My love affair with potatoes knows no bounds. After all, I’m half German, half Irish. I really adore potatoes and one of my favorite comfort foods is potato leek soup. What is more comforting than a bowl of soup with freshly baked bread? This is the best potato leek soup recipe! It’s incredibly creamy with a fantastic leek flavor that sings through every spoonful. It’s hands down one of the best soups I’ve ever tasted!
This soup is so easy to make and takes about 40 minutes start to finish – and twenty-five of that is inactive! The crispy leek topping is divine. Don’t skip it! It adds a ton of flavor. I particularly loved how the paprika topping flavored the soup when stirred in. You’ll need two bunches of leeks between the soup and the topping.
If you’ve never bought leeks before, don’t fret. Their subtle onion flavor is the perfect accompaniment for potatoes. They’re easy to work with. Just cut the ends off, slice in half lengthwise and swish around in a bowl of water a couple of times to clean them. I love working with leeks. You don’t tear up like you do working with onions and their flavor has more depth. Plus, they make your house smell incredible with sautéed in butter!
If you want a cheesy version of this recipe, click here for my Cheddar Potato Leek Soup. That version has one less leek in the top and bacon on top instead of crispy leeks. It’s fun to have options!
Potato Leek Soup with Crispy Leeks7 Tbsp unsalted butter
4 large leeks
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
8 cups organic chicken broth
2 lbs large red potatoes (4 cups peeled and cut into even chunks)
1.5 tsp salt
Pepper to taste
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp fresh Italian parsley, chopped
1/2 Tbsp fresh chives, chopped
Crispy Leeks (recipe follows)
- Trim leek ends. Cut leeks in half lengthwise. Submerge in a bowl of water and swish around. Pour water out and repeat two or three times to clean the leeks. Remove and pat dry with a paper towel. Slice leeks.
- In a Dutch oven or large stock pot, sauté leeks in butter until translucent, about ten minutes over a low flame. (Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 for crispy leek topping.) Add garlic and cook for two minutes. Raise heat just a hair and sprinkle flour over the leeks. Stir and cook for a couple of minutes. Add chicken broth and peeled, diced potatoes. Increase heat to high.
- Boil for 20-25 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender.
- Prepare crispy leeks (recipe follows) and put in the oven for fifteen minutes.
- When potatoes are tender, turn off heat. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup. (If you don’t have an immersion blender, carefully transfer soup to a blender, blend, and return pureed soup to pot.) Season soup with salt and pepper. Stir in heavy cream, Italian parsley, and chives. Serve with crispy leeks and additional chives. Delicious with my braided bread!
Crispy Leeks
3 leeks
1.5 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp flour
1 tsp paprika
Sea salt
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Trim leek ends. Cut leeks in half lengthwise. Submerge in a bowl of water and swish around. Pour water out and repeat two or three times to clean the leeks. Remove and pat dry with a paper towel. Slice each half lengthwise into three long slices.
- Gently break layers apart and toss with remaining ingredients in a small bowl until well coated. Spread out on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a baking mat. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until nicely golden.
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