Description
This creamy Potato Leek Soup is a comforting and flavorful dish made with tender Yukon Gold potatoes, aromatic leeks, and a touch of cream. Perfect for chilly days, it’s easy to prepare on the stovetop using simple ingredients and results in a smooth, velvety soup garnished with fresh chives.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup Base
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 large leeks, white and light green parts only, roughly chopped (about 5 cups)
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped into ½-inch pieces
- 7 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Finishing
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Chives, finely chopped, for serving
Instructions
- Sauté Aromatics: Melt the butter over medium heat in a large soup pot. Add the leeks and garlic and cook, stirring regularly, until the leeks are soft and wilted but not browned, about 10 minutes. Adjust the heat as necessary to avoid browning.
- Cook Potatoes and Simmer: Add the chopped potatoes, broth, bay leaves, thyme sprigs, salt, and pepper to the pot. Bring everything to a boil. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low, then let it simmer for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are very soft.
- Blend the Soup: Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Using a hand-held immersion blender, purée the soup in the pot until smooth. Alternatively, transfer the soup in batches to a standard blender. Be sure not to fill the blender more than halfway, leave the lid hole open, and cover loosely to let steam escape. Pour blended soup back into a clean pot.
- Add Cream and Adjust Seasoning: Stir in the heavy cream and bring the soup to a simmer. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed. If the soup is too thin, simmer to thicken; if too thick, add water or stock to reach desired consistency.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with finely chopped fresh chives. Enjoy warm.
Notes
- When using a standard blender, be cautious with hot liquids: do not fill jar more than halfway and allow steam to escape to prevent pressure buildup.
- This soup can be made ahead and frozen without the cream for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator for 12 hours before reheating on the stovetop and adding cream just before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 23g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 35mg
