Potato and Leek Soup
If you've got leeks, russet or yukon gold potatoes and heavy cream, you're most of the way to this vegetarian: about 65 minutes of cooking across 7 steps. You'll find the full ingredient list (with a scaler to change the servings), 7 steps of method, substitutions, and ideas for what to serve alongside.
You'll mainly reach for large pot and saucepan. At medium difficulty across 7 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, it's meat-free.
What you'll need
Shopping list (3)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- Trim the leeks, reserving the cleaned green tops, then halve the white and pale-green parts lengthwise and slice them; rinse all the leek pieces well in a bowl of cold water to remove grit and drain.
- Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, then add the chopped onion and sliced leek whites and cook gently for 8 to 10 minutes until soft but not browned.
- Stir in the minced garlic and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add the peeled and cubed potatoes, the reserved leek greens, the bay leaf, and the vegetable stock, then bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes until the potatoes are completely tender when pierced with a fork.
- Remove and discard the bay leaf and the leek greens, then blend the soup until smooth with an immersion blender, or in batches in a countertop blender being careful with the hot liquid.
- Stir in the cream, season generously with salt and pepper, warm through over low heat without boiling, and serve hot.
You'll use: Large pot · Saucepan · Blender
Ingredient substitutions
- Heavy Cream
- evaporated milk · ½ cup milk + ¼ cup melted butter · full-fat coconut milk
Tips & common questions
How long does Potato and Leek Soup take to make?
About 65 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 7 steps and 10 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of heavy cream?
Try evaporated milk. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Potato and Leek Soup vegetarian?
Its ingredients contain no meat or fish, so it's suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheeses for animal rennet if that matters to you.
Related recipes
Potato and Leek Soup is an original recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Leek & Potato + celeriac soup.jpg (CC0) via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top — how we source recipes.