Classic Potato Leek Soup Recipe

This velvety potato leek soup is a classic French recipe designed to highlight the delicate grassy flavor of leeks. It's a minimal, easy-to-make dish that calls for just a handful of humble ingredients — a light springtime meal that's ideal for weeknight dinners.

If you're not yet acquainted with this green vegetable, prepare to be pleasantly surprised. According to Food Network, leeks belong to the onion family (collectively known as the "allium" family) along with shallots, scallions, chives, and garlic. They have a crunchy texture and subtly spicy, fresh flavor that tastes like a cross between white onions and scallions. You're going to love them!

The white and light green parts of leeks have a more delicate flavor, and can thus be eaten raw. The dark green parts can be too spicy and fibrous to eat raw, which makes them perfect for soup. After sautéing and blending, they incorporate well with the rest of the soup. This healthy recipe from Alexandra Shytsman of the plant-based blog The New Baguette is a great concept to have in your back pocket.

To make this soup, you'll need two leeks, two potatoes, garlic, dried thyme, and vegetable broth, as well as some olive oil, salt, and pepper. If you don't have thyme, you can sub with Italian seasoning or Herbes de Provence. As for potatoes, white or Yukon gold are best because they have a creamier texture, but russets will work fine, too.

Leeks — especially the dark green parts — tend to be pretty dirty between their layers. To clean the leeks, slice them into thin half-moons and place in a large bowl of water. Swirl the leeks with your hands while separating the layers to release the dirt, then lift them out. If the water looks really dirty, repeat the process again.

Next, heat the oil in a large pot (like a Dutch oven), and add the leeks and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they're collapsed and bright green, about 10 minutes. Then add the garlic and thyme, and cook for 30 seconds more.

At this point, add the chopped potatoes and vegetable broth. Make sure the vegetables are fully submerged — if not, add a splash more of broth or water. Cover the pot or Dutch oven with a lid and bring to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to low and simmer gently until the potatoes are cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Lastly, puree the soup until it's silky smooth. Nothing beats the convenience of an immersion blender (i.e. stick blender), which you can immerse directly into the pot. But, you can definitely puree the soup with an upright blender, too — as long as you do it safely. When using an upright blender to puree soup (or anything else that's hot), it's super important that steam has a way to escape. Remember to take out the removable center of the blender lid before blending and cover the opening loosely with a kitchen towel. If the steam gets trapped inside, the top will blow off and you'll have soup all over your kitchen.

Give the soup a taste and add salt and pepper if desired. Then, you're ready to serve and enjoy this flavorful soup! Pair it with some crusty bread, protein, or maybe a side salad. The warm, rich flavors of this classic potato leek soup will definitely have you coming back for seconds!