Creamy Potato Leek Soup (Printable Version)

Comforting blend of tender potatoes, leeks, and fresh chives with a creamy, velvety finish.

# What You Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
02 - 2 large leeks (white and light green parts only), cleaned and sliced
03 - 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
04 - 1.5 lbs Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes, peeled and diced
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Liquids

06 - 4 cups vegetable stock (gluten-free if needed)
07 - 1 cup whole milk or cream

→ Seasonings

08 - 1 bay leaf
09 - 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
10 - ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
11 - Pinch of nutmeg (optional)

→ Garnish

12 - 2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped
13 - Extra cream for drizzling (optional)

# How-To:

01 - Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add leeks and onion, sauté for 6 to 8 minutes until softened without browning.
02 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add diced potatoes, bay leaf, salt, pepper, and nutmeg if using. Mix well.
04 - Pour in vegetable stock, bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until potatoes are tender.
05 - Remove bay leaf and blend soup until smooth using an immersion blender or standard blender in batches.
06 - Stir in milk or cream and gently reheat without boiling. Adjust seasoning as needed.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with fresh chives and optional cream drizzle.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like something you'd pay for at a bistro, but takes less than an hour and uses pantry staples.
  • Naturally creamy without feeling heavy, because the potatoes do the work instead of cream doing all of it.
  • The texture is so silky it feels fancy, but the flavor stays grounded and real.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the leeks between layers—they trap soil and grit, and finding sand in soup is how you ruin a moment.
  • If your soup breaks (curdles) when you add the cream, the heat was too high; let it cool slightly first or add the cream slowly while whisking.
  • Blending while the soup is still hot means the steam will escape and the flavor stays in the pot instead of your kitchen fan.
03 -
  • A small knob of cold butter stirred in right before serving is the move that makes it taste like a restaurant made it, even though you just did.
  • If your soup tastes flat at the end, it's usually missing salt—taste it before you decide, because sometimes it just needs a small pinch to suddenly sing.

Go Back