Description
This creamy and comforting Potato Leek Soup features tender Yukon Gold potatoes simmered with fragrant leeks and herbs, blended into a smooth, velvety soup enriched with heavy cream. Perfect as a warming appetizer or light meal, it’s an easy-to-make recipe that can be prepared on the stovetop and customized with fresh chives for garnish.
Ingredients
Soup Base
- 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
Finishing
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Chives, finely chopped, for serving
Instructions
- Sauté Aromatics: Melt the butter over medium heat in a large soup pot. Add the chopped leeks and smashed garlic cloves, cooking and stirring regularly until the leeks soften and wilt, about 10 minutes. Adjust the heat as needed to avoid browning the leeks.
- Simmer Soup: Add the roughly chopped potatoes, chicken or vegetable broth, bay leaves, fresh thyme sprigs, salt, and pepper to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to low. Let it simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are very soft and easily pierced with a fork.
- Purée Soup: Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Use a hand-held immersion blender to purée the soup directly in the pot until smooth. Alternatively, carefully transfer soup in batches to a standard blender—only fill halfway, leave the lid hole open covered loosely with a dish towel to release steam—and blend until smooth. Return blended soup to the pot.
- Add Cream and Adjust: Stir in the heavy cream and bring the soup back to a gentle simmer. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed. If the soup is too thin, continue to simmer until it thickens. If too thick, add a bit of water or extra broth to thin to the desired consistency.
- Serve and Garnish: Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with finely chopped fresh chives. Serve hot.
- Freezer Instructions: To freeze, omit the cream and cool the soup completely. Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw overnight in the refrigerator, warm over medium heat on the stovetop until hot, then stir in cream and bring to a simmer before serving.
Notes
- When using a standard blender, do not fill jar more than halfway to avoid overflow, and cover loosely to let steam escape safely.
- This soup freezes well without the cream; add cream freshly upon reheating for best flavor and texture.
- Use Yukon Gold potatoes for their creamy texture and natural sweetness that complement this soup.
- Adjust thickness by simmering longer to reduce or adding broth/water to thin as preferred.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
