Potato Leek Soup

Bread, Soups & Stews, Vegetarian Entrees

A chunky style Potato Leek Soup.

Potato Leek soup with a variety of toppings @mjskitchen mjskitchen.com

Local leeks and potatoes are abundant here during the fall and into winter, so I always looking for dishes that use both. The combination of leeks and potatoes yields a wonderful flavor. I’ve tried many leek and potato soup recipes, some of which were excellent, but sometimes I don’t feel like a pureed soup. I want more of a chunky soup. And that’s what this recipe provides – a chunky soup with a choice of toppings, something that every soup should offer.

I usually make a big batch of this soup so we can have enough leftovers for a couple of suppers or lunches during the week. To change the soup up the second or third time I serve it, I’ll add different ingredients for toppings. See Kitchen Notes in the recipe for topping ideas.

Potato Leek Soup

Potato and Leek Soup Recipe
Prep
15 mins
Cook
30 mins
Total Time
45 mins
 

A relatively light and healthy potato and leek soup.  Choose from a variety of toppings to jazz it up a bit.


"*" See Kitchen Notes for more information or links to special ingredients.

Course: soups & stews
Cuisine: American
Keyword: leeks, potatoes, soup
Yields: 8 servings
Recipe Author: MJ of MJ’s Kitchen
Ingredients
  • 8 cups russet potatoes, peeled, cut into ½” cubes (about 4 medium potatoes)
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 large leek, finely chopped
  • 1 medium sweet onion, finely chopped
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, finely chopped
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 6 cups homemade chicken stock or broth or vegetable broth
  • 1 tsp. dry mustard powder
  • 1/4 tsp. dried dill weed, crushed
  • ½ tsp. dried thyme, crushed
  • ½ tsp. oregano, crushed
  • Salt and ground white pepper to taste
  • Wedges of lime cut a lime into 8 pieces
Topping Choices
  • Bacon crumbles
  • crumbled Feta cheese
  • thinly shredded Parmesan or Pecorino Romano
  • diced Sweet onion
  • chopped Scallions
  • chopped roasted, green chile
Instructions
  1. Peel and cut the potatoes. Run under cold water until the water is clear. Set aside to drain. (This helps to remove some of the excess starchiness of the potatoes.)
  2. Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the leek, onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes.
  3. Add the broth, potatoes, dry mustard, dill weed, thyme and oregano.
  4. Cook for 30 minutes.
  5. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Using a potato masher, gently mash the potatoes to break up some of the pieces and thicken the soup.
  7. Ladle soup into bowls. Squeeze a wedge of lime onto each soup serving and top with the toppings of your choice.
Kitchen Notes

The toppings – One guess as to what my favorite topping is – bacon!  A little bacon and Romano is a great finish to this soup. However, for a vegetarian version Romano or Feta and fresh onion works great as well.  

 

Soup variations – Do you have a soup that is a “base” for a variety of other soups?  For me, this one is it. As you can see from the recipe, 8 cups of potatoes make a lot of soup.  That allows us to have two different soups in one week if we want, with only a few changes.  Here are a couple of changes you can make to any leftovers – if you choose:

  • Pureed version – puree’ the soup and finish with a little heavy cream and a generous dose of white pepper or to taste.  As with any potato soup, be careful when you puree’ it. An over-pureed potato soup becomes pasty.
  • Southwestern version – Add some roasted, peeled and chopped green chile or roasted poblano. Either stir in Monterey Jack cheese or use it as a topping. If you have some leftover chicken in the fridge, add it to the soup. To really jazz it up, top the soup with crumbled, cooked Mexican chorizo.

 

Suggested sides – Our favorite side is buttermilk cornbread.  We also like chips or crackers, like wonton crackers. If we’re eating the southwestern version, flour or corn tortillas work great.

Leek and Potato Soup @MJsKitchen mjskitchen.com

Easy Wonton Crackers

Baked Wonton Crackers mjskitchen.com

A package of wonton wrappers is usually more than is needed for any one dish; therefore, there are always leftover. My favorite this to do with the leftover wrappers is to bake them into crispy little crackers. It takes about 10 minutes at the most and yields a stack of crackers that you can eat as a snack or serve with just about any soup – hot or cold.

Wonton Crackers Recipe
Prep
10 mins
Cook
10 mins
Total Time
20 mins
 

Easy little cracker that can be make very quickly with leftover wonton wrappers.

Course: bread
Recipe Author: MJ of MJ’s Kitchen
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 °F.
  2. Cut wonton wrappers into four pieces.
  3. Lightly brush or spray a single layer sheet pan or cookie sheet with oil. (I use a garlic-infused olive oil.)
  4. Lay the wontons on the cookie sheet, lightly brush or spray with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and/or spice of your choosing.
  5. Bake about 7 minutes or until crispy and toasted.

Enjoy!

A Tantalizing Collection of Soups and Stews | mjskitchen.com

For more soup choices check this roundup of Tantalizing Soups and Stews.

