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Leek Potato Soup

This Potato Leek Soup recipe is SO lusciously rich and velvety, you won’t believe it’s low fat without any cheese or cream! Most importantly, you won’t believe how deeply satisfying, cozy and comforting it is. This Potato Leek Soup is made with fragrant leeks simmered with buttery potatoes, chicken broth, aromatics and seasonings, then pureed together to create the ultimate satisfying comfort food. It’s guaranteed to satisfy your warm creamy soup cravings – without ANY guilt! This Leek and Potato Soup also reheats beautifully for stress free dinners or lunches throughout the week.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 large leeks
  • 2 medium carrots diced
  • 2 stalks celery diced
  • 4-6 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes peeled, chopped (about 1/4-1/2 inch)
  • 5 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 1-2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 tsp EACH dried thyme, dried oregano, rosemary
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions

  • Slice the roots off of the leaks then chop off the top dark green stalks; discard. Slice the remaining white/light green stalks in half lengthwise, then in half again (see photos in post). Add sliced leeks to a bowl of cold water and stir them around to separate them from each other and to dislodge any dirt. Scoop them out with a fine mesh sieve, dry, thinly slice and set aside.
  • Melt the butter in the olive oil over medium-low heat in a Dutch oven or large soup pot. Add the leeks, carrots and celery and cook, stirring often, until vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes (we are sweating the vegetables, the leeks should not brown). Add garlic and sauté 30 seconds.
  • Add the potatoes, broth, chicken bouillon and all remaining seasonings. Cover pot, leaving just a crack open, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer an additional 10-15 minutes, until potatoes are soft. Discard bay leaves.
  • Working in batches, remove desired amount of soup to a high-powered blender, don’t fill blender more than 1/3 way full or it can overflow and explode. For a smooth soup, puree all of the soup; for a chunkier soup, don’t puree all of the soup. Blend until very smooth, being careful to let smoke escape the blender or it will explode. You can do this by leaving the blender cap open and covering with a paper towel or loose dishtowel. You may also use an immersion blender but I don’t find the soup gets as smooth.
  • Pour pureed soup back into pot and stir in lemon juice. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Notes

TIPS AND TRICKS 

  • Use correct potatoes. Use Yukon gold potatoes and NOT Russets for their superior flavor and texture. Your soup will not be as creamy if you use Russets.
  • Chop potatoes uniformly.  Chop the potatoes uniform ally so they cook in the same amount of time.
  • Shortcut food processor.  You can use your food processor for the celery, carrots and even the leeks. 
  • Multi-task.  I sweat the leeks, carrots and celery while I'm peeling and chopping my potatoes.  This saves 10 minutes of prep time!  Just make sure you still stir your veggies occasionally.
  • Don’t brown leeks.  The key to bringing out the sweet flavor of the leeks is to sweat them without browning - if the leeks are turning brown, then lower the heat.  
  • Cook until potatoes are very tender. It is better for your potatoes to be on the softer side than the firmer side so they puree easily and become mega creamy.
  • Use your blender.  You can use an immersion blender, but I find a high-powered blender results in a smoother soup.
  • Let steam escape.   The hot steam continuously released from the soup can cause your blender to explode if it doesn’t have a release so take care you either leave the blender cap off and cover the opening with a paper towel or lift a corner of the blender and cover with a paper towel.
  • Choose consistency.  The consistency of the Leek and Potato Soup is completely up to you!  I like to leave part of the soup whole so I get bites of tender potatoes swaddled in the velvety broth.
  • Salt as needed.  Potatoes need a lot of salt so if your finished soup feels like it’s missing something, it is probably salt.

PREP AHEAD

Yes!  You can prep all of the ingredients a day ahead of time so dinner can come together in a flash! Here’s how:
  • Veggies:  chop the leeks, carrots, celery and garlic and place them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
  • Potatoes: peel and chop the potatoes; submerge in water, cover and refrigerate to prevent them from browning due to oxidation.  This works like a charm!
  • Seasonings:  you can measure out all of the seasonings and store them in a plastic aright bag.

STORAGE

Transfer Potato Leek Soup to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to five days.  It will thicken upon standing, so you may want to whisk in a splash of milk before reheating.  

MAKE AHEAD

The flavors of this Potato Leek Soup recipe only get better the next day so it is great to make ahead and also makes great leftovers. 

HOW TO I REHEAT

  • Crockpot: Transfer soup to a slow cooker and heat on low for 1-2 hours or until heated through.
  • Stove: Transfer soup to a Dutch oven or soup pot and warm over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until heated through.
  • Microwave: For smaller batches or individual servings, transfer soup to a microwave-safe dish, cover with a microwave-safe lid or paper towel.  Microwave for 2 minutes, stir, then continue to microwave for 30-second intervals, if needed.