The Best Creamy Potato Leek Soup Recipe (2024)

Smooth, creamy, buttery, and flavorful, this terrific potato leek soup is perfect when the weather turns chilly. Potato leek soup, or potage parmentier (potato and leek), is a classic French soup. Served with fresh bread, this delicious potato leek soup is a great lunchtime meal or excellent for a dinnertime appetizer.

This potato and leek soup is everything you want in a classic soup recipe. Bursting with flavor, this recipe is easy, quick, and extremely satisfying. Potatoes, leeks, butter, and seasonings come together to make one creamy and delightful soup – perfect for colder weather. The whole family will love this great soup recipe.

The Best Creamy Potato Leek Soup Recipe

My mother-in-law was French… as in she was a French citizen before she moved to the United States and became a US Citizen. The French are wonderful cooks, and my MIL was no exception to that rule. Hubby definitely inherited that gene from her!

Potato leek soup is a traditional French soup made with fresh leeks. It is an inexpensive soup, full of rich flavors and a creamy texture, and it is oh-so-good: French comfort food at its finest. If you have never tried leek and potato soup, or if the classic potato leek soup is one of your favorites, try this version; you will be glad you did.

This is a good soup recipe to make if you are a first-time soup maker. Do not let the number of ingredients put you off; this is a simple homemade soup that is easy to make. The buttery leeks, pounds of potatoes, herbs, and spices really come together in this easy potato leek soup recipe.

If you are looking for a great recipe to serve on chilly days, this is it! Hubby is making another batch this weekend because we simply love this comforting soup recipe. Served with fresh bread, this tasty recipe is a great lunchtime meal or excellent for a dinnertime appetizer. There is a good reason this is a family favorite!

Leeks are readily available all year round, but late fall through early spring is when I have noticed them as most plentiful.

How to make potato leek soup

1. Cook Leeks – In an 8-quart pot or larger, melt the butter and add in the leeks to cook until they are soft.
2. Add More Ingredients – Once the leeks are soft, add in the milk, potatoes, seasonings, herbs, and chicken stock. Stir and cover for about an hour until potatoes are soft.
3. Add Cornstarch – In a small bowl, mix together the cornstarch and water. Add to soup and stir. Cook for ten more minutes.
4. Blend and Enjoy – Using an immersion blender, blend the soup before adding the cream to the mixture. Garnish with chives if desired, and enjoy!

Tips and variations for making the best creamy potato leek soup recipe:

● Instead of buying chicken stock, make your own sodium-free chicken stock (homemade chicken stock). You can also buy sodium-free chicken bouillon and make your chicken stock according to those directions. It isn’t quite the same, but it will do in a pinch and helps if you prefer vegetarian. I do suggest you make your own, though – it is pretty easy. Or, if you prefer, make your own no-sodium vegetable stock and use that instead.
● You can substitute vegetable broth for chicken broth; just realize it will change the taste of the soup.
● Yukon gold potatoes lend a very pretty yellow color to this soup. Use Yukon golds if you can find them.
● You may want to read about Hubby’s Waring Immersion Blender. This is one of his favorite kitchen tools and is very handy to have when making soups.
● For a chunkier soup, you can skip the blending step, although the resulting soup may be a little thinner than you would expect for this type of recipe.
● Make it spicy – If you want to make it spicy, you can add some crushed red pepper flakes or even slice a fresh jalapeno and add it to the soup with the rest of the vegetables.
● Add a little hot sauce when serving if you would like a little heat.
● You can top with black pepper, green onions, fresh thyme sprigs, or other fresh herbs of your choice when serving. Heck, a sprinkle of shredded cheddar cheese or a squeeze of lemon zest are also terrific toppings for this cozy potato leek soup.
Pairing a bowl of potato leek soup with crusty bread, some soft rolls, or delicious homemade white bread is perfect when served together.
● Thicken the soup – If the texture of the soup does not seem thick enough, you can simmer it a little longer in order to cook off some of the extra liquid. You can also add a bit more cornstarch dissolved in water or some instant potato flakes if needed. Make sure to allow the soup to cool more before attempting to thicken it, as it does thicken as it cools. The next day may be a better choice for deciding to thin or thicken this soup recipe.
● Thin the soup – if you like soup with a thinner consistency, you can add some more chicken stock to thin it out.

● This potato leek soup recipe freezes beautifully. Just make certain you use freezer grade containers. Hubby buys them in giant packs, and we keep the extras down in the basem*nt. Our freezer sometimes looks like a frozen soup factory exploded in it. We freeze soup, stews, leftovers, garden vegetables, etc for later use all year long!
● Storage – This potato leek soup freezes really well. Simply store it in an airtight container for up to 3 months. It can also be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
● This recipe is made with ingredients commonly found in your local grocery store.

Common Questions about Potato Leek Soup

What Kind of Potatoes Do You Use for Potato Leek Soup?

Starchier potatoes, such as russet potatoes are usually the best for this type of soup because they soften and break apart well. This makes it easier to blend the ingredients, makes the soup thicker, and makes it easier to consume. Waxier potatoes like Yukon gold do not break apart as easily, although they still make for a delicious soup and are very pretty in color (and what we usually use to make this soup).

Can You Freeze Mason Jars with Soup?

It is best to let the soup cool before spooning it into the jars as this could cause the lid to loosen once it cooled, causing it to freezer burn or go bad. Mason jars are also great for storing one to two servings of soup at a time in order to make reheating quite a bit easier. That way, you do not have to pull out all of the soup that is leftover in order to just get one serving. Keeps it fresher longer. On another note, be careful not to tightly pack the jars as this could cause breaking in the freezing process. This means do not stack them too close to each other and do not overfill them.
Note: this recipe is not shelf-stable, you must refrigerate or freeze the leftovers

If you like flavorful soup recipes, try these:

● Panera Cream Cheese Potato Soup Recipe
● Slow Cooker Cabbage and Sausage Soup Recipe
● Cream of Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe

Potato and Leek Soup Recipe Ingredients:

● 4 TBSP Butter
● 2 medium Leeks, chopped
● 2 lbs Potatoes, peeled and diced
● 3 cups Milk
● 5 cups Chicken Stock (low or no sodium)
● ¼ cup Dried Chives
● ½ tsp Celery Salt
● 1 TBSP Mrs. Dash Salt-Free Seasoning
● 1 tsp Onion Powder
● 4 TBSP Cornstarch
● 4 TBSP Cold Water
● 1 cup Heavy Cream
● Fresh Ground Pepper, to taste

Potato and Leek Soup Mise en Place:

● Cutting Board
● Knife
● Measuring Cup
● Measuring Spoons
● Rubber Spatula
● Spoon
● Soup Pot (with lid)
● Immersion Blender (stick blender)

Potato and Leek Soup Recipe Directions:

1. Over medium heat, in an 8-quart stockpot melt butter, add leeks and cook until soft but not brown.

2. Add potatoes, milk, chicken stock, herbs, and spices.
3. Cover and simmer gently for one hour, or until potatoes are thoroughly cooked.

4. In a separate bowl, mix together cornstarch and cold water until smooth.
5. Add cornstarch mixture to the soup, stirring until smooth to avoid any lumps.

6. Cook for 10 more minutes, and then puree the soup with a stick blender.

7. Add the cream to the pureed soup, heat but do not boil.

8. Season with pepper to suit your taste.
9. Serve with a slice of crusty bread.
10. Refrigerate leftovers.

● For more Recipes on Ann’s Entitled Life, click here.

● If you enjoyed this post, be sure to sign up for the Ann’s Entitled Life weekly newsletter, and never miss another article!