Leek and potato soup is one of my go-to quick and easy, one-pot meals; this dish has pretty much gotten me through graduate school. On weeks that I’m really busy and don’t have a lot of time to cook, I make a big batch of it, freeze it in portions and eat it throughout the week. This soup is also great for when you really want sometime simple and nutritious to eat, that’s still flavorful and not boring.
How to Make Leek and Potato Soup
To make leek and potato soup, you’ll need 2 leeks and 2 large potatoes (I usually use russet potatoes), 2 cloves of minced garlic, 1 tablespoon of butter, 1/3 cup of heavy cream, 5 cups of vegetable broth (you can also use chicken broth), salt and pepper to taste, and chives (for garnish). It’s not necessary to add the heavy cream as blending the potatoes will make the soup creamy. However, I like adding the heavy cream as it makes the soup richer and creamier.
Cut the root ends of the leeks and discard. A lot of people also cut and discard the green parts of the leeks because they’re very fibrous. However, for this soup, I usually keep most of the green parts because they get cooked down and pureed. I also like the colour that they give the soup. You decide whether to add or discard them for your soup. Slice the leeks length-wise and separate the leaves. Unroll and wash the leeks under running water. Leeks are notorious for trapping dirt so you really need to unroll and wash each leek stem to make sure that you don’t end up with dirt in your soup. Once the leeks are washed, roughly chop them width-wise and set aside. Chop the potatoes into cubes and set aside in a separate bowl.
In a large pot, melt the butter and saute the garlic for abut 2 minutes over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook stirring until the leeks are tender, about 6 minutes. Add the potatoes and the vegetable broth. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to low-medium and simmer until the potatoes are very tender, about 30 minutes. Uncover the pot and let the soup cool down a bit. Use an immersion blender or a regular blender to puree the soup; it might be easier to do this in batches. Once the soup is pureed, place the soup back onto the stove and turn the stove on to low heat. Add the cream and season the soup with salt and black pepper. Let the soup simmer until desired level of thickness. Ladle into bowls and garnish with chives.
Leek and Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 2 leeks
- 2 large russet potatoes
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 5 cups vegetable broth
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Chives (for garnish)
Instructions
- Cut off the root ends of the leeks and slice the leeks length-wise. It is customary to also discard the dark green part of the leeks (see notes).
- Unroll and separate the leek stems and wash them individually under running water to get rid of trapped dirt.
- Chop the leeks width-wise and chop the potatoes into cubes, set both aside in separate bowls.
- In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter and saute the garlic (about 2 minutes).
- Add the leeks to the pot and cook stirring until the leeks are tender (about 6 minutes).
- Add the potatoes and vegetable broth. Cover the pot and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to low-medium and simmer until the leeks and potatoes are very tender (about 30 minutes).
- Let the soup cool down a bit then use an immersion blender (a regular blender can also be useto puree the soup.
- Return the soup to the stove on low heat. Add cream, salt and black pepper and let the soup simmer until desired thickness.
- Serve in a bowl with chives for garnish.
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