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This Potato-Leek Soup is a timeless French favorite that’s simple to prepare and offers endless possibilities for personalization.
Why You’ll 🫶🏻 this Soup
Potato Leek Soup, also known as Soupe de Poireaux et Pommes de Terre, is a beloved French dish that can be enjoyed either warm or chilled as vichyssoise, making it an ideal choice for transitional seasons. You can enhance its flavor by adding puréed greens like arugula or watercress, or by garnishing it with bacon, fried leeks, fresh herbs, or diced vegetables. The possibilities are endless, allowing you to get creative with whatever ingredients you have on hand. This easy-to-make soup pairs wonderfully with a sandwich or salad, or can be savored on its own as a hearty lunch or dinner. Enjoy! ~Nicole
Key Ingredients for Potato Leek Soup
Leeks offer a mild onion taste with a touch of sweetness.
Shallots also add a mild onion taste with a touch of sweetness.
Yellow Onion adds another layer of onion flavor.
Unsalted Butter is used to sauté the leeks, shallots, and onion. It adds a rich flavor.
Russet Potato provides a creamy texture. It breaks down easily and helps thicken the broth.
Garlic brings a distinctive aroma and taste. When cooked, it has a soft, sweet flavor.
Chicken Stock or Broth is the essential savory liquid. You can use homemade Quick Chicken Stock or store-bought.
Heavy Cream adds a velvety, creamy texture and rich flavor.
Chives add a mild onion flavor and vibrant color.
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil adds a rich finishing touch. I like to use an oil with a slight peppery flavor.
Tips for Making Potato Leek Soup
- Look for leeks with a long white-to-pale-green shaft. Slice them in half horizontally and rinse well to remove any dirt.
- Sauté the leeks, shallot, and onion in butter until soft, but do not let them brown. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper generously. (Slice the onion and shallot lengthwise, lay them flat on a cutting board, then slice them following the natural lines on the outside of the onion. This helps them break down easily.)
- Add the garlic, potatoes, and sachet and cook just until fragrant.
- Add 5 ½ cups of stock, bring to a simmer, and cook for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to rest for 15 minutes; discard the sachet.
- Purée the soup. I use an immersion blender (it saves me from washing more dishes, but you can also use a high-speed blender, blending the soup in batches and returning it to the Dutch oven. Add the heavy cream and simmer for 5 minutes. If serving hot, stir in the chives. If refrigerating the soup to serve chilled, pour it into a container and place in an ice bath to cool.
Note: Once refrigerated, the soup may thicken, so thin to desired consistency with additional stock.
Substitutions and Variations
Substitions:
- Substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth to make it vegetarian.
- Substitute half-and-half for the heavy cream for lighter texture and calories, or omit the added cream for a strictly potato-leek soup.
- Substitute coconut oil and coconut cream for the unsalted butter and heavy cream to keep it vegan and dairy-free.
- Substitute a Yukon Gold potato for the russet potato, keeping the same weight. It may require less simmering time.
- Substitute olive oil for the butter.
Variations:
You can enhance its flavor and color by adding fresh herbs, such as minced flat-leaf parsley, thyme, torn basil, or greens, like arugula, spinach, or watercress. You can also enhance the texture and flavor with crispy bacon bits, crunchy fried shallots, or even sliced and toasted almonds.
Serving Suggestions
This soup is quite filling on its own, but it pairs deliciously with crusty, warm bread, a sandwich, a main-dish salad, or a side salad.
- No-Knead Country Bread
- Butterflied Roast Chicken with Warm Bread Salad
- Chopped Salad with Turkey, Bacon, and Apples
- Bibb Lettuce Salad with House Vinaigrette
- Crunchy Romaine Salad with Parmesan
- Green Salad with Apples and Blue Cheese Vinaigrette
- Kale Caesar Salad on the Light Side
- Spinach Salad with Bacon and Egg
Yes. The soup can be frozen without the cream in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, warm the soup or keep it chilled, then stir in the cream.
Yes. However, the soup will indeed have a more pronounced leek and onion flavor. To make it lighter, consider adding half-and-half or whole milk, but be cautious not to let the soup boil, as this could cause the milk to curdle.
Other creamy soups you may enjoy…
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Potato Leek Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds (about 3 large) leeks
- 4 tablespoons (2-ounces) unsalted butter
- ½ cup thinly sliced (with the grain) shallots
- ⅓ cup sliced (¼-inch thick with the grain) yellow onions
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ½ pound (about 1 large) russet potato, peeled
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- Sachet
- 5 ½ cups chicken stock, plus more if needed
- ¾ cup heavy cream, warmed
- ½ cup minced chives
- Extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Cut away and discard the dark green leaves and roots from the leeks, leaving only the white and palest green sections. Cut them lengthwise and rinse in water to remove any dirt. Chop the leeks into pieces about ¼-inch wide.
- Melt the butter over medium heat in a large Dutch oven, and add the leeks, onions, and shallots. Season generously with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes. They should wilt but not brown. Meanwhile, cut the potato lengthwise into quarters, then cut crosswise into strips about ¼-inch thick.
- Add the garlic and cook for about another minute, and then add the potatoes and sachet to cook for another 2 to 4 minutes.
- Add the 5 ½ cups chicken broth to the mixture. Stir and taste, adjusting seasonings as needed. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
- Remove the soup from the heat and let it stand and cool for 15 minutes. Remove the sachet. If serving chilled, prepare an ice bath.
- Using an immersion blender, purée the soup until smooth. (Alternatively, you can use a blender, but be careful not to overfill it, as the hot liquid can spurt out the top.)
- If using a blender, return the soup to the pan and bring to a simmer. Add the heavy cream and simmer for 5 minutes. If serving hot, stir in the chives. If refrigerating the soup, pour it into a container and place in an ice bath to cool. (Once refrigerated, it may thicken, so thin to desired consistency with more stock before serving). Enjoy!
Notes
Source: Adapted from Bouchon by Thomas Keller
