Creamy Potato Leek Soup (Printer-Friendly)

Velvety soup combining tender potatoes, leeks, and fresh chives for a warm, comforting dish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
02 - 2 large leeks (white and light green parts only), cleaned and sliced
03 - 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
04 - 1.5 pounds Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes, peeled and diced
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Liquids

06 - 4 cups vegetable stock (gluten-free if required)
07 - 1 cup whole milk or cream

→ Seasonings

08 - 1 bay leaf
09 - 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
10 - ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
11 - Pinch of nutmeg (optional)

→ Garnish

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

# How to Make It:

01 - Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and onion and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until softened but not browned.
02 - Incorporate the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add the diced potatoes, bay leaf, salt, black pepper, and nutmeg if using. Stir to combine evenly.
04 - Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until potatoes are tender.
05 - Remove the bay leaf. Puree the soup using an immersion blender or in batches with a standard blender until smooth and creamy.
06 - Stir in the milk or cream and gently warm without boiling. Adjust seasoning to taste.
07 - Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with fresh chives and an optional drizzle of cream.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like restaurant elegance but takes less than an hour, which feels like getting away with something.
  • The butter and leeks create this depth of flavor that makes people think you've been cooking all day.
  • You probably have most of these ingredients already, or they're the kind that keep well in your pantry.
02 -
  • Clean your leeks thoroughly by slicing them lengthwise first, then rinsing between the layers—sand hides in there and ruins the elegance of the final dish.
  • Don't skip the bay leaf; it adds a subtle depth that makes people wonder what the secret ingredient is.
  • Blend the soup while it's still hot; cold soup is harder to puree smoothly, and you want that restaurant-quality texture.
03 -
  • Taste the soup before you blend it; adjusting seasoning at this stage means the flavors are distributed evenly.
  • If your blended soup looks grainy instead of smooth, you either didn't cook the potatoes long enough or your blender isn't powerful enough—add a splash more stock and blend again.

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