This potato leek soup recipe is cozy, comforting, and healthy! It uses everyday ingredients and is simple to make.
Own an Instant Pot? Try my Instant Pot Potato Leek Soup. You may also like my Potato, Leek, and Tomato Soup (one of my personal favorites) or my Baked Potato Soup.
This classic potato leek soup naturally has a silky/creamy texture without the addition of any milk/cream, so it's easy on the calories and good if you're sensitive to dairy. I did swirl a little coconut milk in for the photos, but you definitely don't need to do that either.
Tips on leek preparation:
- Start by chopping the dark green part of the leeks off and discarding it (the light green and white portions are fine to use), then slice them up from there (into rings).
- Leeks usually have some stubborn hidden dirt, so I am always extra careful about washing them. Once you've done the step above, you can then add the chopped leeks to a sieve/colander and rinse them (use your hands to dislodge any stuck-on dirt), or you can add them to a bowl of cool water then drain it once they've soaked for a bit.
- Another method you can try: after removing the dark green top portion of the leek, cut the leeks lengthwise in half before slicing them, then fan out each half under running water, and then slice them up after you've rinsed them.
- I have a whole guide on How to Prepare Leeks if you're interested.
How to make potato leek soup (summary)
Sauté the chopped leeks in a soup pot with the butter until they've softened. Stir in the garlic, followed by the chicken broth, water, thyme, and potatoes. Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer it until the potatoes are nice and soft. Blend it and season with salt & pepper. That's it! (Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below)
Recipe notes & tips:
- This is a very forgiving soup. You don't have to worry too much about the size of the leeks (it's quite subjective and they all vary in size). If the leeks are particularly large, use 3 of them. If they're on the smaller side, use 4.
- You can use more than 2 pounds of potatoes, but you may need to add more chicken broth as the soup could be quite thick.
- You can use 5 cups of chicken broth instead of 4 + 1 cup of water. I suggest that in case you only want to open up one 32 oz/4 cup carton of broth.
- I love Russet potatoes for this soup (they blend so easily), but Yukon Gold potatoes will work too (I do find they take a little longer to get very soft).
- This soup freezes well. It'll also last for a few days in the fridge no problem (it tastes even better the next day).
- You can definitely jazz the soup up a bit if you fancy it. I like it as-is, but you could stir in 1/2 cup of cream (or coconut milk) if you want it to be creamy or stir in a handful of grated cheddar (try white cheddar).
- I use this immersion blender. I prefer the plastic kind because it doesn't scratch up my pot.
- If you prefer a more rustic soup, you could even skip blending it or just blend some of it.
- To make this recipe vegetarian, swap the chicken broth for veggie broth. To make it vegan, do that and also sub the butter for 1 tbsp olive oil.
What to serve with potato leek soup?
Try a slice of crusty bread, garlic bread/knots, or a side salad. You can garnish the soup with fresh chives if you wish, and/or try croutons like I did.
Other tasty recipes to try:
Questions about this dairy-free potato leek soup? Let me know in the comments below.
Potato Leek Soup
This potato leek soup recipe is cozy, comforting, and healthy! It uses everyday ingredients and is simple to make.
Ingredients
- 3-4 medium-to-large leeks (use the white parts) sliced
- 2 pounds Russet potatoes peeled & diced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 4 cups chicken broth or stock (or use veg broth)
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
- pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prep your leeks and peel and chop your potatoes. Discard the top dark green portion of the leeks, retaining the bulbs. Slice the bulbs into rings. Add leeks to a colander and rinse them thoroughly (use your hands to dislodge any stubborn dirt - it likes to hide).
- Add the butter to a large soup pot and sauté the leeks for about 7-10 minutes or until they're softened/wilted.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the broth, water, potatoes, and thyme to the pot. Increase the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil. Once it's boiling, cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar and reduce the heat so it's simmering for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are very soft.
- Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. You could also blend it in batches using a regular blender (you may want to let the soup cool a bit first). Season soup with salt & pepper. If the soup is too thick, simply add in some more chicken broth.
Notes
- Serves 4-6 depending on how much people eat/what it's served with.
- To make this recipe vegetarian, swap the chicken broth for veggie broth. To make it vegan, do that and also swap the butter for 1 tbsp olive oil.
- This recipe is pretty forgiving, so you don't really have to worry too much about the size of the leeks. 2 pounds Russet potatoes is approx. 3 large potatoes. The leeks will make about 4-5 cups when chopped.
- Be sure to add enough salt to this soup. It'll be bland without it. I suggest adding 1/2 teaspoon, but you can always add more as needed.
- Try my Instant Pot Potato Leek Soup if you happen to own an electric pressure cooker.
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Nutrition
Calories: 193kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 5gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 820mgPotassium: 855mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 865IUVitamin C: 26mgCalcium: 62mgIron: 3mg
Isabel says
Looks delicious! Never made leek soup but will give it a try!
Natasha says
Let me know if you give it a try! 🙂