This is a fantastic soup that is flavorful, thick, and comes together quickly. Potatoes might sound bland in a soup, but with a handful of simple ingredients, it can be hearty and delicious without much fuss. It keeps well and can be frozen.
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Comfort food in a bowl
This soup is one of my top three favorites of all time, together with gazpacho and the easiest red lentil soup ever.
It's a no-frills recipe, making it perfect for novice and seasoned cooks. You get a straightforward, no-fuss bowl of soup that requires little effort. The smell and aroma in your kitchen will be absolutely amazing! You can thank me later.
There is no need for fancy techniques or gourmet skills here. Potato, leek and mushroom soup is a straightforward recipe that requires chopping, simmering, and blending effortlessly.
Potatoes are smooth and creamy, while leeks are sharper and oniony and they pair very well together. The mushrooms add texture and umami flavor. Add a piece of ham, and you've got yourself a hearty family meal.
Make ahead: this is one of those recipes that is even better reheated the next day, like turkey soup. You might need to add more stock as it can sometimes thicken too much. It can be frozen for those weeknights when you don't know what to make for dinner.
FAQ
Starchy potatoes, like russets, are ideal for potato leek soup. They break down more during cooking, contributing to a smoother texture. Yukon Gold potatoes also work well, offering a good balance of creaminess and structure.
Absolutely! Potato leek soup often tastes even better the next day as the flavors have had time to meld. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. When reheating, you might need to add a splash of broth or water to adjust the consistency.
While a blender or immersion blender is convenient for achieving a smooth texture, you can still make it without one. Simply mash the cooked potatoes with a fork or potato masher for a chunkier consistency.
Ingredient Notes
Quantities are listed on the recipe card towards the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands we use.
- Potatoes: choose starchy potatoes like russets for a creamier texture.
- Chicken or vegetable stock: or a mixture of both.
- Thyme: fresh is recommended, but dried can be used. Both options are in the recipe card.
- Cream: we used heavy, but heavy whipping or whipping cream work just fine.
- Lemon juice: freshly squeezed
- Mushrooms: the best are Portobello, Paris or Cremini. Or a mix.
Variations & substitutions
- Cheese: add shredded cheddar, Gruyère, or Parmesan cheese to the soup before serving. The melted cheese enhances the creaminess and brings a delightful depth of flavor.
- Bacon: crisp up bacon bits separately and sprinkle them on top as a garnish, or cook the leeks in the rendered bacon fat for an extra layer of smokiness.
- Lighter option: substitute part of the potatoes with cauliflower and use light cream or milk. This reduces the overall carb content while maintaining a creamy consistency.
- Root vegetable medley: expand the soup's texture and taste by including other earthy vegetables like carrots, parsnips, or celery root.
How to make potato leek soup
- Stock or broth: always have extra in case you want to thin the soup, especially if reheating it.
- Mushrooms: they are not friends with water, so use a damp kitchen towel to clean them, and do so just before using them.
- Leeks: If you've never cooked with this vegetable before, this tutorial on cleaning leeks will help you prepare them. You only want the tender white and light green parts of the stem.
- The key to sautéed mushrooms is to add them to a hot skillet, spread them in a single layer, and leave them untouched until they begin to brown and the liquid evaporates almost completely.
- Chopping the leeks makes them easier to process later. A bit of chunkiness from the potatoes is welcomed, but to bite into leeks is not something I'm fond of. But you might not care, so chop accordingly.
- If you like thick soups, don't add all the broth at once and adjust after processing it and when you're about to eat it.
- You can process the soup until it is completely smooth or make it slightly chunky.
I use an immersion blender and process it in the pot. I don't recommend a regular blender for very hot preparations like this one; I cracked more than one jar that way. But you can use it if you know it can stand the heat.
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This recipe is slightly adapted from my very dear blogging friend Alice, from Hip Foodie Mom, from back in the day when I started with this blog, almost 12 years ago.
Potato Leek Soup with Mushrooms
Ingredients
For the leek potato soup:
- 1 pound potatoes, like russets
- 1 small garlic clove
- 3 large leeks
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock, or a mixture of both; use whatever you have
- 3 sprigs of fresh thyme, or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 or 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- salt and black pepper, to taste
For the mushrooms:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup mushrooms, Portobello, Paris or Cremini
- ½ cup sour cream
- ⅓ cup minced fresh chives
Instructions
For the potato leek soup:
- Prep work: peel and roughly chop 1 pound potatoes. Mince 1 small garlic clove. Wash and thinly slice 3 large leeks; you only need the tender white and light green parts of the stem.
- Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat in a large stockpot or Dutch oven.
- Add the sliced leeks and chopped potatoes and cook for 5 minutes, stirring a few times. Add garlic and cook 5 more minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften and brown slightly. Be careful the garlic doesn't burn.
