Golden Leek and Potato Soup Recipe (2024)

By Melissa Clark

Updated Feb. 29, 2024

Golden Leek and Potato Soup Recipe (1)

Total Time
1 hour 15 minutes
Rating
5(2,580)
Notes
Read community notes

Most potato leek soups are smooth, creamy and decidedly on the richer side. This one doubles the ratio of leeks to potatoes, giving you something sweeter, chunkier and homier, brimming with soft pieces of potato and browned slivers of leeks. A tablespoon or two of heavy cream, drizzled into the soup just before serving, is an optional luscious touch.

Featured in: Vegetable Soups Built for Maximum Flavor

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings

  • pounds leeks, white and light green part only
  • 2bay leaves
  • 4large sprigs fresh thyme
  • 4large sprigs fresh sage
  • 4large sprigs parsley, and chopped leaves for garnish
  • 1large handful celery leaves (optional)
  • 4tablespoons unsalted butter or extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2garlic cloves, peeled and very thinly sliced
  • 8cups vegetable stock or water
  • 1tablespoon kosher salt, more to taste
  • 1teaspoon black pepper, more to taste
  • pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, halved and thinly sliced
  • Heavy cream, for serving (optional)

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

333 calories; 11 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 56 grams carbohydrates; 10 grams dietary fiber; 9 grams sugars; 7 grams protein; 1040 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Golden Leek and Potato Soup Recipe (2)

Preparation

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  1. Halve the leeks lengthwise and rinse away any grit. Thinly slice the leeks crosswise. In a small square of cheesecloth, tie together bay leaves, thyme, sage, parsley and celery leaves if using.

  2. Step

    2

    Melt the butter or heat the oil in the bottom of a large pot over medium-high heat. Stir in the leeks and cook, stirring frequently, until leeks are soft and dark golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the garlic for the last 3 minutes of cooking.

  3. Step

    3

    Stir in stock or water, the sachet of herbs, the salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce immediately to medium-low; simmer for 5 minutes.

  4. Step

    4

    Add the potatoes and simmer soup until potatoes are very tender and falling apart, about 45 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. If desired, drizzle a small amount of cream into each bowl when serving, and top with parsley for garnish.

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2,580

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Paul

Let me suggest a #4 coffee filter for the bouquet garni if you don't have cheesecloth. Put the herbs in the pocket and tie with kitchen twine.

Melissa Clark

Sorry for the confusion, it's 2 1/2 pounds whole leeks, of which you only use the light green and white parts.

Stargazer, Napa Valley

Trader Joe's has fantastic frozen leeks I always keep a bag or two in my freezer. Highly recommend them!

Tam

Have been disappointed by TJ's frozen leeks. They are flavorless and mushy. Which makes sense if you think about it, but I too was excited by the idea of cheap, already cleaned and diced leeks. Don't bother. Go fresh, young woman, go fresh.

Suzanne

I use a large tea ball strainer:)

Passion for Peaches

A shortcut I use for onions -- should work for leeks -- is to sauté them (salted) a couple minutes, then cover the pan to let them steam for a few more minutes, then uncover and turn up heat to evaporate rendered liquid quickly. Then turn down heat and caramelize slowly. The long lag time is due to excess liquid in the pan.

Melissa Clark

2.5 pounds of leeks is the weight you should buy, before trimming.

Joel Nydahl

Am I the only one who is confused by directions for ingredients like the first in this recipe? It seems to ask for the white and light green parts from 2 1/2 pounds of untrimmed leeks. But could it mean 2 1/2 pounds of trimmed leeks. A huge difference.

John

I never take chances any more with Yukon Gold potatoes--I always peel them, otherwise I often find the skin can sometimes be papery and tough. It ruined one of my potato salads. I have since seen this mentioned by food writers.

Martha

So so delicious! Didn't have the heavy cream, and honestly didn't even need it. I used half chicken stock and half water, less salt (because of the stock), and it was so flavorful and delightful. Will be making this again and again.

David

Can't you just fine chop the parsely sage thyme and celery leaves and add to the soup ?

Beth

I have substituted cauliflower for the potatoes in this soup, and it is delicious.

trblmkr

Like me, your pot was likely not large enough. The bottom of the pot has to ensure a thin layer of leeks. Otherwise they stem in the butter/oil instead of frying. Very high heat and almost constant stirring helped but it still took forever...

