This velvety potato and leek soup is the perfect blend of simplicity and flavor, making it a cozy choice for any day. Pair it with a slice of sourdough and your favorite green salad.
Potato leek soup is a timeless classic that’s perfect for chilly evenings or when you’re craving something cozy but not overly heavy. There’s something undeniably comforting about a bowl of homemade soup, especially when it’s creamy, flavorful, and made with simple, wholesome ingredients.
In this recipe, I’ll show you how to create a lighter version of this beloved dish without sacrificing the rich taste you love. I took the same formula that I use for my Light Turkey Corn Chowder and Chicken Potato Soup to produce a creamy soup that’s light on calories and fat. Serve it as an appetizer, or with crusty bread and fresh greens, such as Apple Pecan Salad, for an easy dinner.
Tips for lightening it up
It’s surprisingly easy to lighten up a creamy soup. In this potato and leek soup recipe, I put a few trick into action:
- I used just a pat of butter, supplemented by olive oil.
- Yellow-skinned potatoes, such as Yukon Gold, are have a naturally creamy texture. When cooked and blended, they thicken the soup beautifully.
- Instead of whole milk or cream, nonfat milk is simmered with flour to thicken the soup without adding saturated fat. You’ll be shocked at how creamy it is!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Leeks: See How to Prepare Leeks for washing and chopping tips.
- Potatoes: I used yellow-skinned potatoes because their buttery texture adds a creaminess to the soup. While yellow-skinned potatoes are highly recommended, feel free to substituted with peeled russet potatoes or red-skinned potatoes.
- Herbs: Dried thyme and a bay leaf.
- Broth: Use your favorite vegetable broth to keep this soup vegetarian. If preferred, substitute with chicken broth.
- Milk: Skim (nonfat milk) becomes thick and creamy when simmered with flour. Can be swapped with 1% (low fat) or 2% (reduced fat) milk.
- Flour: Used to thicken the soup.
- Butter & oil: A combination of olive oil and unsalted for sautéing the leeks. Feel free to use exclusively oil or exclusively butter.
See recipe card below for full ingredients list & recipe directions.
How to make potato leek soup
- Prepare the leeks: Cut off the dark green leaves, then cut the leeks in half lengthwise. Rinse each leek under running water, separating the folds to remove any dirt. Thinly slice crosswise. See How to Prepare Leeks for more details and step-by-step photos.
- Sauté the leeks: Heat the olive oil and butter in a large saucepan set over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add the leeks. Cook, stirring frequently, until the leeks are tender but not overcooked, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the thyme, bay leaf and salt. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add potatoes and simmer: Add the chopped potatoes and broth. Bring the broth to a boil, then reduce the heat so that the broth is simmering. Cook until the potatoes are starting to soften tender, about 15 minutes.
- Add the slurry: Place the flour in a medium-sized bowl. While whisking, slowly pour in the milk. Whisk well so that the mixture is completely combined. Stir the mixture into the saucepan and return to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the soup thickens and the potatoes are very tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the bay leaf.
- Blend: If you have an immersion blender, use it to blend the soup until smooth. ❗Be sure to fully immerse the head of the immersion blender so that you don’t get splattered with hot soup.❗
If using a regular blender, allow the soup to cool for 10 to 15 minutes (hot soup can blow the lid off the blender), then blend in batches, occasionally removing the center part of the lid to release excess steam. Return the blended soup to the saucepan to warm. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve it up!
Make-ahead and storage
FRIDGE: This soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. Allow it to cool, then transfer to an airtight container before refrigerating.
FREEZER: Milk and cream-based soups don’t freeze well. They tend to be grainy when defrosted.
REHEAT: Reheat the leftover soup in a saucepan set over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. If reheating in the microwave, use 50% power to avoid the milk from breaking. Stir occasionally.
Frequently Asked Questions
While yellow-skinned potatoes produce the creamiest texture (followed by red-skinned potatoes), russet potatoes are a perfectly acceptable substitution. Peel before using.
Soups made with milk or cream tend to become grainy when defrosted after freezing. For the best texture, eat the soup right after it’s cooked, or after refrigeration.
Printable Recipe
Potato Leek Soup
This velvety potato and leek soup is the perfect blend of simplicity and flavor, making it a cozy choice for any day. Pair it with a slice of sourdough and your favorite green salad.
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Servings: 4 Servings
Calories: 209kcal
Ingredients
- 4 leeks
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 bay leaf
- ¾ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt divided
- ½ teaspoons ground pepper
- ¾ pound yellow-skinned potatoes (such as Yukon Gold) cut into ¾-inch pieces
- 4 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth for non-vegetarian (See Note)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup nonfat milk
- Minced flat-leaf parsley for garnish
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Instructions
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To prepare the leeks, cut off the dark green leaves, then cut the leeks in half lengthwise. Rinse each leek under running water, separating the folds to remove any dirt. Thinly slice crosswise. See How to Prepare Leeks for more details and step-by-step photos.
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Heat the butter and olive oil in a large saucepan set over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add the leeks. Cook, stirring frequently, until the leeks are tender but not overcooked, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the thyme, bay leaf, ½ teaspoon salt and ground pepper. Cook for 1 minute.
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Add the chopped potatoes and broth. Bring the broth to a boil, then reduce the heat so that the broth is simmering. Cook until the potatoes are starting to soften when pierced with a fork, about 15 minutes.
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Place the flour in a medium-sized bowl. While whisking, slowly pour in the milk. Whisk well so that the mixture is completely combined. Stir the mixture into the saucepan and return to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the soup thickens and the potatoes are very tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the bay leaf.
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If you have an immersion blender, use it to blend the soup until smooth. ❗Be sure to fully immerse the head of the immersion blender so that you don’t get splattered with hot soup.❗If using a regular blender, allow the soup to cool for 10 to 15 minutes (hot soup can blow the lid off the blender), then blend in batches, occasionally removing the center part of the lid to release excess steam.
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Return the blended soup to the saucepan to warm. Stir in remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Serve it up, garnishing each serving with minced parsley.
Notes
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I provide nutritional information for my recipes as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using the built-in recipe card calculator. While I attempt to provide information that is as accurate as possible, you should calculate the nutritional information independently before relying on it.
Nutrition
Serving: 1.75cup | Calories: 209kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 1425mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g
Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
