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 salad, or enjoyed as a satisfying lunch on its own. If you’re craving something heartier, my potato soup recipe is a delicious variation, loaded with butter, sour cream, and bacon—like a baked potato in soup form!
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.
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I think I would add some carrots and onions in addition to the leeks. I used dried thyme and perhaps fresh might taste better. I don’t love thyme but a necessary ingredient. I also enjoy spice so I might add a wee bit of hot sauce. It was thick and it was tasty without cream but, I will add cream tonight to see the difference. I made a large amount so easy to divide up for non-dairy eaters.
does Yukon gold make much of a diference compared to Russet
Hi Diane, the Yukons will just make the soup a little creamier. 🙂
This soup is excellent. I used ‘better than bouillon’ seasoned vegetable for the broth.
Can you replace the cream with coconut milk?
Hi Terri, Several readers have commented that they have and have been happy with the result. Hope you enjoy if you try it!
I just made this soup tonight… everyone at home looooved it. Thank you for sharing this recipe. It was delicious!
This is a nice recipe. However, I used at least one cup less broth, and only added cream in my own bowl while serving. My husband prefers a thicker soup, and never adds cream. If anyone found the soup bland, I would recommend using less broth. Remember to cut back on the salt.
Delicious! Made this soup with the intention of canning it but there wasn’t much left to can. I opted for a vegetarian / vegan soup so used vegetable broth, margarine instead of butter and added more Russet potato instead of cream. Even though our garden is covered up for winter the thyme is still green & growing which was so fun to snip some fresh for the soup. Gifted my vegan friend with a jar & she loved it.
Can’t wait to make some of your other soups to can!
Hi Cathyann, So glad you enjoyed it! Just a heads up that I haven’t designed any of my recipes with canning in mind so I’m not sure that they would be safe candidates for canning.
I made this for a thanksgiving appetizer last week- delicious! Fried crispy shallots made a delicious garnish.
Can you freeze this soup?
Yes — see the bottom of the recipe for freezer-friendly instructions. Enjoy!
I used your recipe but added my vodka chopped ginger (1”cube)
Montreal spiced bacon ends (1/2cup )
Sauté mushrooms in butter
3 small shakes of Tabasco sauce ( small )
Was 😋 yummy
Wendy, when did you add the vodka spiced ginger? I just happened to have some brewing in the fridge. Also, what is Montreal bacon ends?
Thanks. Will definitely add these to my soup when I make it.
Hi Wendy…
I live in Montreal and I have never heard of Montreal spiced bacon ends..what is it.?
Sounds interesting , nor do I know what vodka ginger is? Do tell!
Merci et thank you!
I am always in search of good soup recipes. This one is a keeper. I made it last night and it got rave reviews from my family! I typically modify recipes, but found this one to be just right as specified. Beware you won’t be able to stop eating this soup. It’s that good.