Potato and Leek Soup (Creamy, Budget-Friendly Winter Soup)
A velvety, deeply comforting classic: sweet leeks and tender potatoes blended into a silky, cream-finished soup. One of the most satisfying winter meals you can make for under £3.
What is this dish?
Potato and leek soup is one of the great dishes of British and Irish home cooking — a beautifully simple, deeply comforting soup that requires minimal ingredients and skill but rewards with extraordinary flavour. Sweet, slow-cooked leeks and starchy potatoes are blended together with a splash of cream into a silky, velvety soup that is one of the most satisfying cold-weather meals available. It is the kitchen equivalent of a warm blanket.
Why you'll love it
This recipe costs under £3 for four generous portions and takes just 35 minutes. The technique is genuinely straightforward — sweat leeks until sweet, add potatoes and stock, cook, blend, cream. Yet the result is a refined, restaurant-quality soup that demonstrates how the simplest ingredients, treated correctly, outperform complex preparations. It is endlessly comforting and genuinely nourishing.
When to serve
Potato and leek soup is the ideal winter lunch or light dinner, served with crusty bread. It works as an elegant starter at a dinner party, a warming meal after a long day, or a make-ahead component of a larger meal. The French serve it chilled in summer as vichyssoise — it genuinely works both ways.
Quick tips
Wash leeks after slicing to remove grit from all layers. Cook leeks slowly until completely sweet — do not rush this step. Use floury potatoes for natural creaminess. Add cream after blending. Never boil once the cream is added.
Leeks
The defining flavour of the soup — milder and sweeter than onions when properly cooked, leeks provide a gentle allium flavour that forms the aromatic backbone. The white and pale green parts only are used — the dark green tops are too fibrous.
Floury Potatoes (Maris Piper or King Edward)
High-starch potatoes that break down during cooking and disperse into the soup when blended, creating a naturally thick, creamy base without requiring large amounts of cream. The potato variety matters significantly.
Butter
Used to gently soften the leeks rather than fry them. The slow, buttery sweating of leeks is the foundational technique — butter provides a richer, more rounded flavour base than oil for this particularly British soup.
Double Cream
Added after blending to provide richness, silkiness, and a slightly sweet dairy flavour that complements the leeks. For a lighter soup, use crème fraîche or simply omit the cream and rely on the potato starch alone.
Substitution Options
Olive oil can replace butter for a dairy-lighter version. Crème fraîche produces a slightly tangier soup than double cream. Single cream or whole milk can replace double cream for a lighter finish. Chicken stock gives a richer, deeper soup than vegetable stock. A pinch of nutmeg added with the cream is a traditional French touch that pairs beautifully with leeks.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Wash and prep the leeks
Trim the dark green tops and root ends from the leeks. Slice into 1cm rounds, then place in a large bowl of cold water. Swirl and lift the leeks out, leaving any grit behind at the bottom. Drain and set aside. Grit in leeks is the most common unpleasant element of this soup — washing thoroughly is essential.
Pro Tips:
- •Cut the leeks first, then wash — this exposes all the layers to water and removes grit from between them far more effectively than washing the whole leek.
- •The dark green tops are too tough and fibrous for this soup — use only the white and pale green parts.
Soften the vegetables
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the leeks, onion, and garlic. Cook gently for 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are completely soft, sweet, and collapsed — they should not take on any colour. Season with a pinch of salt midway through to draw out moisture.
Pro Tips:
- •Low and slow is essential — leeks must be cooked until completely tender and sweet. Browned or caramelised leeks change the flavour character of the soup significantly.
- •Adding salt early draws moisture out of the leeks and speeds up the softening without browning.
Add potato and stock
Add the diced potatoes and bay leaf to the pot. Pour in the stock. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon white pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a steady simmer. Cook for 15–18 minutes until the potatoes are completely tender and break apart easily when pressed against the pot wall.
Pro Tips:
- •Floury potatoes (Maris Piper, King Edward) break down more and create a naturally creamy soup when blended. Waxy potatoes produce a less creamy, slightly gluey result.
- •Cut the potatoes into roughly equal 2cm pieces for even cooking.
Blend and cream
Remove the bay leaf. Use a stick blender to blend the soup until completely smooth and silky. Alternatively, transfer to a countertop blender in batches — fill no more than half full and hold the lid with a folded tea towel. Stir in the double cream or crème fraîche. Return to low heat and warm gently for 2 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Pro Tips:
- •For a chunkier version, blend only half the soup and stir the remaining half back in for a soup with texture.
- •Never fill a blender more than halfway with hot liquid — the steam pressure can blow the lid off violently.
Serve
Ladle into warm bowls. Garnish with a swirl of cream, chopped chives, and a crack of black pepper. Serve immediately with crusty bread.
