Leek and Potato Soup with Fresh Chives
This Leek and Potato Soup is a lovely, simple traditional soup. It is warming and hearty with a mild onion flavour. The potatoes thicken the soup without making it too heavy. It is filling enough to serve as a light lunch with some good bread but it can also be served as a starter for a more formal meal.
It is a truly versatile soup because it can be eaten either hot or cold. The cold version is similar to the French cold soup Vichyssoise which is generally made with chicken stock. This means that it is a soup for all seasons. It will warm you up in winter and cool you down in summer! If you are serving it cold, you need to allow it to cool down to room temperature after you have made it. Then put it in the fridge for at least two hours – ideally overnight – to ensure that it is properly chilled.
I like to stir a little cream into the finished soup and top it off with some fresh chives. Neither are essential. The soup will taste good without these additions if you do not wish to include them.
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What you need to know about making Leek and Potato Soup
- You must cook the leeks and onions slowly to allow them to sweeten and soften without burning. Don’t try and rush this stage. This slow gentle cooking is what will give your soup its extra-special flavour.
- A good quality stock is essential. This will give your soup depth of flavour. You can use either vegetarian stock or meat-based stock. If you have home-made stock, either vegetarian or meat-based, so much the better. I sometimes use home-made chicken stock or the cooking juices from a boiled ham. Both go well as a basis for this soup. You can use stock-cubes or powder to make the stock if you do not have any home-made stock to hand. If so, try and use a good quality brand.
- This soup is vegetarian if you use a vegetable-based stock. You can make a vegan version by substituting the butter for an extra tablespoon of oil and omitting the cream.
- This soup can be made in advance and then reheated. It also freezes well and can be kept in the freezer for at least 6 months.
Other easy vegetarian soup recipes
I have lots of easy, vegetarian soup recipes. If you like this Leek and Potato Soup you might like some of the others. All my soups are vegetarian and all can be made vegan by substituting animal fats, such as butter, for vegetable fats. Some of them are pretty simple such as Nettle Soup, Fennel Soup, Jerusalem Artichoke Soup or Sweetcorn Chowder and showcase a single vegetable. Others combine vegetables which have complimentary flavours such as Curried Parsnip and Apple Soup, Moroccan Spiced Sweet Potato Soup, Celeriac and Apple Soup, Mushroom and Chestnut Soup, Pumpkin and Sweetcorn Soup or Leek and Potato Soup. A few have more unusual combinations of flavours such as Beetroot Soup with Coconut or Butternut and Peanut Butter Soup. I also have a few chilled soup recipes, which are fantastic cold in the summer, but can also be served warm such as Asparagus and Pea and Tomato.
Leek and Potato Soup recipe
PrintLeek and Potato Soup with Fresh Chives
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 35
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: for 6 people 1x
- Category: Soup
- Cuisine: English
Description
This is a really easy soup which can be eaten either hot or cold. Although it uses relatively cheap ingredients, the soup is elegant and flavourful and is not out of place as a first course at a dinner party.
Ingredients
- 4 leeks
- 2 onions (I use white onions to keep the colour of the final soup pale)
- 2 large potatoes (about 500 g or 1 lb)
- 50 g (2 oz) butter
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 litre (2 pints) good quality stockÂ
- A bunch of fresh chives
- A little double cream (optional)
Instructions
- Wash the leeks, trim off the dark top parts of the leaves and chop the stalks roughly. Peel and chop the onions.
-  Heat the butter and the oil in your saucepan. Add the chopped leeks and onions, season them with salt and pepper, and very gently fry them for around 20 minutes until they are soft and sweet.  It is really important to add seasoning at this point and to cook gently to bring out the flavour of the vegetables – it will make a huge difference to the taste of your soup.
-  Next, peel and chop the potatoes and add them to the saucepan with the leeks and onions. Cook gently for a few minutes.
- Add the stock to your saucepan and simmer the vegetables gently for about 15 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and allow the soup to cool slightly before blending.
Notes
This soup can be eaten either hot or cold.
This recipe has been shared on #CookBlogShare with Curly’s Cooking and #FiestaFriday with Fiesta Friday and Laurena @ Life Diet Health