Creamy Potato Leek Soup (Printable)

Velvety soup with potatoes, leeks, and fresh chives, ideal for warming up on chilly days.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 large leeks, white and light green parts only, cleaned and sliced
02 - 1 medium onion, chopped
03 - 3 medium potatoes (about 1.3 pounds), peeled and diced
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Liquids

05 - 4 cups vegetable stock
06 - 1 cup whole milk or unsweetened plant-based milk
07 - 1/2 cup heavy cream

→ Fats & Seasonings

08 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
09 - 1 bay leaf
10 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
11 - 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

→ Garnish

12 - 2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped
13 - Extra cream, for drizzling (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add leeks and onion. Sauté for 6–8 minutes until soft but not browned.
02 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
03 - Add diced potatoes, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Pour in vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes until potatoes are very tender.
04 - Remove bay leaf. Use an immersion blender to purée soup directly in pot until smooth. Alternatively, blend in batches using a countertop blender, then return to pot.
05 - Stir in milk and heavy cream. Heat gently over low heat until warmed through. Adjust seasoning to taste.
06 - Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with chopped chives and a swirl of cream, if desired. Serve hot.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It transforms humble ingredients into something restaurant worthy with almost zero effort
  • The texture becomes impossibly silky without any fancy techniques
02 -
  • Leeks hide sand between their layers, so slice them lengthwise and swish them in cold water before cooking
  • Overcooking the garlic at the beginning creates a bitter note that lingers through the whole soup
03 -
  • Reserve some potato pieces before blending if you want texture, then mash them back in
  • An immersion blender saves so much time and prevents potential blender explosions with hot liquid

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