- Add 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock with 3 sprigs of fresh thyme and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the vegetables are tender and soft, about 30 minutes.
- Blend until somewhat smooth using an immersion or hand blender; I like a little chunkiness in my soup so I didn't blend it all I left a few potatoes chunks. But you can make it very smooth by blending it more and straining it before serving. For a thicker soup, let it simmer uncovered for a bit longer to allow some liquid to evaporate and naturally thicken the mixture.
- Add ½ cup heavy creamseason with salt and black pepper and 1 or 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- Ladle into bowls and garnish with the mushrooms, ½ cup sour cream and ⅓ cup minced fresh chives.
For the mushrooms:
- You can add some chopped mushrooms (⅓ of the amount) to the leek and garlic mixture in addition to the ones on top. The color of the soup will be grayish and the flavor will be earthier.
- Wash and immediately dry 1 cup mushrooms very well. Slice or coarsely chop them.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and add the mushroom pieces. Separate them so they fill the whole pan and cook over medium-high heat until beginning to brown. Let the water evaporate as you move them once or twice, but no more than that, or they will not brown well and be mushy.
- Use immediately or refrigerate in a covered container or bowl for 3 days.
Cocoa and Lavender says
Alice - this is beautiful and elegant! Paula, thanks for introducing us to Alice!!
Linda | The Urban Mrs says
Paula and Alice - love the recipe here, and leek and potato soup is one of my favorites. You're so sweet, Alice and your words are so meaningful.
Lora CakeDuchess says
What a treat to see sweet Alice here. One of my all-time favorite friends showing off her gorgeous soup on my other favorite friend's blog. It's a joy to know each of you and I love your words, Alice. hugs to you both.
Anne ~ Uni Homemaker says
This looks delicious! I love leek and potato soup. Your photos are beautiful too. Lovely post...
Natalie G says
Leek and potato soup is a fave of mine, what a great recipe!
Andrea_TheKitchenLioness says
Paula and Alice: what a wonderful post. I love the writing, the fantastic photography and the great recipe. Leek and Potato Soup is absolutely one of my favorites but your recipe with the added toppings of sautéed mushrooms, chives and crème fraîche sounds far better than what I have been making!
Thanks for the great post and have a lovely Wednesday!
Laura Dembowski says
I love all onions but leeks are really something special with their mild flavor and soft texture when cooked down. They aren't so fun to clean though.
Abbe@This is How I Cook says
I love leeks and potatoes. And cream. And soup. And it is still snowing here in Colorado. Crazy weather. Crazy world. Soup is so nice and simple.
Carol | a cup of mascarpone says
A wonderful guest post! I just used leeks for the first time in years in a risotto...and loved them. I bet this soup is absolutely delicious with the potato chunks. Thinking about you, Paula!
Deb says
A great guest post! The soup is just luscious!
Liz Berg says
Oh, yes, Alice is as sweet as they come! So fun to find her visiting with such a yummy soup recipe! Thanks to you both!!!
yummychunklet says
Tasty looking guest post!
ahu says
Beautiful sentiment and gorgeous soup!
Medeja says
Such thick soups are a great comfort food 🙂 leek and potato is just classic 🙂
Nancy @ gottagetbaked says
There's so much to love about this post. First of all, it brings together two ladies who I love and admire, not just as phenomenal bloggers but as real people. You two are so honest, warm, open, supportive and hilarious - you have all the attributes I could hope for in friends. These photos are stunning and this soup: yum! It's true, Alice, there's nothing more comforting than soup, especially when it's full of deliciousness like cremini mushrooms, leeks and potatoes! Thanks for advising about the leeks - I've never cooked with them before so that's helpful info to know. Fabulous guest post!
Inside a British Mum's Kitchen says
My all time favorite soup is leek and potato but I've never thought of putting mushrooms in it!! perfection 🙂
Mary x
Amy Kim (@kimchi_mom) says
Lovely! I've made a similar soup and I couldn't believe how easy it was to make! Yours looks and sounds soothing. And you are right..."live each day with purpose". Amen.
Paula - I hope you and your family are getting back to normalcy. Isn't it awesome to have friends near and far through the simple and universal element of food?
Both you and Alice are awesome and I hope to meet both of you IRL someday!
Stacy says
ALICE, THIS IS FABULOUS! Sorry, didn't mean to shout but I love leek and potato soup, or potato and leek soup as we call it at our house. 🙂 Who knows why, but that's our order. I love your addition of the Cremini mushrooms. They must add a wonderful flavor! Pinning this on my Recipes to Try board!
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom says
Paula,
Thanks so much for having me today!! YES YES!!! I, too, hope we get to meet soon!!! Please let me know how you like the soup. . and wow, so happy to hear that it's one of your top 3 fave soups!! *warm heart* so happy that this was the right recipe for you today! take care my friend!