Creamy Potato Leek Soup (Print Version)

Velvety soup with tender potatoes and sweet leeks, perfect alone or with seafood or bacon additions.

# What You Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 2 large leeks (white and light green parts only), cleaned and sliced
04 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
05 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
07 - 2 stalks celery, diced

→ Liquids

08 - 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
09 - 1 cup whole milk

→ Seasonings

10 - 1 bay leaf
11 - 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
12 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
13 - 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

→ Optional Garnish

14 - 7 ounces cooked seafood or 4 strips cooked bacon or fresh chives

# Steps:

01 - In a large pot, heat butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add leeks and onion, cooking for 5 to 6 minutes until soft but not browned.
02 - Add garlic and celery, sautéing for 2 minutes until fragrant.
03 - Stir in potatoes, bay leaf, thyme, salt, and pepper. Pour in the broth and bring to a boil.
04 - Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until potatoes are very tender.
05 - Remove the bay leaf. Use an immersion blender to purée the soup until smooth, or leave slightly chunky if preferred.
06 - Stir in the milk and gently reheat. Adjust seasoning as needed.
07 - For seafood variation, fold in cooked seafood and heat through for 2 to 3 minutes.
08 - Ladle soup into bowls and top with crumbled bacon or fresh chives as desired. Serve hot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like restaurant-quality comfort without any fussing or complicated techniques.
  • One base soup opens into a dozen directions—add seafood, bacon, or keep it vegetarian and no one feels left out.
  • The whole thing comes together in under an hour, which means you can go from craving soup to actually eating it on the same day.
02 -
  • Don't rush the initial sauté of leeks and onion; those first 6 minutes build the entire flavor foundation, and skipping them or cranking up the heat will leave you with a soup that tastes incomplete.
  • Immersion blenders are forgiving and kind, but if you use a regular blender, work in batches and let the hot soup cool slightly first so it doesn't explode; I learned this the dramatic way.
03 -
  • Make it in advance and reheat gently before serving; the flavors actually settle and deepen after a day in the refrigerator, so this is one of those soups that's better the second time.
  • If your blended soup seems too thick, thin it with a splash of broth or milk rather than watering it down with plain water, which dilutes flavor without adding richness.
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