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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This is excellent. Follow it, try not to deviate and you won’t be disappointed. Top marks. Great recipe.
Delicious! The whole family enjoyed this simple but wonderful soup. First time using leeks too!
Have fresh leeks growing in the garden and wanted to try this recipe. Simple and delicious! Also used thyme and chives from the herb garden, making this a tasty way to enjoy my produce. The mild flavor of the leeks paired perfectly with the potato. Will definitely make this again. Thanks for the wonderful recipe.
First time making this and I find it delicious! I have lemon thyme growing in my garden, so used it instead of regular thyme, and threw in some chives as well.
I cut down the chicken stock by one cup for fear the soup would be too thin as some suggested.
Also, since there was buttermilk in the fridge, I used one cup of it, plus one cup of 2% milk instead of cream. Perfect.
So simple, so classic, yet so enjoyable: halving this recipe was a perfect amount for two, plus a little leftover. I added salt & pepper prior to the cream but otherwise followed the recipe exactly.
This was my first time making leek and potato soup, your directions were easy to follow and the soup tasted wonderful. I only made 1 change but only because I didn’t have any bay leaves so I substituted it with a tsp of rosemary [thyme and rosemary go so well together]. I can’t wait to make it again with bay leaves. Thank you for sharing your recipes!
Fall is finally in the air in my neck of the woods (70s and 80s instead of 90s) and this soup is first on my list! The first time I made this, my kids turned their noses up at it. One bite though, and they were converts! It is so simple, yet so full of amazing flavor! I have since made this a handful of times and it always gets rave reviews. It freezes well too!
Can this soup be frozen for later use?
Sure, Naomi — see the bottom of the recipe for freezer-friendly instructions.
This was wonderful! My 4 year old effectively just had her first soup course, finishing her entire small bowl… before asking for pasta for ‘real dinner’.
Turned out very well. Used part of a bag of instant potatoes to thicken it a bit more. Whole family likes it, including 3 kids!
I made this soup and enjoyed it, simple and tasty.
Thank you
I Just make this potato and leek soup for the 1st time…AND eating leeks for the 1st time…This was so delicious! this had my house smelling so good…I will definitely keep making this!! Thank you for the yummy recipe!
It’s perfect every time. Thank you for a wonderfully reliable recipe.
I loved this soup its perfect for me as i prefer something a bit more bland but it was great!!
Very disappointed. Thin and absolutely flavorless until I added a half tub of very potent boursin style cheese, additional salt and pepper and reduced to a better consistency. Garnished with bacon and home made garlic croutons. First recipe from this site that is not a keeper.
Try using 6 cups regular chicken broth instead of 7 cups reduced sodium.
I used Campbell’s Thai chicken broth and coconut milk to finish. The Thai chicken broth makes a huge difference. The coconut milk adds something extra special to it.
I haven’t gone through all the comments, but has anyone left this chunky (NOT puréed)?
Yes, L, some people have and that’s perfectly fine if you’d prefer it that way. Hope you enjoy!
I made it about half chunky. In other words, I used an immersion blender a little until it looked about right- a little thickened but still had plenty of potato chunks. For us this was perfect!
This is definitely a keeper!
Delicious recipe.
I used purple potatoes, the color is different, but it’s delicious and less starchy.
Fantastic, I had never made leek soup before, leeks confused me, not sure what to do with them. But they are expensive at the grocery store, so I knew there was something to them. So I planted a whole bunch of them in my garden and I needed to use them. This recipe is a forever keeper. Loved it, I felt like a gourmand chef. I even had a chive sprig sticking up in it. Give this girl a Michelin star. Lol. Thanks.
🙂 So glad you liked it!
For how long will it last refrigerated (not frozen)?
Great and delicious recipe 🙂
Glad you liked it! It should last in the fridge for 3 or 4 days.
This soup recipe was enjoyed by our family of five. Only alterations made was adding a diced onion and sautéing in bacon fat and butter. Went great with the warm beet, walnut, and goat cheese salad from this site.
Thank you so much for all that you share ! It’s wonderful because your recipes are easy to follow & your descriptions are so inspiring ! Ive come back to this recipe time after time & this time I said that I needed to write to say how easy & how so delicious this leek-potato soup recipe is. Thanks once again & I hope you had a wonderful Summer & we need to enjoy what good weather comes each of our way !
Susie
Montreal, Canada
Thankyou Jenn for this outstanding recipe. I am sipping a cup of this divine elixir as I write this review. I subbed the fresh thyme for a teaspoon of dried thyme leaves. After puréeing and adjusting for seasoning, I decided to leave out the cream because it was so rich and silky as is. My only changes…. Ten stars!
This recipe worked out great. Thanks for sharing!
Soooo delish! Thank you!
Very bland to my taste. Somewhat better with added garlic, salt, pepper….and much better when I added a ham bone !
I made it vegan. Superb! I didn’t have enough potatoes, so I dug up whatever was growing in the garden; it resulted in a mixture of potato varieties. Also picked the bay leaves right off the tree. I didn’t have thyme, so I used Herbs of Provence, which contains thyme. And instead of butter, olive oil; and instead of cream, I used almond milk. Since this was going to be a meal with salad, the protein factor was missing. So I added red dal lentils for protein and a tiny shake of cayenne, and Voila! a delicious and nutritious meal!
