Beige bowl of soup, placed on colorful ceramic leaf shapes. The soup is a potato and leek soup with chives and extra leeks as a garnish.

You Got This: Take a Leek and Make Soup

Beige bowl of soup, placed on colorful ceramic leaf shapes. The soup is a potato and leek soup with chives and extra leeks as a garnish.

I’ve needed to take a leek for so long. And turn it into a soup. I can’t believe I haven’t done it sooner, but after eight years, the Fixin’ LEEKS ‘n Leaks blog post can no longer hold it in. All the leeks are coming out.

The internet is just bursting with potato and leek soup recipes, each one more beige than the next. Of course, there are lots of other things to do with a leek, but potato-leek soup is right at the top, so I didn’t think I could just skip over it. But butter, cream, potatoes, stock, a few leeks—and no other spices? Would I survive without an assortment of hot sauces? Perhaps a smattering of chili oil? I love a lot of spice, so I was bit concerned about this soup, but it is quite comforting on its own.

It’s the oatmeal-colored sweater paired with sensible shoes, the scoop of vanilla ice cream in a plain white dish. After you’ve raced up the stairs, tripped, and skinned your knee, you want a quiet bowl of soup. Not hot sauce rubbed into the wounds.

This is that kind of soup.

And here’s the recipe:

(For three people)

Ingredients:

1 leek washed well, chopped into tiny, tiny pieces (extra bits left over for garnish) Note: just use the white and soft green parts—not the dark leaves

1 tsp of chopped fresh garlic

1 tablespoon of butter

2-3 potatoes, peeled and chopped (baking potatoes/Yukon gold–whatever)

Enough chicken stock to cover the potatoes while boiling/cooking + a little extra

2/3 cup of cream or coconut milk (I happened to have coconut milk in the pantry, so I used that.)

Salt and pepper to taste

Chopped scallions, for garnish

Method:

In a large pan, heat the butter + leek pieces + garlic + chopped potatoes. Let them hang out for 2-3 minutes.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cover the potatoes and leeks with chicken stock and let the mixture boil over medium/medium high heat until the potatoes are soft, really soft. Add extra broth if the soup is looking too thin. (30 minutes or so)

Puree the soup + add the cream/coconut milk.

Add more chicken broth if the soup is looking too thin.

Let simmer 10-20 minutes.

Garnish with the chopped scallions and extra bits of leek that you might have left over.

Results: What a hearty bowl of soup! It tastes like mashed potatoes, but silkier, more drinkable, with just a hint of light oniony freshness (‘cause, leeks). However, I caved in and added a big smattering of freshly ground black pepper while the potato and leek mixture was boiling, so there was a little kick to it, thank goodness. Overall, it’s a great soup for when the day has been just a tad too exciting, and you want to crawl up into a ball and maybe blend in with a camel-colored fuzzy wall. (It’s okay. All will be well. Eventually. Maybe. Shoosh. Take a breath. Take a leek. Soup happens.)

Serve this soup with:

  • A Nordstrom home décor catalog
  • Wicker baskets lined with parchment paper
  • Buckets of oatmeal raisin cookies
  • The “soothing thoughts” Spotify channel, running on a loop
  • ASMR of raindrops and cuddly cats, purring
  • The sturdiest of bamboo tableware
  • Bread bowls shaped from fluffy pale clouds

Your Turn: What’s a hearty soup that you enjoy?

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Published by ckennedy

Author of the DIY blog: Fixin' Leaks and Leeks. Paper/Rock Writing Consultation, Sole Proprietor.

29 thoughts on “You Got This: Take a Leek and Make Soup”

  4. Okay – thanks for sharing the recipe and not just writing about the many layers of this soup = hearty and comforting – and I am going to try and make my version of this (drinkable mashed potatoes with leeks and pepper – mmmm – and I might add some chicken thigh meat – keep ya posted!
    also, loved your humor as usual

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  10. You are so funny. Also, I would very much enjoy the soup and its accoutrements, especially the home décor catalog, wicker baskets, oatmeal raisin cookies (for later), raindrops and cuddly cats, purring–preferably IRL, not just ASMR.

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