Eighteen years is long enough for a website to go without a potato leek soup recipe, don’t you think? I’ve always been a bit torn about it — it’s thick, pale, and can be a little sleepy. And yet if there is any time of year that’s going to bring out my cravings for filling and uncomplicated soup, if there’s any time of year when my nostalgia kicks in for the thick, hearty vegetable porridges I had in Ireland with brown bread and ale, if there’s any time of year when I’d happily act and eat like a slumbering bear in a childhood fairytale, it’s January. January is biting cold and generally irredeemable unless your only commitments are to comfort and coziness. I’ll do my best to keep us covered.
And this is how I make potato leek soup that’s just a tiny bit more awake and fun:
Los Angeles: I love Los Angeles; we went often when I was a kid and my grandparents lived in San Diego. I’m devastated for the number of friends but also total strangers who have lost everything in the fires. The internet is swimming with lists and GoFundMes for people in urgent need of help and it can be daunting to figure out where to jump in. I’ve found this page to be a great starting point. World Central Kitchen, one of the Smitten Kitchen’s favorite charities, is there too. Few things feel better to me than providing warm meals to people displaced from their kitchens.
Video
Potato Leek Soup with Crispy Skins, Sour Cream, and a Lot of Chives
- 2 tablespoons (30 grams) unsalted butter
- 4 medium/large leeks
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 pounds (680 grams) russet potatoes
- 4 cups (950 ml) vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Lemon juice
- 1/2 cup (120 grams) sour cream
- 1 small bundle (about 1/2-ounce/15 grams) fresh chives, minced
Prepare leeks: Trim off the root ends of the leeks and split each leek lengthwise. Slice white and light green parts 1/4-inch-thick. Place sliced leeks in a bowl of cold water and swish the leeks around, separating layers, and letting any sand/dirt fall to the bottom. Scoop the leeks out (leaving the grit at the bottom) and drop into a colander to shake them off. It’s fine if they’re still damp.
Prepare potatoes: Peel potatoes and place potato peels in a bowl of cold water, so they don’t discolor while you make the soup. Slice potatoes 1/4-inch-thick.
Make the soup: Heat a medium-sized soup pot over medium-high heat and add butter. Once melted, add drained leeks, garlic, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and many grinds of black pepper. Cook leeks, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 7 to 10 minutes.
Add the broth, sliced potatoes, and bay leaf and bring to a simmer. Cover the pot and simmer over medium-low heat until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. You should easily be able to break the potatoes up with a spoon.
Make the crispy skins: While the soup simmers, drain potato peels and pat them dry. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place peels on parchment and drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt. Toss to evenly coat then spread them out in a single layer. Bake peels for 10 to 15 minutes, until dry and crisp. Check in at the 10-minute mark and add more time only as needed. Once crisp, remove from the oven and set aside.
Finish the soup: Once potatoes are tender, remove and discard bay leaf, and use an immersion blender or transfer the soup to an upright blender and blend to desired consistency. My family doesn’t like fully pureed soups (they’re wrong, but…) so I only half-blend mine. Taste and add more seasoning as needed; I usually need at least another teaspoon of salt and much more pepper.
To serve: Ladle soup into bowls. Squeeze lemon juice over each, then dollop generously with sour cream, swirling it in. Shower each soup with chives, and sprinkle the top with some crispy skins, serving the rest on the side. Eat right away.
Do ahead: I keep the toppings separate when I store the leftover soup. It keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Note:
Previously
6 months ago: Braised Chickpeas with Zucchini and Pesto
1 year ago: French Onion Baked Lentils and Farro
2 year agos: Cauliflower Salad with Dates and Pistachios
3 years ago: My Favorite Lentil Salad
4 years ago: Lemon and Lime Mintade
5 years ago: Roasted Squash and Tofu with Ginger
6 years ago: Plush Coconut Cake
7 years ago: Sheet Pan Meatballs with Crispy Turmeric Chickpeas
8 years ago: Chocolate Dutch Baby
9 years ago: Blood Orange, Almond, and Ricotta Cake and Cabbage and Sausage Casserole
10 years ago: Key Lime Pie and Make Your Own Vanilla Extract
11 years ago: Pear and Hazelnut Muffins and Warm Lentil and Potato Salad
12 years ago: Lentil Soup with Sausage, Chard, and Garlic
13 years ago: Buttermilk Roast Chicken
14 years ago: Baked Potato Soup
15 years ago: Black Bean Soup + Toasted Cumin Seed Crema and Cranberry Syrup and an Intensely Almond Cake
16 years ago: Clementine Cake and Mushroom Bourguignon
17 years ago: Chicken Caesar Salad and Fried Chicken
18 years ago: Grapefruit Yogurt Cake
I’ve been buying leeks at my local Asian market. The white part is huge! The leeks are big! One leek is actually like having two – and the price can’t be beat
Go away. Please.
