Creamy Leek Potato Soup

There is nothing like a cozy bowl of soup to curl up to in the fall. Creamy Leek Potato Soup is the perfect way to warm up on a cool autumn night.

While soup is a comfort food year-round, such as Summer Strawberry Gazpacho Soup, there’s just something about a decadently creamy bowl of soup that goes hand in hand with fall. With a few simple ingredients, this classic French velouté Parmentier couldn’t be any more effortless.

Ingredients

While French vichyssoise might sound complicated, it only takes a few humble ingredients to make this luxurious and decadent Creamy Leek Potato Soup.

• Butter – Adds richness to this velvety soup while also helping cook down the sweet leeks.
• Leeks – These mild delicately flavored onions sweeten they cook down.
• Potatoes – Use your favorite variety for soup, such as Yukon gold potatoes.
• Broth – Chicken broth is a classic addition to French vichyssoise.
• Water – Helps cook the potatoes and allow the flavors to meld.
• Salt – Brings out all of the natural flavors in the vegetables.
• White Pepper – White pepper is more earthy, and mild in flavor than black pepper. In addition, it is also commonly used in lighter colored dishes such as this soup in French cooking.
• Heavy Cream – Adds richness, decadence, and a velvety mouthfeel.
• Fresh Chives – Echoes the delicate onion flavor of the leeks.

How to Make Creamy Leek Potato Soup

This soup is elegant enough to serve as a starter for any holiday meal, while being easy enough and fast enough to serve on a weeknight. With a few simple tips and tricks this will come together in no time.

Substitutions

While it will slightly change the texture and flavor profile of this soup, cauliflower can be used in place of the potatoes to make this a lower carb option.

In addition, you can swap out the heavy cream for a dollop of tangy crème fraîche or sour cream.

Variations

Soup is all about the toppings. Here are just a few ideas on additions you can top off your soup with.

• Crispy Prosciutto – Bake or pan fry prosciutto to add a salty, savory, and crunchy bite to your velvety soup.
• Pancetta – Savory like bacon but without the smoky flavor, add cubes of crisped pancetta to the top of your soup.
• Bacon – Smoky, salty, and savory, add a springle of bacon over the top.
• Caviar – Turn this soup into an event by topping it with caviar.
• Croutons – Homemade croutons will add texture to this creamy soup.
• Fried Shallots or Leeks – Reinforce that sweet onion flavor while adding texture.

In addition to having fun with toppings, you can also make this soup completely vegetarian or Dairy Free. Use vegetable broth to keep this vegetarian and replace the butter and heavy cream with Dairy Free options.

Tools

Part of what makes this luxurious soup so decadent is its ultra-creamy texture. Use an immersion blender or blender to puree this soup until it’s silky smooth.

Storage

The magic of this Creamy Leek Potato Soup is that is it equally delicious served hot or cold. It can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Either serve it cold or reheat it on low.

Top Tip for Creamy Leek Potato Soup

Leeks can be extremely sandy. Always make sure you thoroughly wash your leeks before using them. This can be done by slicing them and allowing them to soak in a bowl of water, letting the sand sink to the bottom. You can also slice them in half and fan the layers out under running water.

Always let your leeks dry after washing them so the water doesn’t dilute the flavors. In addition the dark green portion of the leeks is fibrous. Only use the white and light green portions.