Potato Leek Soup
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Cozy up with this comforting potato leek soup, a classic French dish that’s easy to make and endlessly customizable.
Potato leek soup, or potage parmentier, is a French classic. It’s one of the first dishes I learned to make in culinary school, right after a proper omelette and basic vinaigrette, because it’s an essential base soup in French cuisine. You can add watercress to make potage au cresson, serve it chilled as Vichyssoise, or top it with bacon, fried leeks, fresh herbs, or diced vegetables. There are endless variations—just use your imagination (or whatever you have in the kitchen) to make it your own. This potato leek soup recipe is simple to whip up and can be served as an appetizer, paired with a Reuben sandwich or wedge salad, or enjoyed as a satisfying lunch on its own.
What You’ll Need To Make Potato Leek Soup

Step-by-Step Instructions
Potato leek soup is simple to make, but first you have to deal with the leeks. They’re notoriously sandy and dirty, and very good at hiding it, so be sure to wash them well. Start by cutting off and discarding the root ends and thick dark green parts. Cut the leeks in half lengthwise and rinse each half under cold water, pulling apart the layers to remove any grit that’s tucked inside.

Once the leeks are clean, roughly chop them — you should get about five cups of chopped leeks from four large leeks.

To make the soup, melt the butter in a Dutch oven or large soup pot, then add the chopped leeks and garlic.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and wilted.

Next, add the potatoes, chicken broth, bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil.

Then cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.

Fish out the bay leaves and thyme sprigs.

Purée the soup with a hand-held immersion blender (or in a regular blender) until smooth. (If using a standard blender, be sure not to fill the jar more than halfway; leave the hole in the lid open and cover loosely with a dishtowel to allow the heat to escape.)

Finally, add the heavy cream. You can reduce the amount if you’d like but I wouldn’t leave it out entirely. Cream makes the soup deliciously silky, rich, and smooth—just add it little by little until the soup tastes good to you.

Bring to a simmer, then taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve hot, garnished with fresh thyme, chives, or anything you like.
Video Tutorial

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Potato Leek Soup
Cozy up with this comforting potato leek soup, a classic French dish that’s easy to make and endlessly customizable.
Ingredients
- 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
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Chives, finely chopped, for serving
Instructions
- Melt the butter over medium heat in a large soup pot. Add the leeks and garlic and cook, stirring regularly, until soft and wilted, about 10 minutes. Adjust the heat as necessary so as not to brown.
- Add the potatoes, broth, bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper to pot and bring to a boil. Cover and turn the heat down to low. Simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are very soft.
- Fish out the thyme sprig and bay leaves, then purée the soup with a hand-held immersion blender until smooth. (Alternatively, use a standard blender to purée the soup in batches; see note.) Add the heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. If soup is too thin, simmer until thickened. If it's too thick, add water or stock to thin it out. Garnish with fresh herbs if desired.
- Note: If using a standard blender to purée the soup: be sure not to fill the jar more than halfway; leave the hole in the lid open and cover loosely with a dishtowel to allow the heat to escape; and pour blended soup into a clean pot.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The soup can be frozen, without the cream, for up to 3 months. Defrost the soup in the refrigerator for 12 hours and then reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat until hot. Once heated through, add the cream and bring to a simmer before serving.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Serving size: about 1-1/2 cups
- Calories: 454
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated fat: 14 g
- Carbohydrates: 49 g
- Sugar: 10 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Sodium: 828 mg
- Cholesterol: 78 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
This was delicious! Perfect for a cold, rainy Seattle day. I took out half of the potatoes and leeks before pureeing, added then back in after because I wanted a mix of smooth and not smooth. I had to let it thicken a bit longer, but it was great! Thanks!
So delicious!!! I took a little out to freeze before I added the cream . It’s so good both ways. We absolutely loved it.
I’m n do not have heavy cream. Can I use sour cream instead?
Hi Marilyn, I think you can get away with sour cream. Hope you enjoy!
This recipe was so amazing. I had cream but because it was so creamy without, I didn’t add any Perfect cream soup for those who are lactose intolerant!
I love this recipe, but the amount of leeks to use is confusing to me. Previous times I’ve made this recipe, I noted that 4 leeks yields way more than 5 cups. I used more than 5 cups of leeks, but I don’t think I used all 4 leeks. With today’s effort, same thing. Just 2 leeks yielded 8 cups. I used all 8 cups, again keeping the other recipe ingredients as written. It came out delicious, though perhaps not quite as sweet as prior efforts. That has me wondering. What’s the right amount of leeks? 5 cups? 8 cups? 12 cups?
FWIW – love your site and recipes. You are my go-to chef for great recipes.
Thx!
Hi Peter, are you using just the white and light green parts of the leeks? If so, I’d use all 4 leeks, even if it is significantly more than 5 cups (as it really doesn’t make much of a difference in the soup). And so glad you like the recipes!
Absolutely divine! I saw a negative comment on here earlier today and felt compelled to set the record straight — this is luscious, decadent, and definitely not “boring”. I made two pots: one for my family and another for my husband’s grandfather on hospice. All agree that this deserves 5 stars.
Good morning Jena Happy New Year i did your leek soup I add potatoes like it said but its way to salty how can i fix it
Hi Carmelle, I’m sorry you’ve found it too salty! You could try adding a squeeze or two of lemon juice as the acidity will help. Another option is to add a bit more heavy cream.