59 Comments

  1. Pingback: Shumai | Easy Japanese Recipes at Just One Cookbook

  2. Pingback: Wordless Wednesday: Homemade Corn Tortillas | Spicie Foodie Gluten Free Mexican Tortilla Recipe

  3. Just found your blog today and wow, love how intelligent and thoughtful this post is with all the links to the science behind this recipe. I don’t think you’ve retired from education!

  4. Leeks are one of my favorite foods in the onion family and I feel they’re terribly underused so I’m so glad you shared this with Made with Love Mondays. I’ve never squeezed lime over potato soup before but I’m intrigued and will have to try =)

  5. Well, those look fun….and crispy. Great idea to serve with soup.

  6. I love soups especially on cold wet days and those wanton crackers look great! Will give it a try as I have wanton skin in my fridge:D

  7. Pingback: Dragon-Baiting Roasted Chili-Garlic Wonton Crisps | Wok With Me, Baby Dragon-Baiting Roasted Chili-Garlic Wonton Crisps | Watch me try to cook non-Chinese food in China

  8. Here I am late for the soup party. Darn!! I am such a goof… I see the box below to subscribe for the first. I’m clicking that now and I hope to never be late again. 🙂 Sign me up for a big bowl of soup with some bacon topping. Luckily I’m not freezing from taking pictures in 30degree weather tonight. 🙂

  9. That is the very definition of comfort food..just looking at it makes me feel warm
    I love all your toppings. Very creative and tasty

  10. What a beautiful soup…I must try a vegetarian version of this 🙂 And the crackers are fantastic!

  11. Thanks everyone for your wonderful comments! If you make the soup I do hope you enjoy it as much as we do. The wonton crackers I did on a whim because I had no bread or crackers in the house. I was shocked at how wonderful they were. I dusted some with smoked paprika last night – Delicious! I know you’ll all enjoy them. Thanks again!

  12. The soup looks warm, flavourful and delicious. This is the first soup that made me all warm just by looking at it. And the wanton crackers look heavenly. I love the presentation! 🙂

  13. Yum, I haven’t made potato and leek soup in ages but it’s one of my favorites! I can’t wait to try your version soon. The wonton crackers are a great idea!

  14. This soup has been on my ‘to try’ list for so long that I had forgotten all about it. Thanks for this post…it refreshed my memory! I believe your recipe would be great for that! It sounds delicious.

  15. I just remembered that I made potato leek soup last year but this year I even forgot about it. Thank you for posting this – I would rather try a new version and yours seem perfect. I’m going to make some dumplings this weekend, and will also make wonton crackers if there are leftovers too!

  16. This soup looks great!

  17. I love soup in the winter. This looks like a great one.

  18. we have been enjoying big bowls of soup lately after heavy foods from the Super Bowl, loving the crispy wontons.. yummy soup!

  19. Thanks for stopping by and commenting on my Food Crazie blog. To show my appreciation for your support, I added this site to my Crazie Good Blog list on my blog. Thanks again!

  20. These wonton crackers are ingenious. This has to go on the MUST MAKE list. They are easy to make and I am betting, they are tasty. Thanks so much for sharing this.

    I just realized, I have round wontons. I have to go get some square ones. I like the round ones for filling.

  21. I think leek is one of my very favourite things in soup… it’s funny, have you ever tried eating fresh, raw leek? It tastes like onion; rather strong. But when cooked it takes on a much milder aroma and the texture is ideal. Love it here in combination with your delightful herb choices and other vegetables – the red pepper is so pretty. Beautiful soup MJ.

  22. Your potato and leek soup looks so comforting, MJ! I would love to try it with your wonton crackers! Fantastic combo!

  23. Mj, this is one of my absolute favorite comfort soups!

  24. I’m a sucker for soups – steaming hot ones in the winter and chilled soups in the summer. This sounds so great. I just love the combination of herbs and the addition of mustard powder.

  25. Mj this is a perfect soup. I love potatoes and leeks and I like that addition of mustard powder. I never thought of that, spice it up a bit. I am loving those wonton crackers too with the garlic infused oil. Yum!

  26. Mmmm, I love soup, so warm and comforting. Leek and potato is delicious! Love your wonton crackers, fab idea :-))

  27. MJ…this soup is beautiful! I love potatoes and I love leeks as well. But the first time I worked with leeks, I didn’t wash them well enough! Yikes! It was like eating the beach! This recipe makes me want to give it another try! : )

    • Yikes! Yes – poorly wash leeks is not pleasant! I usually chop the leeks then transfer them to a colander and rinse. It seems to work, because I’m not crunchy on grit. 😉

  28. This looks so tasty, and i love the idea that different soups can be made from the same base – I never thought about that before! Thanks for sharing this with Sunday Night Soup Night, look forward to seeing you again soon! Pinned for future reference 🙂

  29. One of my favorite soups! And I still have some frozen turkey stock from our Christmas turkey. It’d be perfect in this. I usually don’t add extras to my soup, but like the idea of bacon. But then I’ll put bacon on anything. Anyway, thanks!

