Easy Creamy Potato Leek Soup

This creamy Potato Leek Soup recipe is quick, easy, and tasty! You only need 4 pantry ingredients and it's healthy, vegetarian and vegan.

This easy 4 ingredient recipe for Potato Leek Soup is decadent and hearty despite being made without cream!

You’ll love using these budget-friendly leeks and potatoes to make a vegetarian or vegan weeknight soup staple that can be enjoyed over and over.

I love having it for lunch and always make a double batch to stash some in the freezer for future meals.

I always find that the best soup recipes are the ones that can be made using simple and few ingredients.

Just a veggie or two and some cupboard staples and suddenly you have a nourishing meal.

This leek and potato soup offers a hearty texture from the potatoes and a mild onion flavour coming from the leeks. They work beautifully together.

This recipe is perfect for the colder months or to feed a crowd inexpensively.

I'm sure you'll love it as much as we do. Sure, there are fancier recipes with lots of ingredients or handfuls of fresh herbs that you might not have on hand. Maybe you've tried versions from Mary Berry, Ina Garten, Delia etc...

This is my pared-back simpler version and I find that it tastes even better.

My potato leek soup recipe is similar to Julia Child's classic French version - it's simple and rustic. But my version doesn't have all that unhealthy heavy cream. Instead, it's still creamy, but easier on waistlines for modern cooking.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

It’s made with just 4 ingredients that you can find at any grocery store.

It’s extremely budget-friendly as you can find a bag of potatoes for cheap!

You can make a big batch for a large family dinner or appetizer.

It’s made without cream so it can easily be made dairy-free and completely vegan.

You can add your favorite herbs and spices to change it up.

It can be frozen for later use.

A great traditional Irish holiday dish to make for St. Patrick’s Day.

Ingredients & Tools 

Olive Oil - This is used to help cook the leeks and draw out the flavor. Swap to any neutral vegetable oil, or butter for a richer result.

Leeks - These help give the soup a mild onion flavor that goes exceptionally well with potatoes.

Potatoes - Golden potatoes, like Yukon Gold, are the perfect soup potatoes because they are soft and naturally buttery by nature. But really, pretty much any potatoes will work!

Vegetable Stock - Adds flavor from many other vegetables to the base of the soup.

How to make Potato Leek Soup

Follow this step-by-step photo tutorial, then scroll down to the recipe card for the full ingredients list and method.

1- Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over a medium heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring often, for 7-10 minutes or until soft (don’t allow them to brown).

TIP: If the leeks start to scorch on the bottom of the pan, reduce the heat slightly and add a small splash of water.

Garnish: Remove a few tablespoons of the cooked leeks to reserve for garnish, if desired.

2 - Peel and chop the potatoes, then add them to the pot with the stock and water.

3 - Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes are fully cooked through.

4 - Carefully transfer to a blender in batches and blend until smooth.

Serve hot in bowls topped with the reserved cooked leeks.

How To Properly Clean Leeks

Since leeks are grown in the ground and their leaves are tightly woven together, a lot of dirt gets trapped inside. It’s almost impossible to clean a leek fully without cutting it open which means they must be cleaned after you purchase them.

1. Remove the tough top dark green parts of the leek with a sharp knife. Discard the greens or save them for vegetable stock. 
2. Slice the leek from top to bottom exposing all of the layers while keeping them all together at the root.
3. Rinse the leek fully under cold water to remove all grit and sand. Dry and then use for your recipe. 

Tips 

Blending hot soup can be dangerous, so be sure to blend your soup in small batches in order to keep it from overflowing out of the blender.

To save some time in the kitchen, purchase pre-cut leeks.

If you decide not to peel the potatoes, make sure you scrub them fully to release any dirt.

If you still have leftover leeks, be sure to try these Grilled Leeks.

Serving Suggestions

Serve as an appetizer along with these Vegan Stuffed Peppers. 

Goes great with a side of toasted yeast free 15 minute Naan Bread.

Top with some crumbled Vegan Bacon.

Add some Herb and Cheese Rolls to dunk in.

Make it a light meal by serving with one of these Salad Recipes.

Serve with a dollop of Vegan Cream Cheese on top.

Variations

For a rustic potato soup, keep the potato peels on.

Sprinkle in some red pepper flakes for a spicy potato leek soup.

Add a delightful herb flavor to the soup by adding your favorite fresh or dried herbs. Rosemary, thyme, bay and oregano all work well.

For a chunky potato soup, pulse the soup in a blender until desired consistency is reached. Or, only blend half then mix it all together.

Saute some onion and garlic along with the leeks for a deeper onion flavor.

If you’d like to make your soup even more creamy, add a cup of heavy cream, double cream, or soy cream.

Special diets

To Make It Gluten-Free: This recipe is naturally gluten-free, but feel free to check your labels for any gluten-containing ingredients.

To Make Vegan Potato Leek Soup: This recipe is written vegan however if you decide to use additional milk, make sure it is vegan and plant based.

Storage 

Storing: This Leek and Potato Soup can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days.

Freezing: Add cooled soup into freezer safe plastic bags or an airtight container for up to 3 months. Potatoes tend to lose some of their moisture when frozen, so be sure to add some water or vegetable broth when reheating to desired consistency.

FAQs 

How do you thicken potato leek soup? Before adding additional water, add to the blender and only add water as needed to desired consistency. Use less water or stock for a thicker soup.

How do you make potato leek soup more flavorful? You can add a variety of herbs and spices or even add in this Vegan Chicken Broth powder for additional flavor.

What potatoes are best for potato leek soup? Really, any potatoes will work. Yukon gold potatoes or other medium/waxy potatoes will hold up if you don't want the soup fully pureed, however feel free to use russett, red or a blend of potato types.

More Soup Recipes

I hope that you'll love this Potato Leek Soup as much as we do (seriously, we're making it every week at the moment!). Be sure to check out some of my other tasty soup recipes. All vegetarian and easily vegan if required.

Jerusalem Artichoke Soup - Use up seasonal Jerusalem artichockes (aka sunchokes) in this velvety delicious soup.

Beetroot Soup - Beets form the basis of this easy borscht-style blended soup.

Quick Kale Soup - a vibrant and flavorful soup that's so easy to make.

Pea Soup - 4 pantry ingredients and you can use frozen peas!

Easy Tomato Soup - another pantry recipe! Use fresh or canned tomatoes in this easy, tasty soup.

Roasted Cauliflower Soup - so creamy and tasty, but healthy too.

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