Creamy Potato Leek Soup (Printable version)

A velvety French-inspired blend of tender Yukon Gold potatoes and sweet leeks, creating rich comfort in every spoonful.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 2 large leeks (white and light green parts only), cleaned and sliced
04 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
05 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced (approximately 1.3 pounds)
07 - 2 stalks celery, diced

→ Liquids

08 - 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth or chicken broth
09 - 1 cup whole milk or heavy cream

→ Seasonings

10 - 1 bay leaf
11 - 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or 0.5 teaspoon dried thyme
12 - 0.5 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
13 - 0.75 teaspoon kosher salt, adjusted to taste

→ Optional Garnish and Add-ins

14 - 7 ounces cooked seafood such as shrimp, scallops, or white fish, or 4 strips cooked bacon, crumbled, or fresh chopped chives or parsley

# Directions:

01 - In a large soup pot, heat butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add sliced leeks and diced onion, cooking for 5 to 6 minutes until softened but not browned.
02 - Add minced garlic and diced celery, sautéing for 2 minutes until fragrant.
03 - Stir in diced potatoes, bay leaf, thyme, salt, and pepper. Pour in the broth and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
04 - Reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until potatoes are very tender.
05 - Remove the bay leaf. Using an immersion blender, purée the soup until smooth, or leave slightly chunky according to preference.
06 - Stir in the milk or cream and gently reheat over medium-low heat. Adjust seasoning to taste.
07 - For seafood chowder, fold in cooked seafood and heat through for 2 to 3 minutes.
08 - Ladle soup into bowls and top with crumbled bacon or fresh chives and parsley. Serve hot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour and tastes like you've been stirring it all day.
  • The base is vegetarian and elegant enough to serve to guests, but flexible enough to dress up with whatever protein speaks to you.
  • There's something almost meditative about the way the flavors build, layer by layer, until you have something that feels like a warm hug.
02 -
  • Don't skip cleaning the leeks properly—I learned this the hard way by biting down on grit, and it completely changes your relationship with the dish.
  • If you blend the soup too aggressively, you'll end up with something starchy and gluey instead of naturally creamy; pulse in gentle pulses and stop while there's still some texture.
03 -
  • Cut your potatoes into roughly equal-sized pieces so they finish cooking at the same time instead of some falling apart while others are still firm.
  • The difference between good and unforgettable is often just finishing salt—taste it when it's finished and don't be shy about adding more; it brightens and brings all the other flavors into focus.
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