Growing up we always had a lot of soup. We always had at least one giant pot of soup, most of the time two at any get-together. Of all our delicious soup recipes one of my all-time favorites is creamy potato leek soup. This recipe comes from my mom and was always the soup that I requested for my birthdays.
This is an absolutely amazing soup. The subtle oniony flavor of the leeks with hearty bites of potato all in a creamy broth makes for a bowl full of deliciousness. It is a warm and comforting dinner paired with a sandwich or just a hunk of bread. Plus, it is very easy to make! I love making and eating potato leek soup and I hope you will too!
Tips and Tricks for Potato Leek Soup:
Soak your Leeks!
Leeks are great to cook with. They have a much more mild flavor than onions and are a great option for simple soups, like this one since they provide the flavor without overpowering the dish. The only problem with them is that they tend to be very sandy. They have lots of layers for tiny little sand particles to hide, and it is nearly impossible to get them all with just rinsing alone. You do NOT want to ruin your entire pot of soup by having gritty little sand pieces in it. That is why it is so important to soak your leeks beforehand.
How to Thoroughly Wash your Leeks
- Before slicing give your leeks a preliminary rinse to remove any large sand particles.
- Slice your leeks as you normally would and place them in a large bowl.
- Once all your leeks are sliced fill the bowl with cool water and let them soak for at least 5 minutes.
- Drain in a colander and give them another quick rinse with cool water for added measure.
Leftovers
I love making giant pots of soup and then putting half of it in the freezer for a quick go-to later, but you can’t do that with this soup. This soup has lovely chunks of potato, but those delicious little bites that make the soup such a joy to eat do not freeze well. Those diced potatoes often become mealy in texture when you freeze then thaw them and are not appetizing at all. So I recommend not making more soup then you can eat (or give away) in 5 days or so.
Stir your Cream Soups!
In my post about potato corn chowder, I go into great detail about the dangers of breaking or burning any cream soup. In fact, the story I shared of my mom cursing and dumping out a whole pot of soup that she burnt just minutes before guests arrived at a party was actually a pot of potato leek soup. Basically that two-paragraph explanation boils down to be careful with your soup once you put your milk and/or cream in it. Once the dairy goes in you are basically just bringing everything up to temperature, your main cooking is over. So turn the heat down and don’t forget to stir.
Potato Leek Soup
Equipment
- soup pot
Ingredients
- 2 large leeks sliced
- 5 slices of bacon
- 1 tbsp butter
- 6 cloves of garlic minced
- 4 tbsp flour
- 2 quarts chicken stock
- 10 medium-sized potatoes diced
- 6 cups whole milk
- 2 cups heavy cream
Instructions
- Slice your leeks and set them to soak.
- In the bottom of a thick-bottomed soup pot fry 4-5 slices of bacon. Once crispy, remove the slices and set aside for a garnish leaving the grease in the bottom of the pot.
- Add a tablespoon of butter and the minced garlic. Sautee for a minute over medium heat.
- Stir in the flour to create a roux and let cook for another minute.
- Slowly pour in the chicken stock, whisking so that all of the flour dissolves.
- Drain and rinse the leek slices and add to the pot. Cook on low heat for an hour stirring occasionally.
- Add diced potatoes and cook for 30 minutes.
- Add milk and cream and cook for another 30 minutes or until potatoes are soft. Stir frequently.
- Top with crumbled bacon (optional) and enjoy!
