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This EASY Potato Leek Soup is made in just 30 minutes. This is a FAMILY FAVORITE! Potatoes and leeks are cooked with bacon to make the creamiest and most flavorful soup ever. If you’re craving a warm and cozy bowl of soup, this thick and creamy potato leek soup is a great one to try.
Silky Smooth Potato Leek Soup
This is a Rachael Ray potato soup recipe from when she did her 30 Minute Meal shows. Over the years, I’ve changed enough that I can say that this is my easy potato leek soup recipe; she just introduced me to the combination.
Potato and leek are a classic combination, and this potato leek recipe makes the best creamy, silky soup. The best part is that you don’t need any cream to make it – the potatoes create that creamy texture! So, this potato leek soup with bacon recipe is the perfect creamy and healthy soup for cold weather.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- It’s silky smooth potato leek soup!
- This is an easy 30-minute soup recipe full of flavor.
- Looking for a vegetarian or vegan potato soup? This is it – just skip the bacon and use vegetable stock!
- Soup is my ultimate comfort food, and we love making some sort of soup weekly in winter – I always look forward to the warmth and comfort it provides. This potato and leek soup is one we make on repeat. I can’t get enough of it!
Ingredients in Leek and Potato Soup
- Leeks: See below for more info! Most grocery stores will have them – they look like a giant green onion.
- Bacon: I love the flavor this adds – finely chop it. You can omit to make vegetarian soup.
- Garlic: Chopped garlic cloves add a TON of flavor!
- Sliced Gold Potatoes – peeled or not peeled, your choice.
- Stock: Low-sodium chicken stock or vegetable stock to make VEGAN Potato Leek Soup!
- Spices: Salt, Black pepper and Dried thyme
How to Make Potato Leek and Bacon Soup
- Like all good soups, this one starts with bacon. Crisp your bacon in a heavy pot over medium heat. Once it’s crispy, transfer it to a plate lined with paper towels. Leave the fat in the pan – you’re going to cook the rest of the soup in the bacon grease.
- Cook your leeks in the bacon fat until they’re soft and fragrant.
- Add the garlic and sliced potatoes. Add the seasonings and stir to combine.
- Add the stock, cover the pot, and bring the soup to a boil. Cook the soup until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- Once the potatoes are cooked, use an immersion blender to puree the soup in the pot. I like to chop the bacon and garnish each serving with it.
- We also love leek and potato soup with sour cream! Add a dollop to each serving for a creamy, tangy finish.
Tip From Dorothy
Expert Tips
- I like to use chicken stock because it has a more concentrated flavor than broth. I highly recommend using a good quality chicken stock like Trader Joe’s reduced-sodium chicken stock.
- And speaking of stock, I prefer low-sodium, but if you use regular, be sure to reduce the amount of added salt in the recipe.
- For the Gold potatoes, you can peel them or leave the peels on. I like to leave them on for added nutrition. If you use russets, I would peel them.
- Flavor Variations: You can add different dried herbs or fresh ones like parsley, chives, or rosemary. You can also add some shredded cheddar cheese to make it cheesy!
- Vegan or Vegetarian Soup: omit the bacon and use vegetable stock.
- What are the best potatoes for soup? Starchier potatoes are better for potato leek soup because they make a better creamy texture. Russet potatoes are often used, but I like Gold potatoes which have a decent amount of starch and a buttery flavor.
- We love this quick leek soup on the thicker side, but you can thin it by adding more chicken stock.
FAQ:
A member of the onion family, they’re full of flavor. The flavor reminds me of a cross between a green onion and garlic, and I love adding them to stir fry, soups, and pasta.
If you use potatoes with thin skins (like gold ones), you don’t need to peel them. If you use russets or other kinds with thicker skins, you should peel them.
Cook the soup to room temperature and then ladle it into freezer containers. Leave space so the soup can expand while it freezes.
It will keep in the refrigerator for three to four days. Or you can freeze it! As long as it’s properly stored, potato and leek soup will keep in the freezer for up to six months.
You can reheat it in the microwave or on the stove in a pot.
Yes, just omit the bacon and use vegetable stock instead of chicken broth.
Easy Potato Leek Soup
Ingredients
- 2 1” diameter leeks
- 3 slices bacon diced small
- 1-2 garlic cloves chopped
- 6 small/medium Gold Potatoes sliced (peeled or not peeled, your choice)
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon pepper plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
Instructions
- Heat a heavy bottom pot over medium heat. Cook your bacon until crispy. Set aside on paper towels to drain. Leave the bacon fat in the pot.
- Meanwhile, slice and wash your leeks. Cut off the green tops and dice the remaining white portion. Soak in a bowl of water for a minute or two, allowing the dirt to sink to the bottom, then remove the leeks from the water.
- Add your leaks to the pot, and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and just saute until fragrant.
- Add the potatoes to the pot with the leeks. Season with salt, pepper, and thyme and cook 2 minutes.
- Add your stock, cover, and bring to a boil. Simmer until the potatoes are fork tender. Taste for seasoning – add more salt and pepper if needed.
- If you are using a regular blender to puree, work in batches to blend your soup. NOTE: leave space in your blender for the heat to escape. Hot foods can explode in the blender if it’s too full. If you have an immersion blender, use it in the pot. Blend until smooth. If the soup is too thick for your liking, you can add more stock or a bit of water to thin. (We like it thick.) Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed.
- Serve with sour cream, crumbled bacon, and thyme.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator. Reheat leftovers with a bit of water to thin, as needed.
Recipe Notes
- I like to use chicken stock because it has a more concentrated flavor than broth. I highly recommend using a good quality chicken stock like Trader Joe’s reduced-sodium chicken stock.
- And speaking of stock, I prefer low-sodium, but if you use regular, be sure to reduce the amount of added salt in the recipe.
- For the Gold potatoes, you can peel them or leave the peels on. I like to leave them on for added nutrition. If you use russets, I would peel them.
- Flavor Variations: You can add different dried herbs or fresh ones like parsley, chives, or rosemary. You can also add some shredded cheddar cheese to make it cheesy!
- Vegan or Vegetarian Soup: omit the bacon and use vegetable stock.
- What are the best potatoes for soup? Starchier potatoes are better for potato leek soup because they make a better creamy texture. Russet potatoes are often used, but I like Gold potatoes which have a decent amount of starch and a buttery flavor.
- We love this quick leek soup on the thicker side, but you can thin it by adding more chicken stock.
Recipe Nutrition
What to serve with soup
The only thing you need to go with your bowl of warm and cozy leek and potato soup is some bread to soak up all the deliciousness!
Potato leek soup: fast, delicious, and so comforting! You will LOVE the flavors – I mean, it has BACON! – and you’ll love how easy this potato leek soup recipe is to make. Save for a cold and chilly day when you need a warm-up – you won’t regret it!
You mentioned in your blog that you eat soup once a week during cool months. I looked forward to reading multiple soup recipes. I was surprised to see 1 recipe! Do you eat potato leek soup every week? Where are your other soup recipes thanksย