Don’t be rude to strangers, Mary.
Am curious how this compares to your baked potato soup, taste wise? It’s a go to for us, and recipe seems very similar!
I think it’s the leek to potato ratio, it looks much higher in this recipe
Same! Made the baked potato soup 2x already this year for similar January reasons. Curious about the differences and similarities!
That one is much more potato — and garlic! — forward.
Stay away, please.
I love potatosoup! Looks like a great recipe. To clean leek. Cut the leek lengthwise. Rinse under running tap. Shake dry. Then cut off the root end. Works perfectly.
My kids went potato digging at our friends farm over the holidays and yielded quite a haul. My 6 year old requested soup from the potatoes – and I found myself searching for a potato leek soup, plain enough for the kids but something I could jazz up depending on the mood. I ended up swapped sour cream with cottage cheese for an extra protein kick. And admittedly ate most of it myself. Potato leek soup will forever be a fond family memory from
Christmas 2024 :)
Happy New Year. The crispy potato skins are brilliant- can’t wait to try this!
Funny, I was looking up leek and potato soup recipes yesterday! I’ll definitely try yours…love the potato skins extra!
Bake potato skins at what temperature?
Oven temp is at the top of the instructions (375).
Thank you! I didn’t see it either—it is listed as the first instruction, but then there is an ad right below it (reading on my phone), so my eye skipped right over it.
Very timely! I was looking for a potato leek soup recipe to use with our CSA veggies. Made this for lunch today and it was delicious! Especially love the crispy potato skins on top
I just made this for my lunch since I had all the ingredients. It was delicious…The lemon squeezed on top brought it to the next level, along with the sour cream & potato skins. I roasted the potato skins in the air fryer & they were perfection!
What temp and how long in the air fryer?
Air fryers vary, but I did mine at 380 for 10 mins and they were perfect!
Just made this for lunch. Out of this world good! The toppings take it to the next level. I started by baking the potato peels as written and ended up transferring them to the air fryer on 400 for a few mins afterward.
Sorry, didn’t realize this posted as a reply! :)
Deb, Love the potato skin garnish!
Love your words about this soup and also love what you did with the skins- so creative! Can’t wait to make it.
I give up on the soup part and make a stir fry of leeks with potato and bacon. It’s awesome with beans or rice on the side.
I can’t wait to make this! I love leeks ( so underrated! ) and potatoes. I’m heading from San Francisco to Brooklyn next week ( and then heading up to The Berkshires for sis’s birthday). I was going to wait until my return, but I might have to make it for her when we get back to Brooklyn. This Cali girl is going to need to stay cozy. I’m bringing her some of your hot cocoa mix too. Speaking of potatoes Deb, have you checked out poppy_cooks on instagram? She’s a British chef with a new cookbook out , all about potatoes. Her instagram in December was 31 days of potatoes! :)
This looks lovely, but, hear me out, half a cup of dry white wine stirred in before serving. I got this trick from a potato and garlic scape soup recipe I found over a decade ago, and it really brightens the flavours!
So good to see the Smitten Kitchen New Year New Soup again.
Love leek and potato soup but have never found the right recipe: this will be this weekend’s try-out. Love Ada’s idea of adding dry white wine just before serving.
Thank you.
Good memory! I used to start every January with a soup. Then I got restless. ;)
Knockout recipe. The lemon juice makes so much difference. One remembers to season and even sometimes to sweeten a recipe, but the contribution acid can make guan get overlooked.
Thank you.
*can* grr.
We’ve spent a long time together, Deb. Or, at least, I have. Parasocial relationships and cookbook audiences, and all. Anyroad, thank you for pointing out that less than pureed soups are simply wrong, pace the fam. I knew you’d agree. This is going to be heavenly.
