Leek and potato soup recipes

Is there really anything as comforting as a warm, homemade soup? Whether you serve it as a starter or a main, leek and potato soup is a delicious, healthy dish that can be made on a budget. Creamy or chunky? Bacon-topped or cooked with a generous helping of cheese? However you prefer to serve it, our compilation of gransnetters' recipes has got you covered.

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Creamy leek and potato soup

Ready in just 35 minutes, this thick, creamy soup is a great quick fix. As with all soups, it's best served with crusty bread, topped with plenty of butter. 

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 3 leeks (washed and sliced)
• 700g potatoes (peeled and diced)
• 25g butter or vegan margarine
• 1½ pints light vegetable stock or water
• Garnish (optional)
• Chopped parsley
• 3-4 tbsp double cream or non-dairy cream
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. In a large, covered saucepan, fry the leeks and potatoes in the butter or vegan margarine for 10 minutes. Stir often.
2. Continue to cook the leek and potatoes, the pan still covered, for a further 10 minutes. Make sure you don't brown the vegetables and stir occasionally so they don't stick to the pan.
3. Add the stock or water and stir everything together. Simmer the soup until the vegetables are tender.
4. Purée the soup in a food processor or a blender.
5. If you're using the cream, add it while you're blending the mixture.
6. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir.
7. Serve to your guests in bowls and finish with a sprinkling of fresh parsley. 

Stilton, leek and potato soup with milk

The strong flavour of stilton works perfectly well with the mild taste of the vegetables in this cheesy update on leek and potato soup. 

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 60 minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 100g crumbled stilton
• 50g butter
• 1 chopped onion
• 2 leeks
• 2 diced potatoes
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 150ml dry cider
• 1 pint chicken stock
• 300ml milk
• 1 tbsp double cream
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Melt the butter in a thick-based saucepan. Add the onion, leeks and potatoes. Cook gently with the lid on for 5 to 10 minutes to draw out the juices.
2. Stir in the flour to absorb the juices.
3. Gradually pour in the cider.
4. Add the chicken stock, cover the pan and simmer for 30 minutes.
5. Add the milk and stilton.
6. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the cream. 

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Chunky leek and potato soup with chicken

Do you have an abundance of leftovers from your Sunday roast? Turn them into Monday night's dinner with this tasty Scottish cock-a-leekie soup.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1 litre chicken stock (made from leftover roast chicken)
• 55-85g pearl barley
• 2 large leeks
• 1 onion
• 1 potato
• 2 sticks of celery
• 1 small turnip
• Parsley for garnish
• 170g cooked chicken (the brown meat is best)
• A little chicken dripping (from the roast) or butter

Method

1. Chop the onion finely.
2. Trim, clean and chop the leeks and celery.
3. Peel the turnip and potato and cut into cubes (about ½cm).
4. Gently sweat the onion and celery until the onion has softened. Add the rest of the vegetables and coat with fat. It will look like there are too many leeks, but they will reduce down when you cook it.
5. Add the chicken stock and the pearl barley. Bring to the boil. Simmer for about 30 minutes or until the pearl barley is cooked.
6. Shred the cooked chicken. Add to the soup and heat through.
7. Serve garnished with chopped parsley and crusty bread. 

Healthy leek and potato soup

This sensational soup with a French twist is ready in just over half an hour. The low-fat fromage frais thickens the dish, adding lots of extra flavour...

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time 30 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 680g potatoes
• 1 large leek
• 1 onion
• 140g low-fat fromage frais
• 1.2 litres chicken stock
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Peel and finely chop the onion. Peel and dice the potatoes. Trim and slice the leeks.
2. In a saucepan, place the onion and bay leaves and a quarter of the chicken stock and bring to the boil. Simmer for about 5 minutes.
3. Add the remaining chicken stock, leeks, potatoes, salt and pepper. Bring back to the boil and then reduce the heat to simmer for 25 minutes.
4. Take out the bay leaves and pour the mixture into a blender. Blend until you reach the desired consistency.
5. Add the fromage frais and give it one last blend. Pour the mixture back into a saucepan to reheat, careful not to boil the soup.

Cheesy bacon-topped potato and leek soup

A fusion of flavours, this indulgent soup ticks all the boxes if you're looking to try something different for supper.

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Serves: 4

 Ingredients

• 2 medium russet potatoes (about 225g each)
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 medium leeks (white and light green parts - sliced and rinsed well)
• 2 medium clove garlic (minced)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups homemade or low-salt canned chicken broth
• 4 thick slices bacon (cut into 1cm dice)
• ½ cup milk
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1 cup grated extra mature cheese
• 2 tbsp thinly sliced chives

Method

1. Heat the oven to 190°C/375°F. Scrub the potatoes, pat dry and pierce several times with a fork. Set them directly on the oven rack and bake until very tender, for about 1 hour. Let them cool completely on a cooling rack.
2. Melt the butter in a pot over a medium to low heat. Add the leeks and garlic. Season and cook for about 10 minutes, until the leeks have softened.
3. Add the broth and 2 cups of water. Simmer for about 20 minutes, until the leeks are very tender.
4. Meanwhile, cook the bacon over a medium heat, stirring occasionally until cooked and crisp. Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate to drain.
5. Cut one of the cooled potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop the flesh out from each half. Cut the flesh into 1cm cubes and set aside.
6. Coarsely chop the potato skin and the entire remaining potato and add to the pot with the leeks. Purée the contents of the pot in batches in a blender until very smooth. Return the soup to a clean pot and reheat on a medium to low heat.
7. Whisk together the milk and sour cream and then whisk this into the soup, along with half a cup of the cheese. Stir in the diced potato. Season with salt and pepper. Serve garnished with the remaining Cheddar cheese, bacon and chives.

For more food, check out our dinner ideas page, packed with an archive of family-friendly recipes.

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