Pro Tips:
- •Warming the bowls with hot water before serving keeps the soup hotter for longer.
- •A few drops of good olive oil over the surface adds a restaurant-style finish.
Chef's Tips
Techniques that separate good from great
Cook the leeks until completely sweet and collapsed before adding liquid
The flavour of potato and leek soup is entirely determined by the quality of the leek base. Leeks need 10–12 minutes on medium-low heat to soften completely, release their natural sugars, and develop a mellow, sweet character. Adding liquid to undercooked leeks at this stage produces a soup with a raw, slightly sharp allium flavour that no amount of seasoning can correct.
Use floury potatoes for a naturally creamy result
Floury potatoes like Maris Piper and King Edward are high in starch, which disperses into the cooking liquid when blended and acts as a natural thickener. This gives the soup a velvety, almost cream-like body before any actual cream is added. Waxy potatoes are low in starch and produce a thinner, sometimes slightly gluey soup when blended.
Blend immediately after cooking while still very hot
Hot soup blends more smoothly than cooled soup because the starch is still fully hydrated and the fat is fluid. Blending hot potato-leek soup produces a silky, homogeneous result. Cooling the soup before blending causes the starch to partially gel, resulting in a slightly gluey texture that is harder to blend smooth.
Add cream after blending, not before
Adding cream before blending and then exposing it to heat can cause it to split or reduce unevenly. Adding the cream after blending and warming gently preserves its fresh, rich character and prevents any risk of the fat separating from the cream during the vigorous action of the blender.
Nutrition Facts
Equipment Needed
- Large saucepan (at least 3-litre capacity)
- Stick blender or countertop blender
- Wooden spoon
- Knife and cutting board
- Large bowl (for washing leeks)
- Ladle
Quick Tips
- Wash leeks after slicing, not before — this exposes the layers and removes grit far more effectively.
- Floury potato varieties (Maris Piper, King Edward, Russet) break down during cooking and create a naturally starchier, creamier soup when blended. Waxy potatoes (Charlotte, new potatoes) hold their shape and produce a thinner soup.
- Do not rush the leek-softening stage — leeks require 10–12 minutes on medium-low heat to develop their characteristic sweet, mild onion flavour. Undercooked leeks taste harsh.
Recipe Variations
Different ways to make this dish your own
Vichyssoise (Chilled Leek and Potato Soup)
The classic French version — prepare the recipe identically, then cool completely and refrigerate. Serve chilled in bowls with a drizzle of cream and fresh chives. The cold version benefits from extra seasoning as cold temperatures mute flavour.
Potato and Leek Soup with Crispy Bacon
Fry 4 rashers of smoked bacon until crispy, crumble, and scatter over each bowl as a garnish. The salty, smoky crunch provides excellent textural and flavour contrast to the smooth, mild soup.
Chunky Potato and Leek Soup
Reserve a handful of softened leeks and diced potato before blending. Blend the rest to smooth, then stir the reserved pieces back in for a rustic soup with texture and substance.
Potato and Leek Soup with Blue Cheese
Crumble 30g of Stilton or another blue cheese into each bowl. The pungent, salty blue cheese melts into the hot soup, adding a bold, creamy complexity.
What to Serve With
Perfect pairings to complete the meal
Crusty Sourdough Bread
Thick, crusty bread for dunking is non-negotiable with potato and leek soup. The bread absorbs the silky soup and provides textural contrast.
Chopped Fresh Chives
The classic garnish — a scattering of fresh chives adds a mild onion flavour and vivid green colour that makes the pale soup visually appealing.
Swirl of Cream
A small swirl of cream drizzled on the surface of each bowl just before serving makes the soup look elegant and restaurant-quality.
Mature Cheddar on Toast
Cheese on toast served alongside potato and leek soup is the ultimate British comfort food combination — the melted, sharp cheese contrasts perfectly with the mild, creamy soup.
Storage & Make-Ahead
Keep it fresh and plan ahead
Refrigerator
Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The flavour improves slightly overnight as the ingredients continue to meld.
Freezer
Freeze without the cream for up to 3 months. Add fresh cream when reheating after thawing for the best texture. If frozen with cream, whisk well when reheating.
Make-Ahead
This soup is ideal for making ahead — it reheats beautifully and the flavour deepens overnight. Make a large batch and refrigerate or freeze in portions.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. Do not allow to boil once cream has been added. Add a splash of stock or milk if it has thickened too much.
Be the first to review this recipe!
Got Leftovers?
Turn what you already have in your fridge into delicious meals. Our AI-powered generator creates personalized recipes from your ingredients.
Browse more like this:
You Might Also Like
Discover more delicious recipes similar to what you're cooking
