Luxuriously Creamy with My Favorite Secret Ingredient!
Featured Reader Review
Pia said, “I have made this recipe so many times and it always hits the spot. Best potato soup ever. It‘s just so flavourful, you‘d never know it has so few ingredients! The curry powder really works its magic here.”
Soup season is upon us and at the top of my must make list is this utterly creamy Potato Leek Soup recipe!
Why I Love This Recipe
- Clean, simple ingredients that deliver rich, depth of flavor.
- Cook time of just 30 minutes! No need to boil for hours and hours.
- Naturally gluten-free and easily adaptable to be dairy free!
- An unbelievably smooth, creamy texture!
It checks all the boxes!
Everything comes together in one pot, which is great. If you have an immersion blender, you can even purée the soup right in the large soup pot. So easy, so delicious, and a staple during the fall and winter months!
For more delicious homemade soup recipes, try my creamy Finnish salmon soup, this Greek-inspired lemon chicken soup, or my perfect homemade Matzo ball soup with seltzer next!
Clean, Simple Ingredients
I think what we love most about this recipe is how simply it comes together. No fussy ingredients — it delivers a clean, pure taste that is perfect whether served hot (our preference!) or cold, similar to a vichyssoise.
- Yukon gold potatoes: We recommend using all-purpose potatoes, such as Yukon golds (instead of starchy or waxy potatoes). Yukon gold potatoes have a creamy, velvety smooth texture when boiled, so they’re my top choice!
- Unsalted butter: For sautéing the leeks, onion, and garlic
- Leeks: Leeks are sort of like a cross between an onion, garlic, shallots, and chives — they’re members of the allium family and offer a less intense flavor than their close relatives. You’ll need 2 large leeks or 3 medium.
- Sweet onion: You can substitute with a yellow onion or white onion.
- Garlic: Provides a garlicky punch of flavor to the soup!
- Chicken stock or broth: Though of course you can substitute with vegetable broth if you prefer! Homemade or store-bought, either works!
- Curry powder and sweet paprika: These dried spices add the best flavor and give this potato leek soup its signature flavor!
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper: To season everything!
- Heavy cream: Finish the soup with heavy cream to give it a velvety texture! To make the soup dairy-free, substitute with an equal amount of coconut milk or coconut cream.
- For serving: a high quality extra virgin olive oil, flaky sea salt, extra black pepper, and fresh chives, thinly sliced.
Have an immersion blender? Be sure to grab that. If not, you can blend the soup in a traditional blender. You’ll need a large pot or Dutch oven too!
How To Clean Leeks
A note about leeks: In general, you do not eat the tough, green fibrous part of leeks, which is hard to chew. Instead, stick to the white and light green portion of the leek stalk.
Leeks are also notorious for holding lots of dirt and grit from the ground. You can slice them in half or simply cut them whole, but either way, be sure to trim the root end, then rinse them thoroughly to clean before using. Be sure to check out our guide on how to cut leeks for more info!
Leeks can be prepped up to 2 days before cooking. Just store in an airtight container in the fridge, wrapped in paper towels to help absorb excess water.
If you have leftover leeks, be sure to try our simple roasted leeks! They’re perfect alongside a steak and baked potato!
Easy Instructions
Now the fun part! This is one of the easiest soup recipes you will make. There’s no parboiling the potatoes ahead of time, and literally everything cooks in less than 30 minutes. The short cook time makes this ideal for any night of the week!
Here’s the quick run down on how to make the best potato leek soup:
- Sauté leeks, onion, and garlic until tender.
- Add 6 cups chicken stock (or veggie broth) and cubed potatoes, then any dried spices.
- Bring to a simmer over medium heat until the potatoes are tender, then purée until smooth (either with an immersion blender or working in batches with a counter top blender).
- Stir in a few tablespoons heavy cream, taste, adjust seasoning, serve!
I love to serve this potato soup in large bowls with a drizzle of a high quality extra virgin olive oil, lots of black pepper, and chopped chives. For a fun twist and a beautiful color, add watercress to the potato soup!
Note: if using a traditional blender to puree, allow the soup to cool slightly before blending.
How to Store and Freeze?
