Potato Leek Soup
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A French classic, this creamy potato leek soup is quick, easy, and comforting.
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. Add watercress to make potage au cresson, serve it chilled to make Vichyssoise, or top it with oven-fried 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. Potato leek soup is simple to make and can be served as an appetizer, a side dish alongside a Reuben sandwich or wedge salad, or as a stand-alone lunch.
What You’ll Need To Make Potato Leek Soup
How To Make Potato Leek Soup
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.
Then 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 completely. 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
A French classic, this creamy potato leek soup is quick, easy, and comforting.
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.
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Fantastic. Simple, wonderful. The only thing I changed was slightly more butter. But excellent — even my family members who do not like soup asked for seconds. Thank you so much for posting.
your right it was good soup. wrapping the thyme & bay leaves in cheese cloth ( bouguet garni) yes I had to look it up, would be better. My fresh thyme was not fresh so I ended up with a lot of little green leaves floating around. I went whole hog and used a pint of cream. Went well with corn bread. Even Ollie my St Bernard approved.
Jim Crocket (original host of the Victory Garden) spoke about Leek & Potato soup Will be trying out your recipe this afternoon.. I won’t puree the soup I like to see what I’m eating It is OK to use non-organic chick broth, leeks and potatoes :-). The non-organics at Kroger look better then the organics and cheaper too. BTW I’ll put the potatoes in the last few minutes at a boil they will be firm but cooked in about 10-15 minutes.
I made this with a variation. Added kale. It was delicious.
My go-to recipe for leek soup. Fantastic, flawless, easy, and delish!
This was just the best potato and leek soup I’ve ever made! Too often the leek flavour gets lost behind onion, but not here. The bay leaves and thyme were a wonderful addition. I even left the (well scrubbed!) white skins on and the result was fabulous. Thank you for this, my first recipe from you!!
Just made this Jen at the request of my daughter who is sore from the orthodontist. It’s off-the-hook delicious.
Sending an update from Sunshine Coast Queensland. This soup is easy and delicious. Stuck to your suggestions- I used chives and crispy bacon on the top – served it with grilled cheese strips of bread. Next time will use the Stilton as suggested in a previous review. Grateful thanks
I have made this soup a couple of times now, its delicious. Last time i made it I sprinkled some crumbled up stilton on top before serving, pretty much a match made in heaven.
Inject this straight into my veins! I used fresh cracked black pepper, and way more than the recipe called for, but that’s how I do every recipe. Also added a little garlic powder, dried thyme, & smoked paprika to finish. I was going to offer some to my brother, but I don’t think I can give any of it away. So good, and easy to make.
I have made this recipe dozens of times and dozens of ways and it’s amazing. My favorite is to add in some small chopped potatoes after pureeing the soup and cook until tender then add cream and freeze dried chives. Yum!
Fantastic recipe! I didn’t even add any cream, and it tasted divine. Needs a lot more salt, though that’s to be expected with any potato-based recipe.
This recipe is perfect and is now a family favorite. Thank you!
This was seriously sooooo good. Using a Vitamix to blend the veggies made the final soup silky-soft. I added some leftover ham from Easter and I think I’ll just be dreaming about this until the next time I make it!
This is fantastic. I’ve made it twice in a week. Perfectly reliable recipe and unbelievably delicious. Thank you.
I have made this soup several times for my family and for guests. This is so delicious and always comes out perfect. I always get rave reviews. I love soups and this is one of my favoites. Thank you, Jen
First time trying leek soup, was very tasty. I did add a little crispy bacon on top. Will absolutely make this again.
fantastic recipe. i made enough to last me two days but it was so delicious that i ate it all at the first sitting! thank you!
My wife and youngest daughter love soups, And have made squash soup in the past.
Today I have made your leek and potato soup, and it looks and smells yummy.
So now I am going to make some soda bread to go with it.
Thank you
Shane.
If I only have dried Thyme, how much should I add? This looks great and I can’t wait to try!
Hi Mary, I’d guesstimate, you’d need about 1/2 teaspoon. Hope you enjoy!
So good! I love all the recipes I make here, thank you!
Had company for St. Patrick’s day and made this for the first time. Easy and delicious! To clean the leeks I chopped first and rinsed twice in cold water and drained well. Thanks for a great recipe, Jenn.
I’m not typically the type to comment on these recipe pages – but this recipe is perfect! I made the soup in the morning to avoid dinner time stress and now I’m eating soup for breakfast too!
LOL — glad you enjoyed it enough to have for breakfast!
Superb recipe and results Makes me look like a gourmet cook. Thank you!
Fantastic recipe! Super easy But sweet Jesus, the pop up ads on this site are relentless. Printing the recipe next time.
Just made this soup and it is delicious, one of the best potato leek soups I’ve ever had. Thanks a very much for this recipe. It was easy to make and didn’t take a long time from the beginning till it was on the table. I served it with grilled cheese French bread and it was a prefect match for me.
Ricky in Victoria.
Thank you Jenn for an easy recipe and delicious tasting soup. I shared it with my extended family and it was a huge hit. It made the house smell delicious too!!
Fantastic! A huge upgrade to the potato and leek soup I used to make. Unless I’ve missed it in the instructions, how much water is advisable to add after the softening potato and leek stage?
