Creamy Leek and Potato Soup (Printable)
A velvety, comforting soup made with tender leeks and potatoes, blended to creamy perfection for a silky texture.
# What You Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 3 large leeks (white and light green parts only), cleaned and sliced
02 - 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and diced
03 - 1 medium onion, chopped
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
→ Liquids
05 - 4 cups vegetable broth
06 - 1 cup whole milk
07 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
→ Fats
08 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
→ Seasonings
09 - 1 bay leaf
10 - 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
11 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
12 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Garnish
13 - Chopped fresh chives or parsley
14 - Extra drizzle of cream
# How To Make It:
01 - Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add leeks, onion, and garlic; cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned.
02 - Add diced potatoes and cook for 2 minutes, stirring well to combine with the aromatics.
03 - Pour in vegetable broth and add bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes until potatoes are very tender.
04 - Remove bay leaf. Use an immersion blender to carefully purée the soup in the pot until smooth. Alternatively, work in batches with a countertop blender.
05 - Stir in milk and heavy cream. Reheat gently over low heat without boiling. Season with salt and white pepper; adjust seasoning as needed.
06 - Ladle into bowls and garnish with chopped chives or parsley and an extra drizzle of cream if desired. Serve hot.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The immersion blender creates a texture so silky you might question if there was ever a potato in there at all.
- You can make it on Sunday and somehow it tastes even better for lunch on Tuesday, like the flavors have had a secret meeting overnight.
02 -
- Never boil the soup after adding dairy or youll end up with an unpleasant curdled texture that no amount of additional blending can fix.
- The most important step is properly cleaning leeks, as they tend to trap sand and soil between their layers that will ruin your soup with an unpleasant grit.
03 -
- Save the dark green parts of the leeks to make vegetable stock for your next batch, storing them in the freezer until ready to use.
- For an extra layer of flavor, roast the potatoes instead of simmering them, then add them to the soup pot at the blending stage.