Storage! The leftovers are fantastic and will keep for up to 5 days in a refrigerator. While traditionally this soup is served hot, it is also delicious served cold, similar to the French classic vichyssoise!
Freeze! We don’t recommend it. Freezing soups with potatoes can change the texture when you go to reheat it. The potatoes with soak up the moisture and turn grainy when defrosted. Additionally, there’s heavy cream in this soup, which has a tendency to separate during thawing, as well. Definitely enjoy this one fresh!
My Favorite Potato Soup Toppings
I absolutely love adding chopped chives, freshly cracked black pepper, and a drizzle of heavy cream or high quality extra virgin olive oil!
This would also be fantastic with crispy bacon, pancetta, or maitake mushrooms with ‘nduja on top! And fresh herbs (dill, parsley, or fresh thyme) or even fried herbs (sage leaves!) are welcome on pretty much any and all soup recipes here in the Well Seasoned household.
If you make this creamy Potato Leek Soup recipe, please let us know by leaving a review and rating below!
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More soup recipes to try!
Rich, Hearty Green Chicken Chili Soup (Dairy-Free) Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup with Rotisserie Chicken Hearty Tomato, White Bean, & Kale Soup Hungarian Mushroom Soup with Sour Cream & Dill Rich, Creamy Crab Bisque with Jumbo Lump Crab
Tell Us What You Think!
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Rich & Creamy Potato Leek Soup with Curry Powder
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and diced into ¼" cubes
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 medium leeks thinly sliced, about 2 cups
- ½ medium sweet onion diced, about 1 cup
- 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 6 cups chicken stock or vegetable broth
- ½ tsp curry powder
- ¼ tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp Kosher salt plus more to taste
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper plus more for serving
- ½ cup heavy cream
- High quality extra virgin olive oil for serving
- Chives thinly sliced, for serving
- Flaky sea salt for serving
Instructions
- Sauté the leeks. Heat 3 Tbsp butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add leeks and onion, reduce the heat to medium, then cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Add chopped garlic, then cook 1 minute more.
- Add the liquid. Pour in 6 cups of chicken or vegetable stock, then add the cubed potatoes, ½ tsp curry powder, and ¼ tsp sweet paprika. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 16-18 minutes.
- Purée the soup. Use an immersion blender to purée until very smooth. See note below for instructions using a traditional blender.
- Finish, then serve. Season the soup with 1 tsp Kosher salt and ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper, then stir in ½ cup heavy cream. Taste and adjust seasoning, as needed. Serve immediately with a drizzle of high quality extra virgin olive oil, sliced chives, and a pinch of flaky sea salt.
Notes
- Nutrition facts do not include optional garnishes.
- If using a traditional blender to puree, allow the soup to cool slightly before blending.
- Leeks can be prepped and cleaned up to 2 days in advance.
- Leftovers will keep for up to 5 days in a refrigerator. We do not recommend freezing soups made with lots of potatoes or heavy cream, as the consistency and texture changes during thawing.
- To make Dairy Free: substitute heavy cream with coconut milk or coconut cream, or omit entirely.
- If potatoes are cut to a large dice, they will need additional time to cook and become tender before puréeing.
This was absolutely delightful! Super easy and amazingly comforting! Shared a pint with family member and they haven’t stopped talking about how much they enjoyed this. I left the skins on the potatoes because I’m a pro at not reading the recipe thoroughly but with a good immersion blender it wasn’t even noticeable.
LOL so funny about the skins! I love how velvety smooth this soup is — yum! Thanks for the review, Erin! xo, Ari
I stumbled upon a homemade potato and leek soup from a local farmers market a year or so ago. I have been on a hunt for a similar recipe ever since…. I have found it, thanks to Ari.
I love to make soups, but had never used leeks before, so I really appreciated the link on how to wash them. The soup is so creamy and the depth of flavor incredible. Recipe is in my “keeper” folder and will be on rotation this winter.
Thank you so much, Sandy! Agree, this is such a delight on a cold day. xo, Ari
I have made this recipe so many times and it always hits the spot. Best potato soup ever. It‘s just so flavourful, you‘d never know it has so few ingredients! The curry powder really works its magic here.
Thanks, Pia! I totally agree–the curry powder is the secret ingredient that really makes the flavors shine! xo, Ari