating
5(2,541)
Notes
Read community notes

Most potato leek soups are smooth, creamy and decidedly on the richer side. This one doubles the ratio of leeks to potatoes, giving you something sweeter, chunkier and homier, brimming with soft pieces of potato and browned slivers of leeks. A tablespoon or two of heavy cream, drizzled into the soup just before serving, is an optional luscious touch.

Featured in: Vegetable Soups Built for Maximum Flavor

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings

  • pounds leeks, white and light green part only
  • 2bay leaves
  • 4large sprigs fresh thyme
  • 4large sprigs fresh sage
  • 4large sprigs parsley, and chopped leaves for garnish
  • 1large handful celery leaves (optional)
  • 4tablespoons unsalted butter or extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2garlic cloves, peeled and very thinly sliced
  • 8cups vegetable stock or water
  • 1tablespoon kosher salt, more to taste
  • 1teaspoon black pepper, more to taste
  • pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, halved and thinly sliced
  • Heavy cream, for serving (optional)

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

333 calories; 11 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 56 grams carbohydrates; 10 grams dietary fiber; 9 grams sugars; 7 grams protein; 1040 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Golden Leek and Potato Soup Recipe (2)

Preparation

Make the recipe with us

  1. Halve the leeks lengthwise and rinse away any grit. Thinly slice the leeks crosswise. In a small square of cheesecloth, tie together bay leaves, thyme, sage, parsley and celery leaves if using.

  2. Step

    2

    Melt the butter or heat the oil in the bottom of a large pot over medium-high heat. Stir in the leeks and cook, stirring frequently, until leeks are soft and dark golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the garlic for the last 3 minutes of cooking.

  3. Step

    3

    Stir in stock or water, the sachet of herbs, the salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce immediately to medium-low; simmer for 5 minutes.

  4. Step

    4

    Add the potatoes and simmer soup until potatoes are very tender and falling apart, about 45 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. If desired, drizzle a small amount of cream into each bowl when serving, and top with parsley for garnish.

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5

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2,541

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Paul

Let me suggest a #4 coffee filter for the bouquet garni if you don't have cheesecloth. Put the herbs in the pocket and tie with kitchen twine.

Melissa Clark

Sorry for the confusion, it's 2 1/2 pounds whole leeks, of which you only use the light green and white parts.

Stargazer, Napa Valley

Trader Joe's has fantastic frozen leeks I always keep a bag or two in my freezer. Highly recommend them!

Tam

Have been disappointed by TJ's frozen leeks. They are flavorless and mushy. Which makes sense if you think about it, but I too was excited by the idea of cheap, already cleaned and diced leeks. Don't bother. Go fresh, young woman, go fresh.

Suzanne

I use a large tea ball strainer:)

Passion for Peaches

A shortcut I use for onions -- should work for leeks -- is to sauté them (salted) a couple minutes, then cover the pan to let them steam for a few more minutes, then uncover and turn up heat to evaporate rendered liquid quickly. Then turn down heat and caramelize slowly. The long lag time is due to excess liquid in the pan.

Joel Nydahl

Am I the only one who is confused by directions for ingredients like the first in this recipe? It seems to ask for the white and light green parts from 2 1/2 pounds of untrimmed leeks. But could it mean 2 1/2 pounds of trimmed leeks. A huge difference.

Melissa Clark

2.5 pounds of leeks is the weight you should buy, before trimming.

John

I never take chances any more with Yukon Gold potatoes--I always peel them, otherwise I often find the skin can sometimes be papery and tough. It ruined one of my potato salads. I have since seen this mentioned by food writers.

Martha

So so delicious! Didn't have the heavy cream, and honestly didn't even need it. I used half chicken stock and half water, less salt (because of the stock), and it was so flavorful and delightful. Will be making this again and again.

David

Can't you just fine chop the parsely sage thyme and celery leaves and add to the soup ?

Beth

I have substituted cauliflower for the potatoes in this soup, and it is delicious.

trblmkr

Like me, your pot was likely not large enough. The bottom of the pot has to ensure a thin layer of leeks. Otherwise they stem in the butter/oil instead of frying. Very high heat and almost constant stirring helped but it still took forever...

