Description
A classic and elegant leek and potato soup recipe featuring sautéed leeks and garlic in butter, creamy potatoes simmered in low-sodium vegetable or chicken stock, blended to a smooth texture and garnished with chives, cream, and crispy homemade croutons. Perfect as a comforting starter or light meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup
- 2 tbsp (30g) butter
- 2 large garlic cloves, finely minced
- 3 leeks (white and pale green parts only), sliced thinly (about 2 cups)
- 1 kg (2 lb) potatoes (Sebago/Russet/Maris Piper), peeled and diced into 1″/2.5cm cubes
- 1.5 litre (1.5 qt) chicken or vegetable stock, low sodium (6 cups)
- 3/4 cup heavy/thickened cream (can substitute milk)
- 1 tsp cooking salt/kosher salt (reduce by 25% if using table salt)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Croutons
- 2 thick slices bread, torn into crouton size pieces
- 1 tbsp melted butter or olive oil spray
- Pinch of salt
Garnish
- Chives, finely chopped
- Extra cream, for garnish
Instructions
- Sauté Leeks and Garlic: Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the finely minced garlic and sliced leeks. Sauté for about 7 minutes until the leeks are soft and sweet, being careful not to brown or caramelize.
- Simmer Potatoes and Broth: Add the diced potatoes and low-sodium stock to the pot. Increase the heat to bring the mixture to a simmer. Once simmering, cover with a lid and reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook for 25 minutes or until the potatoes are very soft and almost falling apart.
- Blend Soup Smoothly: Turn off the heat and use a stick blender to puree the soup just until smooth. Avoid over-pureeing to prevent the soup from becoming gluey. If using a regular blender, mash the potatoes with a masher before pulsing briefly until just smooth.
- Season and Add Cream: Stir in salt and black pepper to taste. Then mix in the heavy cream until well combined and heated through gently.
- Prepare Croutons: Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) or 160°C fan-forced. Toss the torn bread pieces with melted butter or spray lightly with olive oil. Bake for 5 minutes or until golden and crunchy. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt while still hot.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle with extra cream, sprinkle finely chopped chives on top, and add a handful of crispy croutons as garnish for texture and flavor contrast.
Notes
- Leeks: Use only the white and pale green parts. If you can’t find leeks, substitute with onions, cooking them on low heat for 10-12 minutes until soft and sweet without caramelizing.
- Potato Types: Use starchy potatoes for best results. In Australia, Sebago; in the US, Russet; in the UK, Maris Piper. Avoid red or new potatoes as they are lower in starch and won’t break down properly to create a creamy texture.
- Pureeing: Blend the soup just until smooth to avoid a gluey texture caused by overprocessing potatoes. Stick blenders provide better control than food processors or blenders.
- Origin: This updated recipe is inspired by Julia Child’s leek and potato soup with improvements including sautéing leeks in garlic butter, using stock instead of water, and adding croutons for a flavorful modern twist.
- Nutrition estimates are based on 5 servings as a meal-size portion. It can stretch to 8 servings if served as a starter.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (about 300 ml)
- Calories: 250 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 380 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
