Creamy Potato Leek Soup

Soup season is upon us! Grab a pot, a handful of ingredients and let’s get cooking! Creamy Potato Leek Soup – the crossover you’ve been waiting for! Potato soup combines with a loaded baked potato to bring you a soup that’s every bit as delicious as it's comforting! It’s the soup that's good for the soul and perfect for a cold and rainy day!

My Creamy Potato Leek Soup recipe features two key ingredients – potatoes and leeks. When choosing potatoes for this soup – yellow potatoes are the way to go! These potatoes are buttery, hold their shape when cooked and are easy to peel, given their thinner skin. That’s a win-win! Leeks are also incorporated to give this potato-based soup tons of flavour! If you’ve never had leeks, you’re missing out! They’re milder, sweeter and more delicate than your standard onion. They can be a little tedious to clean and prepare given that they grow in sandy soil. A good cleaning is exactly what they need! As the leeks grow, sand and grit get encapsulated in their many layers. Failure to clean them properly will result in a sandy and gritty soup! All you need to do is cut them in half, soak them in water, drain, rinse and repeat and you’ll be left with leeks that are cooking ready! The leeks are sautéed in butter, which brings out their inherent sweetness, and are cooked until softened and caramelized. Fresh garlic, thyme and a bay leaf are added to the mix, imparting aromatic, earthy, fresh, herbal and spicy notes to this soup.

Every good soup needs a solid base or foundation. I love using homemade or store-bought chicken broth but to keep this soup vegetarian, simply substitute it with equal parts vegetable broth. The soup is then cooked until the potatoes are fork-tender and blended until silky and smooth! What takes this soup to loaded potato territory is the addition of sour cream for creaminess, crispy Prosciutto for saltiness and sweetness and chives for freshness and a slight bite! The result – a creamy, fragrant, flavourful, rich, savoury, silky and satisfying bite!

Enjoy this soup for brunch, lunch or dinner! You really can’t go wrong! It makes for the perfect main dish when you are searching for something warm and comforting but works equally well as a delicious side dish! This recipe uses a handful of simple and everyday ingredients, couldn’t be easier to make and comes together in just over 30 minutes! So, let me show you how it’s done. Grab a spoon and come and cook with me!

For more fun and exciting soup ideas, try my Polish Dill Pickle Soup, White Bean and Kale Soup, Borscht and Homemade Tomato Soup recipes!

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Serves: 4 - 6

Ingredients:

• 3 leeks

• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter

• ½ tsp kosher salt

• ¼ tsp freshly ground pepper

• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped (approx. 2 Tbsp)

• 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth

• ½ Tbsp fresh thyme leaves (approx. 5 sprigs)

• 1 bay leaf

• 4 yellow potatoes, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes (approx. 1 ¾ lbs)

• 2 ½ Tbsp full-fat sour cream

• 3 Tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped

• 4 slices of crispy Prosciutto (optional), as a garnish (See Notes below)

Instructions:

1. Place the leeks on a cutting board, remove the outer tough leaves and trim off the dark green tops and root ends. Cut the leeks in half and thinly slice them into ¼ inch pieces.

2. Fill a large bowl with cold water and add the leeks. Using your hands, swirl them around to separate the leeks, releasing any dirt, and drain. Repeat this process again and then transfer the leeks to a colander and give them a final rinse under cold running water. Set aside to drain.

3. To a large Dutch oven or pot set over medium heat, add the butter. Once melted, add the leeks, salt and pepper and cook for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. You know your leeks are done when they have softened and are slightly translucent.

4. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute or until fragrant. Then, add the broth, thyme, bay leaf and potatoes and bring the mixture to a boil.

5. Once boiling, cover, reduce the heat to medium-low (or a simmer) and cook for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.

6. Turn off the heat, add sour cream and, using a handheld immersion blender, blend on low speed to your desired consistency.

7. Transfer the soup into serving bowls and garnish with fresh chives and crispy Prosciutto bits. Serve and enjoy!

   
   

Notes:

1. How to Make Crispy Prosciutto: To a medium, non-stick skillet, add 1 tsp olive oil. Once hot, add the Prosciutto slices to the skillet in a single layer. Cook for a total of 3 – 4 minutes, flipping them over halfway through the cook time. You Prosciutto is ready when it has slightly caramelized and the colour deepens to a dark reddish-brown. Transfer the cooked Prosciutto to a cutting board and roughly chop them into pea-sized pieces.