Maxine

I added some sliced mushrooms (because I had them in the fridge) and red pepper flakes (because we like a bite) and the soup was out of this world. Honestly, it would have been amazing with or without my additions.

A. Cleary

I find that so many recipes underestimate the time caramelization takes. I think it's an SEO thing. When someone searches for something that takes 30 or 60 minutes and calls for caramelizing, they seldom factor in the true time, IMHO. That said, it adds a lot of flavor & is always worth the time, assuming you have it. Still, a little truth in labeling wouldn't hurt.

Western Winnie

Delicious, simple and incredibly comforting (even more so when you have a terrible early spring cold)! I pared down the ingredients to serve one: a single Yukon gold, a small farmer’s market leek, and a dash of herby poultry seasoning instead of fussing over a bouquet. I had just a bit of good gelatinous broth left, so used about 2/3 water. The splash of cream was indeed luxurious. By slicing the potato very thinly this cooked quickly, maybe 20 minutes total. Thanks, Melissa!

Susan Dixon

I really liked this recipe - very flavorful. The explanation of purchased leeks vs used portion of those leeks was extremely helpful. I only had dried herbs and added them during the initial cooking of the leeks. Adjusting ingredients to my own needs worked seamlessly.

Puneeta

Don't really get the 5 star ratings on this one. Pretty bland as written. At least it was an easy recipe. Some bacon might have done the trick.

Leslie k

I love this soup!! I haven't had the fresh herbs so I've used dried thyme and parsley and it's still delicious!!

Karen in Seattle

Made this with black garlic. So tasty!!!!

Patti

I used Herbs de Provence instead of the sachet. I added 4 stalks of celery along with the leeks, then potatoes, all of which I sliced thinly using slicing disc on my Breville food processor, set on #2. Roasted some garlic & added that in. This soup is sublime & only took about 20 minutes to prepare.

CC

I don't have cheesecloth so I stuffed the herbs into a wire wisker--it worked great!

Lizzi

Follow directions and used an immersion blender at the end. Yum, yum, yum! This is my new go-to potato soup.

Mary

Excellent. Did not have fresh thyme, sage and celery – used dried thyme, sage and celery seed; put in the cheesecloth. A very fine flavor!

trexgirl

Made a double batch for a homeless drop in center I volunteer at and it was a HIT. Sautéed the leeks in bacon fat and topped with crumbled bacon. Also made a single vegan batch and added a can white beans for extra heartiness. Every drop was eaten up. Will make again. “I usually hate potatoes, but your soup was really good” quote from a client

jenny

This was even better the next day! Followed someone’s suggestion about the bacon which, overnight, infused this already delicious soup with a smoky flavor. Will make again!!

Kristine W

Delicious! Be sure to use all the herbs and more:-)

LD

I love this soup! Might be my new favorite over the Lemony White Bean and Greens soup. I used half chicken stock and half water, and I added a bit more water while the potatoes were cooking. I cooked the leeks about 20 minutes and the potatoes for an hour — definitely worth the extra time.

Jaybe

Just make sure the filter, if using suggestion of a coffee filter for bouquet garni, is non bleached to prevent ingesting dioxins!

Marli

I hate to waste leeks, particularly if the green part is crisp. I grow them, but they are also expensive - they take 6 months to grow big. I separated the white/light green from the dark green. Cook the dark green part first, for 10 minutes or so before adding the rest of the leeks.I did appreciate the shortened method of caramelizing leeks from the comments!It was not hard to pull out the bay leaf, sage sprigs and thyme at the end - no bag. I chopped in the celery leaves & parsley.

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Golden Leek and Potato Soup Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why is my leek and potato soup bland? ›

The reasons are usually two: you didn't season your soup at all, worrying it might be too salty because of the leeks; or you added to much water for the stock. If you follow our instructions, and taste before serving, you can easily add a little more salt and pepper to make your soup even tastier.

How can I thicken my leek and potato soup? ›

Add flour or cornflour

Put a tablespoon of either into a small bowl and stir in 2-3 tbsp of the soup until you have a smooth mixture. Stir this back into the soup and bring it to a simmer. Cook for a few minutes to allow the starch granules to burst to thicken, and to cook out any flour flavour.