Maxine

I added some sliced mushrooms (because I had them in the fridge) and red pepper flakes (because we like a bite) and the soup was out of this world. Honestly, it would have been amazing with or without my additions.

A. Cleary

I find that so many recipes underestimate the time caramelization takes. I think it's an SEO thing. When someone searches for something that takes 30 or 60 minutes and calls for caramelizing, they seldom factor in the true time, IMHO. That said, it adds a lot of flavor & is always worth the time, assuming you have it. Still, a little truth in labeling wouldn't hurt.

Western Winnie

Delicious, simple and incredibly comforting (even more so when you have a terrible early spring cold)! I pared down the ingredients to serve one: a single Yukon gold, a small farmer’s market leek, and a dash of herby poultry seasoning instead of fussing over a bouquet. I had just a bit of good gelatinous broth left, so used about 2/3 water. The splash of cream was indeed luxurious. By slicing the potato very thinly this cooked quickly, maybe 20 minutes total. Thanks, Melissa!

Susan Dixon

I really liked this recipe - very flavorful. The explanation of purchased leeks vs used portion of those leeks was extremely helpful. I only had dried herbs and added them during the initial cooking of the leeks. Adjusting ingredients to my own needs worked seamlessly.

Puneeta

Don't really get the 5 star ratings on this one. Pretty bland as written. At least it was an easy recipe. Some bacon might have done the trick.

Leslie k

I love this soup!! I haven't had the fresh herbs so I've used dried thyme and parsley and it's still delicious!!

Karen in Seattle

Made this with black garlic. So tasty!!!!

Patti

I used Herbs de Provence instead of the sachet. I added 4 stalks of celery along with the leeks, then potatoes, all of which I sliced thinly using slicing disc on my Breville food processor, set on #2. Roasted some garlic & added that in. This soup is sublime & only took about 20 minutes to prepare.

CC

I don't have cheesecloth so I stuffed the herbs into a wire wisker--it worked great!

Lizzi

Follow directions and used an immersion blender at the end. Yum, yum, yum! This is my new go-to potato soup.

Mary

Excellent. Did not have fresh thyme, sage and celery – used dried thyme, sage and celery seed; put in the cheesecloth. A very fine flavor!

trexgirl

Made a double batch for a homeless drop in center I volunteer at and it was a HIT. Sautéed the leeks in bacon fat and topped with crumbled bacon. Also made a single vegan batch and added a can white beans for extra heartiness. Every drop was eaten up. Will make again. “I usually hate potatoes, but your soup was really good” quote from a client

jenny

This was even better the next day! Followed someone’s suggestion about the bacon which, overnight, infused this already delicious soup with a smoky flavor. Will make again!!

Kristine W

Delicious! Be sure to use all the herbs and more:-)

LD

I love this soup! Might be my new favorite over the Lemony White Bean and Greens soup. I used half chicken stock and half water, and I added a bit more water while the potatoes were cooking. I cooked the leeks about 20 minutes and the potatoes for an hour — definitely worth the extra time.

Jaybe

Just make sure the filter, if using suggestion of a coffee filter for bouquet garni, is non bleached to prevent ingesting dioxins!

Marli

I hate to waste leeks, particularly if the green part is crisp. I grow them, but they are also expensive - they take 6 months to grow big. I separated the white/light green from the dark green. Cook the dark green part first, for 10 minutes or so before adding the rest of the leeks.I did appreciate the shortened method of caramelizing leeks from the comments!It was not hard to pull out the bay leaf, sage sprigs and thyme at the end - no bag. I chopped in the celery leaves & parsley.

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Golden Leek and Potato Soup Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why does my leek and potato soup taste bitter? ›

Why does my leek and potato soup taste bitter? A bitter taste in your leek and potato soup could come from a few possible sources. One common cause is overcooked or burnt leeks. Leeks, like onions, can become bitter if they're cooked for too long or at too high a heat.

What was Julia Child's favorite soup? ›

Soup was one of Julia Child's favorite things to eat, and reportedly, her absolute favorite was vichyssoise. Leek and potato soup, known as potage parmentier in French, is a classic base soup recipe. What sets vichyssoise apart is the addition of cream—and the fact that it is traditionally served chilled.