Can you substitute the russet potato for another? Such as Yukon gold? Thanks!!
Yes, other potatoes work well but the russet skins seem to crisp best.
My 12 y.o. is not at all about pureed soups (except butternut) like I am… I’m thinking of just dicing the potatoes and letting them break down as they wish into their own semi-chunky, semi-creamy stew. Would that even work?
And exactly how blasphemous would it be to try this with diced yellow potatoes to hold their shape and no blending?
I used chopped potatoes and puréed just a small amount to have a creamy background. The unpuréed potatoes were perfect for a chunky texture. If not puréed at all, I would add some more veggies or meat as a filler.
This is good. Haven’t really made soups before, found them intimidating , leeks as well.
But, this recipe seemed workable.
Liked it better without the lemon. And, as u suggested, the leeks cleaned up!
First timer here and a bit of a kitchen novice. If I want to make this ahead and freeze….how?
Hi MJ. Let the soup cool so it’s warm rather than hot, then ladle into a ziplock bag or freezer-safe container. An easy way to get a ziplock to stand upright–and open–is to put it in a drinking glass, as if it were lining the glass, and then fold the zipper to the outside on top: voila. When full, lay the ziplock bag flat in the freezer and you’ll have frozen “books” of soup:0) I’ve frozen countless portions of soup this way. Enjoy~
Oh! Don’t throw away the tough dark green part of the leeks, either! I slice them (crosswise) into thin ribbons and fry (or sautee with pretty high heat because I’m a weenie) them and dress with salt. They are also a good soup topping, but also good in quesadillas and quiches and other place you use tasty scraps of food.
Sadly, I don’t have any leeks, but I think I’ll add this to my next shopping plans.
I bet this version, with the cream added later, even freezes better.
This is perfect soup weather. Thank you.
I might have done something wrong, but I tested it with the dark green tops and found them bitter. I wanted to use them so badly. I also tested crisping them in the oven instead of the skins and also found them unpleasant. I’d love to get it right.
I dehydrate the dark green leaves in a 175 degree oven till dry and crisp, then blitz them into a lovely deep green powder in a spice grinder. A little dusting of leek powder is pretty on a white soup like this, or on a pureed cannellini bean soup I make, or sprinkled on scrambled eggs. Or sometimes I will whisk some with a little olive oil to drizzle on soups–kind of like Indian tadka on dal. I thought I had ‘invented’ leek powder before discovering you can actually buy it online! But why, when the dark leaves are begging not to be composted…
I just made leek stock from the tops, which I plan to use in this very soup later today! I used the leek broth recipe from Cooks Without Borders. And the leeks that my grocer delivered were HUGE so this way I feel less bad about the amount of green waste. :)
This potato leek soup was so delicious perfect and easy. I like just a hint of spice, so i added 3 slices of a fresh jalopeno. Love the lemon juice and potato skin garnish!! My new go-to potato leek soup!! Like a hug for your tummy!
We made this last night, following the recipe exactly. Loved It but we were all left wishing It was thicker with more chunkiness. Any suggestions on what I did wrong or what I should try on my next attempt?
I only partially puréed like Deb’s family prefers and it was perfect.
I did a partial purée too. I am wondering if more potatoes and a little cream would help.
Another WOW, so much better than the ingredients suggest! Or maybe it’s me underestimating leeks.
Please suggest that the potatoes be organic if you are going to eat the skins. I have seen a conventional potato field after being sprayed….not a pretty sight. Same with onions. It’s black and terrible looking…chlorpropham is what they spray on potato fields to stop them sprouting.
FYI, pesticides are a concern even if you don’t eat the skins. Some families can’t afford to buy organic fruits and vegetables, even if organics are better for the environment and your health, so just remember to always wash your fresh produce. We all do the best we can!
Walmart has very cheap 5lb bags of organic russets – perfect for soup as they tend to be too small for baked potatoes.
Nose-to-tail potato soup. Hahaha. Love that! It sounds delicious and I will definitely make those potato skin crispies so I can brag about using the whole potato from nose to tail.
My sneaky trick to amp flavor to this soup is to add a rind from fresh Reggiano Parmigiano cheese when the I add the stock. I make sure to pull what is left before I blend it. Umami flavor bomb!