Why is my potato leek soup gummy? ›

Why is my potato leek soup gummy? Potatoes should be diced in similar size so they cook evenly, but don't drive yourself crazy getting them teeny-tiny. If they're too small, you risk the potatoes releasing too much starch, which can make the soup gummy when pureed.

How to make leek and potato soup mary berry? ›

Mary Berry's Potato Leek Soup
  1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add leeks, and cook, covered, stirring often, until softened, 4 to 6 minutes. ...
  2. Stir in broth, salt and pepper. ...
  3. Carefully transfer soup to a blender. ...
  4. Ladle soup into individual bowls.
Nov 27, 2016

Why does my leek and potato soup taste bitter? ›

Add the leeks to the pot, lowering the heat if necessary and saute for 10-15 minutes , or until soft and translucent. Be careful not to burn the leeks, as they will impart a bitter taste to the soup. The excess liquid from cleaning the leeks should help prevent any burning.

How do I increase the depth of flavor in soup? ›

Perk up a Bland Soup With Simple Pantry Staples

Add a splash of vinegar (any kind!), or a squeeze of citrus. Chances are, you could use a little more salt. Go ahead—it's ok. Salt perks up flat flavors and helps balance out bitter-tasting ingredients.

When to add cream to soup? ›

If you started the soup with broth, stock or water, I would wait until the end to add the cream. You can warm the cream, or “temper” it, which is what I do. Take about half a cup of the hot broth and slowly add your cream to that, stirring constantly.

Does sour cream make potato soup thicker? ›

Another option for thickening soup is by using dairy like sour cream or yogurt. Start with a small dollop and stir before checking the consistency and adding more. We recommend using plain yogurt so you don't alter the taste of the soup. You can also use cream if you prefer.

Why has my leek and potato soup gone brown? ›

It looks as though some of your potatoes might have got a bit scorched. Did you fry them off before adding the liquid? The colour from the browned potatoes could be what is turning it brown.

How to stop leek and potato soup from going gloopy? ›

Potato-Leek Soup v2.

For an extra-smooth soup, press it through a chinois or a fine mesh strainer using the bottom of a ladle. Sure, it's the gluier than its pressed brother, but as I said, sometimes that really doesn't bother me.

What is the best thickening agent for potato soup? ›

Cornstarch. Cornstarch is a very effective thickener, and a little bit can go a long way.

How do you fix gluey potato leek soup? ›

It turns out, then, that contrary to internet opinion, it is possible to redeem your potato leek soup if somehow it becomes gluey. Ladle some into a freezer bag, freeze it flat, thaw it, and pour off the water.

How does Gordon Ramsay cook leeks? ›

Season leeks with soy, maple, sesame oil, and mirin. Top with sliced garlic and a few knobs of butter around the outside of the pan. Add just enough stock to cover leeks halfway, bring to a boil and pop into over to roast until caramelized and tender when pierced with a knife.

How do you make potato and leek soup less salty? ›

In addition to potatoes, you can use other starchy vegetables like carrots or parsnips to absorb excess salt. Dairy products like milk, cream, yogurt, or sour cream can help balance out the saltiness of a soup or stew.

Can you substitute onions for leeks in potato leek soup? ›

Lastly, the most common substitute for leeks is the ultimate kitchen staple; onions. White and sweet onions are the best alternatives for leeks, due to their mild flavor.

How do you fix bland potato soup? ›

Adding an acid like vinegar or lemon juice and incorporating fresh herbs can also help add flavor to a potato soup. While you may not need to implement all of these strategies, it's good to keep them in the back of your mind for when you realize your next pot of soup needs a flavor boost.

How do I add flavor to bland potato soup? ›

Cheese: I recommend a good sharp cheddar cheese here for maximum flavor. Greek yogurt or sour cream: To make the soup extra-creamy. Salt and pepper: Add in as much as you need at the end to season your soup well.

How do I add flavor to bland beef soup? ›

Add some more aromatics in the soup, like bay leaves, thyme, and rosemary. Also add some Better than Bullion Roasted Beef Base.

What to add to flavorless vegetable soup? ›

Fresh lemon juice squeezed into the soup at the very end wakens up the broth. The soup won't taste lemony, just brightened and lively. Fresh herbs and fat from a dollop of prepared pesto stirred into each bowl before serving is a real treat. I like my Vegan Pesto recipe, or Gotham Greens vegan pesto.

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