So glad you liked it! You only need to add water right before serving if you find the soup is thicker than you’d like. Hope that clarifies!
Amazing! I made homemade rosemary garlic parm bread with this and I felt like I was dining in a French cottage. The layers of flavor were beautiful! Only used 1.5 T of butter. Thank you!!!
I don’t know if anyone else has mentioned this but I suspect that the nutritional information for this is incorrect. When I imported this ingredients to check the nutritional info the calculator assumed that the chicken broth was actually a store bought chicken soup. Once I corrected this the nutritional info was much lighter overall. In any case, the soup was a hit with my family, but I am cooking for certain family members with special dietary needs, so I thought I’d put it out there for anyone else who has to pay attention to these things.
My family devoured this soup. Every recipe from Once Upon a Chef is great. We’ve never had a bad meal. Thank you 🙏
I made this today, never having ever used leeks before. I have never been a fan of potato soup – they are usually the things I eat around and leave! But decided to give this a try… so glad I did! I shared it with my neighbors, who also loved it! I am sold!
The soup is smooth, flavorful and will be a go-to recipe I will make again and again. Thank you for this great recipe!
Wow, super delicious, and ridiculously easy!!! Thank you!!!
This potato leek soup recipe is excellent and easy. Good instructions, a small number of ingredients. And when I tell my guests they are eating “potage parmentier”, we all feel extra fancy. Thanks for sharing this great recipe.
Delicious!!!
Delicious recipe!
Absolutely delicious and so easy to make! This is a WINNER! I substituted olive oil for the
Butter, half and half for the heavy cream; and dried thyme for the fresh.
I did some substitutions to make this soup FODMAP friendly as well as vegan and I’m really pleased with how it turned out. I’m positive this recipe tastes incredible as is, but it was also AMAZING as a low-FODMAP vegan soup! Instead of butter and garlic, I used 3 Tbsp of garlic infused olive oil, instead of chicken broth I used my own low-FODMAP veggie broth, and instead of heavy cream I used full-fat canned coconut milk. Soooo delicious! Thank you, this is finally something hearty and comforting I can make that pleases my entire family.
Hi! Did the coconut milk give a coconut flavor or was it hidden? I’m out of cream. Thanks!
I used coconut cream and I don’t think it tasted different.
This is my family’s favorite soup recipe. I memorized it and make about 2 times a month no matter how hot it is outside. I also serve it with every holiday meal. I started to play with some extra ingredients by adding lemon thyme from my garden and lemon zest and lemon juice. That extra acidity gave it a nice zing! Potatoes + Leeks + Lemons= food bbfs =)
I substituted plain Greek yogurt for the heavy cream. It was excellent!
I found this recipe randomly, and it did not disappoint. I kind of went with following the process, but used random amount of vegetables. In addition to potatoes, I diced a bit of celeriac and one parsnip root, added them a few minutes before the potatoes and stock.
This site will be my go-to from now on. At least I don’t have to scroll forever to actually see the recipe.
Thank you! <3
Yes! The scrolling to get the recipe makes me go crazy.
This recipe is amazing! My husband wanted meat so I cut up and added some sauteed kielbasa to it. WONDERFUL! Definitely a repeat in our house!
Mmmmm! So my only mistake with this recipe was to share the batch I made, meaning not enough for me. Sigh. So silky. So flavorful. So “I’m not stuck at home, I’m in Paris.” YUM and thanks!
I’m making this & I need to freeze some of this. Should I freeze the extra without the cream & add cream once thawed? Or did anyone freeze it with cream? I am not clear based on reviews.
Hi Teri, if you plan to freeze it and haven’t added the cream yet, I’d wait until you reheat the soup to add it. If the cream is already added, it should be fine. If it separates just a little when you’re thawing it, just give it a few stirs when reheating to re-combine. 🙂
Thx very much
For those cooks that froze leftovers. Did the cream separate? (Not that I’m anticipating leftovers based on reviews.
This soup was so delicious and easy to prepare. I used non-fat Greek Yogurt instead of cream to cut back on calories! You need to try this one!!
This soup is delicious and so easy to make. I thought it was creamy enough after processing it in my food processor so I did not add the cream. It was still smooth and delicious.
I have made this soup at least ten times over the past year! My husband absolutely loves it, and during the chillier weather lately it is truly a comfort food. It surprised me at how quickly it cooks, and the depth of flavor that comes from the leeks. This recipe inspired me to buy an immersion blender, and I highly recommend one if you don’t have it. So yummy- thanks so much, Jenn, for another delicious (& easy) recipe. 😊
I made the Potato Leek soup a couple weeks ago, oh my goodness! The flavors, texture, consistency all were spot on!! Thanks for another hit recipe, my hubby says it goes on the menu!
This soup is absolutely divine! I added an extra cup of chicken broth because I didn’t want it to go to waste. I’ve tried this recipe twice now. The first time I used half & half and the second time I tried it with whipping cream. The results are delicious either way. I also paired this with a crusty French baguette; I didn’t want any of it to go to waste! 🙂
I made the soup! Wow – it came out soooo good and it was soooo simple! The family loved it! 🙂
This soup was so creamy and delicious. A wonderful addition to our winter soups.