Why is my potato leek soup gummy? ›

Why is my potato leek soup gummy? Potatoes should be diced in similar size so they cook evenly, but don't drive yourself crazy getting them teeny-tiny. If they're too small, you risk the potatoes releasing too much starch, which can make the soup gummy when pureed.

How to make leek and potato soup Mary Berry? ›

Mary Berry's Potato Leek Soup
  1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add leeks, and cook, covered, stirring often, until softened, 4 to 6 minutes. ...
  2. Stir in broth, salt and pepper. ...
  3. Carefully transfer soup to a blender. ...
  4. Ladle soup into individual bowls.
Nov 27, 2016

How do you make leek soup less bitter? ›

Bitterness is best counteracted by salt, so give it a good seasoning. You might also try adding a little mild vinegar like white wine or cider vinegar.

What counteracts bitterness in soup? ›

Add sweet vegetables like carrots and beets. They will sweeten the broth and deepen its color. You might also add a bit of miso (or salt) and/or a squeeze of lemon juice. Sweet, salt and acid balance bitter flavors.

What was the meal that changed Julia Child's life? ›

For their first meal in France, Paul ordered oysters, sole meunière and a green salad. Child devoured the meal, calling it “perfection.” Alex Prud'homme, Child's grandnephew and cowriter of her memoir, “My Life in France,” opened the book with this now famous scene.

What did Julia Child have for her last meal? ›

Child's last meal before she passed away was homemade French onion soup. Just two days before her 92nd birthday in 2004, Julia Child died of kidney failure at her assisted-living home in Montecito, California.

What is Julia Child's most famous dish? ›

Child's Boeuf Bourguignon recipe was featured in one of the earliest episodes of The French Chef and has become a classic among the many Child enthusiasts at GBH. In fact, GBH News host Henry Santoro concludes there's no better recipe for the dish.

Why is my potato leek soup bland? ›

If your soup tastes anything but super flavorful, you likely just need to add more salt! Toppings like fresh herbs (I like chives and thyme), croutons, bacon, or cheese help, but this soup should be flavorful on its own and salt should be the first thing you add if your soup tastes bland.

How can I thicken my leek and potato soup? ›

Add flour or cornflour

Put a tablespoon of either into a small bowl and stir in 2-3 tbsp of the soup until you have a smooth mixture. Stir this back into the soup and bring it to a simmer. Cook for a few minutes to allow the starch granules to burst to thicken, and to cook out any flour flavour.

How does Gordon Ramsay cook leeks? ›

Season leeks with soy, maple, sesame oil, and mirin. Top with sliced garlic and a few knobs of butter around the outside of the pan. Add just enough stock to cover leeks halfway, bring to a boil and pop into over to roast until caramelized and tender when pierced with a knife.

Why has my leek and potato soup gone brown? ›

It looks as though some of your potatoes might have got a bit scorched. Did you fry them off before adding the liquid? The colour from the browned potatoes could be what is turning it brown.

How do you fix gluey potato leek soup? ›

It turns out, then, that contrary to internet opinion, it is possible to redeem your potato leek soup if somehow it becomes gluey. Ladle some into a freezer bag, freeze it flat, thaw it, and pour off the water.

How do you fix bitter potato soup? ›

Easy Ways to Reduce Bitter Taste in Any Food
  1. 1 Balance out bitterness with some fat.
  2. 2 Cover the flavor with sweetness.
  3. 3 Sprinkle some salt over your food.
  4. 4 Try a pinch of baking soda.
  5. 5 Squeeze in some vinegar or lemon juice.
  6. 6 Add some spice to your foods.
  7. 7 Cook with herbs to cut through the bitter taste.

Can leeks be bitter? ›

Most recipes use the leek's white and light green stems, which is where that mild onion-like taste lives. That's no shade to the dark green leaves because those are edible, too—they just tend to be more bitter.

Why do my potatoes have a bitter aftertaste? ›

According to this article from Caroline Wright, a lecturer in horticulture, "there can still be a bitter flavour to potatoes that have begun to grow." Exposure to light produces solanine. Solanine is a bitter toxin and even when pared from the potato, can have imparted bitterness throughout the spud.

How do you get rid of bitter taste in food? ›

Sweetness: From sugar, honey, fruits or otherwise, sweetness will counteract bitter and sour flavours. It can also be used to cut down the heat of a particularly spicy meal. Saltiness: Salt plays two very important roles in flavouring a dish. Firstly, it balances against bitterness.

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