Sorry if someone already asked this question, but do you think I could substitute Greek yogurt for the sour cream? This looks so delicious and I can’t wait to make some version of it!!
Definitely! You are just adding it as a topping at the end.
It can curdle when heated, so it’s not ideal here.
You know what else is also fabulous? If you season your potato skins with salt and vinegar seasoning before baking.
I love this soup- I also use butternut squash in the mix.
Hi Deb,
I agree that everyone will love your cookbooks, I adore my SK cookbooks, your blog and just everything SK!
Thank you for the new recipe for an old favorite in this yummy soup – looking forward to trying the potato skins too!
Bianca
I am in Mexico on vacation. This recipe actually makes me homesick for the frozen North. (Just a little). Making this as soon as we get home.
What’s caloric value for this soup and all her recipes?
I made this soup today. Just the thing for a January evening. I already had all the ingredients except the chives which I added with a quick store run. Maybe didn’t need the chives, but the looked cute and tasted delicious. New to your site, but 2 for 2 hits on what I have made so far!
On this site you’re gonna have a lot more than 2 successes! It’s one of the best and I never stop looking and testing.
I would love to know how many cups of leeks as they do vary in size. Right now the markets seem to have huge ones & they are a bit pricey.
This is a month for cozy soups! The kids loved the soup after a morning of playing in the snow. Oops! The adults devoured the crispy potato skins straight out of the air fryer.
Hi Deb, Per your note on the size of leeks, I appreciate it when recipe writers include approximate weights for produce – that is easier to work with than small, medium, large amounts.
Thanks
It’s not as effective with leeks, however, because you’re only able to use 20% of some, 50% of others. So, it cannot help you pick them when you shop. If you give the weight of the usable parts, it’s also not helpful for shopping. Here, the recipe is written to work whether you end up with a big or small amount of usable leek, so the weight and/or cups don’t matter.
This was delicious! At first I worried that I had too many leeks, since they nearly filled the pot but they cooked down really nicely.
This is fantastic. A real depth of flavors and some variety in each bite w toppings and swirled sour cream. We loved it!
Deb this leek and potato soup is fabulous! The potato skins were a delicious accompaniment. I made the recipe exactly as written. Thank you for sharing.
Susan
PS I have your 3 cookbooks !😀
Excellent recipe and perfect for any chilly winter day. This came together quickly and made for a tasty lunch. I used slightly more potatoes than called for, and added two shallots to the garlic/leek sauteeing stage because I had them on hand. Also added a splash of heavy cream after puréeing (went for the partial blend) because, again, on hand. Really enjoyed this. Thanks Deb—and thanks for the gluten free tag I noticed as well. So helpful!
Made this today and it was both easy and delicious, with the slight exception of the potato peel crisps which need much more time and a higher temp apparently to make them crisp than the recipe specifies, I cranked my oven up to 400 degrees but finally gave up after an additional 5 minutes and went without them because we were hungry! I preferred my soup without the sour cream but my sour cream-loving husband thought it divine. Chives and lemon squeeze non-negotiable.
Will definitely make again and am glad to find a creamy potato leek soup that needs no cream. Oh, and I fully blended our soup!
We made this tonight. So easy and insanely delicious! I will now always roast up my potato skins too!
I made some bacon on a sheet pan in the oven then used that pan and bacon grease for the potato skins. Delish!
This soup was phenomenal! My whole family loved it. We’re big potato soup fans in my house and this soup was a unique addition to our arsenal with the lemon and the tart sour cream. The crispy potato skins were also a huge hit, especially with my four year old.
Delicious! I didn’t change anything. I actually wish it made more soup! Love the crispy potato peels and agree that lemon perks up the flavor. Thanks, Deb!
I love leek and I think it’s a tremendously underrated vegetable. Ottolenghi’s leek fritters are still higher on my winter cooking agenda, but a variation of your soup above is, too. I usually make it with a little less leek-to-potato ratio than in your recipe, but I do add in some carrots (just one big one or two smaller, which adds sweetness and also helps with the blandness of colour). And then, as the grand finale, I put some raw salmon into the pureed and almost finished soup and let it steep until it’s cooked. This is delicious and so comforting in winter. I recommend it with all my heart.
