This leek and potato soup is the budget classic, ready in 30 minutes. The leeks soften in butter until sweet, small cubes of potato simmer in stock until they collapse at the edges, and a brief blitz with a stick blender thickens it while leaving pieces of leek and potato whole. A splash of cream makes it silky. Serve it with thick slices of wholegrain bread.
Why this works
Leeks cooked gently under a lid, without browning, turn soft and sweet and keep the soup pale. Potato cut into small cubes is tender in 12 to 15 minutes, half the usual time.
A short blitz is enough: some of the potato breaks down and thickens the soup, and the rest stays in soft pieces. Blending for longer works the starch in the potato and turns the soup gluey.
Key ingredients
- Leeks. Use the white and pale green parts. Grit hides between the layers, so rinse the slices in a colander after cutting.
- Floury potatoes. Maris Piper or King Edward potatoes break down at the edges and thicken the soup.
- Stock. Vegetable stock keeps it vegetarian. Chicken stock gives a rounder flavour.
- Cream. A little double cream makes it silky. Whole milk works too, for a thinner soup.
Amounts for 2 to 12 people are in the recipe card below, in grams or cups.
Method
- 01
Prepare the leeks
Trim the leeks, halve them lengthways and slice into 1 cm half moons. Rinse the slices in a colander to wash out any grit and shake them dry. Make up the hot stock.
- 02
Chop the garlic
Peel the garlic, drop the cloves into the chopper and roll it back and forth on the worktop until fine.
Rolling Garlic Chopper - 03
Soften the leeks
Melt the butter in a large pan over a medium low heat. Add the leeks, garlic and a pinch of salt, cover and cook for 7 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft but not browned.
- 04
Peel and dice the potatoes
While the leeks soften, peel the potatoes and cut them into 1.5 cm cubes.
Y Peeler with Beech Handle - 05
Simmer
Add the potatoes and the stock. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, until the potato cubes break easily against the side of the pan.
- 06
Blend briefly
Take the pan off the heat. Blitz with a stick blender in short bursts until about half the soup is smooth and the rest is still in pieces. Stir in the cream, season with salt and pepper and warm through without boiling.
- 07
Serve
Ladle into warm bowls and serve with thick slices of wholegrain bread.
What to serve it with
With thick slices of wholegrain or seeded bread and butter. For another quick soup, try the quick tomato soup.
Storing and reheating
- Fridge
- Cool quickly, cover and eat within 2 days.
- Freezer
- Freeze before adding the cream, for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight.
- Reheat
- In a pan over a medium heat, stirring, until piping hot. Add a splash of water if it has thickened.
Questions
It was blended for too long. Working cooked potato hard releases its starch, which makes the soup sticky. Loosen it with a little hot stock, and next time blitz in short bursts and stop while there are still pieces.
Yes, for up to 3 months. Freeze it before the cream goes in, and blitz it briefly after reheating, as potato soup can turn a little grainy once thawed.
Yes. Press some of the potato against the side of the pan with a masher or the back of a spoon until the soup thickens, and leave the rest in pieces.
Peeled potatoes give the palest, smoothest soup. Well scrubbed, unpeeled potatoes work for a more rustic bowl.
Recipe
Leek and potato soup in 30 minutes
Leeks softened in butter, small cubes of potato and stock, blitzed briefly so it is creamy with soft pieces left in. By Maya Brooks.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Method
- 01Trim the leeks, halve them lengthways and slice into 1 cm half moons. Rinse the slices in a colander to wash out any grit and shake them dry. Make up the hot stock.
- 02Peel the garlic, drop the cloves into the chopper and roll it back and forth on the worktop until fine.
- 03Melt the butter in a large pan over a medium low heat. Add the leeks, garlic and a pinch of salt, cover and cook for 7 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft but not browned.
- 04While the leeks soften, peel the potatoes and cut them into 1.5 cm cubes.
- 05Add the potatoes and the stock. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, until the potato cubes break easily against the side of the pan.
- 06Take the pan off the heat. Blitz with a stick blender in short bursts until about half the soup is smooth and the rest is still in pieces. Stir in the cream, season with salt and pepper and warm through without boiling.
- 07Ladle into warm bowls and serve with thick slices of wholegrain bread.