Absolutely fantastic and versatile. I had white potatoes instead of Yukon gold but that is the only thing I changed. I even have chives in my garden. This will be my go-to recipe for potato leek soup from now on.
I’ve made this soup several times and it gets better every time. My son absolutely loves this soup and he’s very picky with foods.
Thanks for this lovely recipe.
This. Is. Perfection!!
There is not 1 recipe that I’ve tried that was not great. NOT ONE I SAID!! OUAC is my goto food bible.
🙂
very nice! out of heavy cream so i added milk, butter, & a little creme fraiche. no bay leaves so i increased thyme & added a little oregano.
waiting for it to thicken more but looking forward to having it cold and hot, maybe w fried lardons and a little more creme fraiche
finished a small bowl down to the last drop
This soup tastes so good and feels like a hug
Recipe was easy to understand and follow and I enjoyed the step by step pics on how to prep the leeks and potatoes. I did find it a little bland, even after adding the chives, crispy bacon, and green onions as garnish.
I absolutely love this recipe! This was my first time ever using leek (and certainly not the last one), and I wasn’t sure at all how it would taste but it turned out great! At the end, just before making the puree, I added a piece of cream cheese so the savor could be even softer and creamier. Would definitely recommend it, and a good addition to the meal would be a crusty slice of bread. Thank you for the recipe!
Awesome recipe – even my 8 year old liked it. Easy to make and silky smooth.
Just made this soup yesterday… had to share it with friends – amazingly wonderful and will be a repeat… Thank you Jenn. Your recipes never disappoint!
I just made this soup for my niece as it is her favorite, it was a big hit and is now one of my favorites too
Can you substitute Russets for the Yukon Golds?
Sure, it will just be a bit less creamy. Hope you enjoy!
So easy to make and delicious. I loved the detailed instructions, very clear.
Delicious and so so simple. Always a hit in my household
I made this today and love it! I didn’t have cream but milk worked well. Topped the soup with sour cream, bacon and chives. I will definitely make it again!!
I love this recipe so much. Potato leek soup is my favorite and I can never find it near me, but this recipe changed my life. The only extra thing I add is a bit of nature’s seasoning with the rest of the herbs, and I serve it with croutons. Thank you so much for bringing this delicious recipe into my life!
I have made this soup about 20X. It is excellent with fantastic instructions. Thank you!
I made this and the Classic Tomato soup the other day. Both are delicious, easy to follow recipes!
This soup is so incredibly yummy! I didn’t even blend it – just left it chunky and delicious. I will DEFINITELY be making this recipe again!!
Oh, I did do a few things different.
1. Used the leafy dark green part of the leeks, sautéed them slowly in 1/4 cup butter to tenderize them before adding to the soup.
2. I put everything in a crockpot and cooked on high for six hours, adding the cream at the end.
3. Used miso broth.
4. Left the peel on the potatoes for a “rustic” quality, since I wasn’t planning to blend at the end.
Very bland….no taste idk what to add to give it taste
I’ve made this several times now. Some things I do a little differently: I’ll use vegetable or chicken stock or both; whatever I happen to have on hand. I add carrots when adding the potatoes. I don’t blend everything up completely, leaving some chunks. I add crushed red pepper and smoked paprika. I top with a little bit of cheese to the bowls (and the suggested chives). Serve with toasted bread that I rub with garlic and it’s delicious! I’m not even much of a potato person!
Oh, and I tried tying the herbs up with twine last time to save on playing hide-and-seek. It worked out somewhat. The bay leaves stayed in but the thyme ended up working itself loose since the leaves come off.
Delicious, easy,with excellent instructions
This soup is wonderfully easy to make and deliciously creamy.
This soup is so good. I only found this recipe two weeks ago and it’s 90 degrees here but I’ve already made it twice.
this came out really tasty. tysm for sharing the recipie :))
BLENDER WARNING NEEDED
like an inexperienced cook, I over blended the soup & MADE GLUE! Please remind people to Pulse their Blender not turn it all the way on. Soup ruined. 😢
I made this for our Mother’s Day brunch, along with your spinach and Gruyère quiche, and your Baby Spinach Salad with Berries, Pecans & Goat Cheese in Raspberry Vinaigrette. What a perfect trio. I am not sure if I’ve ever made another soup that received more “oohs and ahhs” than this. It is both hearty and delicate, elegant and interesting, with the toppings of chopped chives, thyme leaves, and a little crumbled bacon. Thank you Jenn.
The first time I made it as written except used salted butter and dried thyme. Very good. Subsequently for the vegans I used avocado or olive oil and vegetable stock. I couldn’t tell the difference. For the meat lovers just throw in a little cubed ham.
Scorchy
Made this wonderful soup yesterday and it is delicious! I made only one change and it was mechanical…rather than using either blender method, I lightly mashed the potatoes as I wanted more texture. Served with Cheddar Jalepeno Cornbread. Raves from the entire family!
I just throw in chunks of cooked potato for texture. Today’s batch I added some chopped cooked baby bella mushrooms and served it with roasted garlic bread and whole grain seed bread.
Delicious and comforting!