Just made this soup and it was delish. Very smooth and creamy (pre addition of sour cream). Definitely recommend using potato peels-clever and tasty. Definitely making again.
I just made this and I love it for many reasons – of course the taste but also having the dairy just be a dollop of sour cream and not cups of milk or cream. AND the crispy skins are genius. I’m also commenting, Deb, to add to your discussion about small and large leeks. Why don’t you also add how many cups of chopped leeks it comes out to? I don’t feel the proportions are that crucial but it would be very helpful as a starting point.
Really loved the soup, but I had a few issues with the crispy peels. They needed extra time in the oven to get crispy and then sogged up within 30 seconds of being added to the soup. They’re a great addition, but I’d keep them on the side and add them bite by bite
I made this tonight but not before reading someone else’s comments about the baked potato soup recipe. So I read that recipe and decided there was no such thing as too many toppings. I used chives, potato skins, shredded cheddar cheese and some crumbled bacon. Delicious!
Quick question – the garlic goes in with the leeks I imagine, but I don’t see it in the directions. I added it after but want to make sure that’s right.
The garlic goes in with the leeks in the “Make the soup:” section:
I can’t believe how quickly this comes together, and how warm and cozy it makes the house smell while it’s cooking! Not to mention how delicious it is, amazing it is so rich without any milk or cheesy things!
I don’t usually eat russet potato peels. Do you scrub the potatoes with a brush before peeling, or just wash them? I tried to find organic potatoes, but couldn’t, so am wondering about this. Thank you.
Of course — I always scrub them.
I made the potato leek soup. I used chicken broth and felt it was missing some “flavor”. I added fresh rosemary, and some cumin. It was tasty😋. Next time I make it, I think I will stir fry the leeks in a few chunks of pancetta.
The potato skins are a must 😁
We loved it 😊
Thank you
I made this tonight during a winter storm here in the PNW. So delicious that I will have to work this into my frequent SK chicken & leek soup rotation. I made it exactly as written. The lemon, chives, sour cream, and potato peels were perfect. And I too needed to boost the oven to 400 to get the potato peels to crisp up. I’m not that successful with pureed soups as they always seem to be too thick. Do I hold back some of the chicken stock and add it at the end? I don’t want to use dairy/cream. Any suggestions are most welcome!
I have made this twice now. My 12-year-old requested that I “put it in the rotation.” It is delicious. Definitely do not leave out the lemon. The second time I made the crispy potato peel skins, I ditched the parchment paper, and they came out crispier.
Yum! I’ve tried a lot of potato-leek soup recipes, but this one is the best! So tasty, uncomplicated — and the roasted potato skins are awesome!
Oh, boy. This is delicious. I used some of the green part of the leek so it was a beautiful green color and the roasted potato peel topping was icing on the cake! I agree that dolloping the sour cream on top and getting some in each spoonful makes the flavor more pronounced and enjoyable. I plan to make sure I use organic potatoes next time since I worried a bit about what might be on the peels.
I found this on freezing cold day in NE Ohio. Thank you for bringing skillz, sunshine, and comfort to the world, Deb🌞.
I found this soup to be very bland :/
I made this today and it is delicious. The potato skins are a great topping and I also put some grated meltable cheese on top of the potato skins. I didn’t add the sour cream, it seemed unnecessary although I am sure it would be great. I also have about 1/3 of a head of cauliflower in my fridge which I chopped up and added with the potatoes. Great soup for a cold snowy day in Philly.
Made this last night and loved it. Tweaks/notes. I had yellow potatoes not russets, still great. Not crazy about chives so I omitted. Didn’t have sour cream, swapped in Greek yogurt. Prep note, try to peel north/south on the potatoes and keep the peels as long as possible. Roasting the skins was an inspired step, really brings this to the next level. Reheats very well, can’t wait to make again.
Thanks Deb. Another winner.
I LOVE the idea of using crispy potato skins for a garnish on this soup. Less waste is great but also, I feel like I’d just enjoy potato leek soup more with that crunchy texture. Can’t wait to try this!
I have no clue of what the ratio of potatoes to leeks should be in this soup.
Everything has a gram weight except the leeks. Kind of hard to tell what is medium/large without ever buying leeks before.
Can anyone recommend a weight measurement for the leeks?