  30. Love those wonton crackers! I’d go Southwestern on the soup but still keep the wonton chips sprinkled with a bit of Chipotle chili powder – yummy!

  31. Yum! That sounds (and look) like a great soup! And I love all the little variations too! I had never thought of making crackers out of wonton wrappers: that’s so clever! I love it!

  32. One of my favourite soup!! Lovely.

  33. This heartwarming soup looks perfect for our horrible weather, but the wonton crackers are amazing! It’s one of the most creative ideas I have ever seen. Thanks for sharing the quickest and easiest snack recipe!

  34. Yummy! This would be good today – it’s chilly this morning!

  35. It is really chilly out here this morning, and I would love a nice bowl of soup to warm me up! On a total sidebar, I cannot seem to get your RSS button to work for the life of me! It just gives me a string of gobbldy gook…

  36. Looks great! I usually puree potato and leek soup, but I like that you just mashed the potatoes instead.

  37. looks so warming, hearty & delecious! loved the wanton chips idea too 🙂

  38. MJ, this soup looks so delicious. I am a soup fan and never get tired of it. No doubt I will be making your soup this week. Thanks so much for sharing.

  39. MJ! This is totally my kind of soup. Love your pictures.

  40. As promised, I made this soup tonight. “Very, Very Good.” “Very, Very Tasty,” were among the understated comments the guys made the whole time they were eating. The image of them holding their bowls up to let the last drop of their second bowls drip into their mouths said even more. JT said he is already looking forward to his lunch tomorrow because he predicts it wiill be even better tomorrow when the herbs have had time to blend. My wonton wrappers in the freezer turned out to be spring roll wrappers. Thinner but just as good. Everyone loved them. “They satisfy that need to have some kind of bread or cracker with soup but without the heaviness.” “Perfect to go with the soup or on their own as a light snack.” No surprise – excellent job MJ!

    • I am SO THRILLED that you all loved the soup and the crackers! Thanks for letting me know! And yes – it will be even better tomorrow as all soups are! You’re the greatest Nads!

  41. This came just at the right time as I’m on a lookout for delicious soup recipes since it’s so cold over here! Wanton crackers are a great idea!

  42. Guess what I’m having for dinner tonight! WOW! This sounds perfect for helping me clear some of the broth and frozen peppers and wraps out of the freezer. With the move coming up, I’m trying to use up what I have in the freezer. This will make a dent and a delicious meal. Potatoes soup is one of JT’s favs anyway you make it.

  43. Potato and leek is a great combination (especially in soups, but also as a pizza topping)… I’d love this soup tonight: I’m freezing!

    • I’ve never had leek and potato on pizza and why not! It sounds delicious! Sounds like you need to make a pot of soup and warm up! I’m looking at a lot of warm soups and comfort food this week to stay warm. Thanks for the pizza idea!

  44. These look so delicious!! Also wanted to let you know I featured your sweet and spicy pepitas in my favorite appetizer picks today! xoxo

    http://www.eat-yourself-skinny.com/2012/02/super-bowl-recap-and-skinny-appetizer.html

  45. Out of 5 in my house, I’m the only soup lover. This looks so good I may make a smaller batch to enjoy myself!

    Thanks for visiting me at A Season for All Things. I’m your newest follower and look forward to finding more great recipes. ~ Ellen

    • How can anyone not like soup!?!? It takes all kinds and I’m sure that’s a challenge for you! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. I look forward to sharing with you.

  46. Almost bought wonton wrappers yesterday. Will now have to go back and purchase a pack. This sounds easy and great for snacking. It is on my list for preparing. Thanks

    • Hope you like the crackers! They were one of those “let’s see if this works” and it did! Just don’t use an insulated cookie sheet. They don’t get crispy enough.

  47. Oh..wow..those wonton crackers and the filling soup would make a perfect dinner for me!

  48. Interesting variation over the classic potato and leek soup. I normally blend it to a cream (without the red pepper), but I think a bit of texture would do it good.

  49. The absolute comfort soup! I love potato anything soups. They somehow make them into more of a main course rather than a starter soup. And with a good crusty bread, I’d be on cloud nine! Those wonton crackers are brilliant!

  50. Absolutely comforting and delicious! Love the variations you’ve mentioned too..

  51. This is just my favourite soup of all – nothing, just *nothing* beats potato and leek soup! I usually don’t bother topping it, but after seeing your suggestions I’m starting to wonder what’s wrong with me. Scallions, bacon, feta… oh my – I love all of those… why have I never put them on my soup before! 🙂

    • 🙂 If you haven’t picked it up by now, I’m a topping fanatic! I put toppings on everything especially soups. It’s such an adventure! 🙂

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