This potato leek soup with bacon is perfect for St. Patrick's Day or any other time. It's an easy 30-minute recipe that tastes like it was simmering on the stovetop all day. Add some shredded cheese, extra bacon, or a drizzle of heavy cream, and dig in.
Serve with some French bread, rustic bread, or Irish soda bread. Enjoy!
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Potato Leek Soup is also a very popular Irish soup I often include in our lists of Irish recipes for St. Patrick's Day celebrations.
The creamy soup has historically been enjoyed during the Irish winters as much as my family and I enjoy it here in chilly Minnesota.
Since we have a long winter here, I love curling up with a hot bowl filled with this delicious soup. If you've never tried leek before, this is a perfect recipe to try it out for the first time.
For more Irish cuisine and St. Patrick's Day celebration ideas, be sure to stop by my pages on Irish recipes and St. Patrick's Day Recipes!
🥘 Ingredients
The leek adds some onion flavor but with a different consistency. If you're one of those people who doesn't like to bite into onion but loves the flavor of onion, then you should love cooking with leeks.
- Butter - 2 tablespoons of butter.
- Leek - 2 stalks of leak thinly sliced.
- Russet Potatoes - 1 pound of russet potatoes (2-3 large potatoes) peeled and diced.
- Garlic - 1 ½ tablespoons of minced garlic (about 4-5 cloves).
- Chicken Broth - 3 cups of chicken broth or stock.
- Heavy Cream - ¼ cup of heavy cream at room temperature, if possible. Plus, more for serving if desired.
- Thyme - 8 sprigs of fresh thyme.
- Salt & Pepper - ½ teaspoon each plus more to taste.
- Turmeric - 1 teaspoon of ground turmeric.
- Bacon - 2-3 strips of bacon cooked and crumbled. Reserve some for adding to the top when serving.
- Chives - 1 tablespoon of chives, chopped.
- Smoked White Cheddar (optional) - Grated cheese for topping off your soup!
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Potato Leek Soup
Our potato leek soup with bacon and chives is a very easy soup to make, and it is one that your whole family is sure to love.
You will need your measuring utensils, a large stockpot, a wooden spoon or spatula for stirring, and a blender or immersion blender.
One pot of this soup makes about 6 servings, and it tastes even better the next day!
- Saute the leek. In a large stock pot, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat and add 2 stalks of sliced leek. Saute the leek for a few seconds by itself, then add 1 ½ tablespoons of minced garlic and continue to saute until the leek begins to wilt (2-3 minutes).
- Add seasoning. Add the 8 sprigs of thyme and ½ teaspoon each of salt & pepper. Once the leek has begun to wilt, pour in 3 cups of chicken broth and add 1 pound of diced potatoes. Stir in 1 teaspoon of turmeric and cover.
- Boil the potatoes. Reduce heat to medium and cook at a low boil until the potatoes are fork-tender and come apart easily, about 15 minutes.
- Blend. Once the potatoes are tender, use a hand blender, stand blender, or food processor to puree the soup base until it is your desired level of smoothness (we like ours a bit rustic, with a few chunks that can still be found in the soup). ***Be extremely careful while pureeing the soup; it is very hot; let it cool just a bit before attempting.
- Add 2-3 strips of crumbled bacon, 1 tablespoon of chopped chives, and ¼ cup of heavy cream. Stir and serve.
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Texture Preference: I enjoy this soup with a bit of a rustic touch, leaving in a few chunky pieces for texture. However, feel free to blend the soup to your desired consistency, whether that's completely smooth or somewhere in between.
- Blending Safely: When using a standard blender for your soup, remember to fill it only halfway to prevent overflow and allow for expansion. Keep the lid's hole open to let steam escape, covering it with a clean dish towel for safety. This method helps avoid pressure buildup inside the blender.
- Adjusting Consistency: Should your soup turn out thicker than you like, simply thin it by adding a bit more broth until you reach the preferred consistency. Conversely, if the soup is too thin, you have a couple of options: blend in some cooked potato for added thickness or let the soup simmer a bit longer on the stove to reduce and thicken naturally.
🥡 Storing
Once cooled, transfer leftover soup to an airtight container. Refrigerate it for 3 - 4 days.
Individual portions of soup can be reheated for 1-2 minutes or until hot. Large portions of soup can be reheated on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed through (10-15 minutes).
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❓ Recipe FAQs
Russet potatoes are my go-to choice for most soups. They are extra starchy, which helps give this soup its thick and creamy texture. My next choice would be yellow or Yukon gold potatoes.
You can freeze potato leek soup, but the texture is better if you blend it until smooth. Sometimes, chunks of potato can have a grainy texture once defrosted. It should keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months.
The most tender and flavorful parts of a leek are the light green and white bottom parts, though all of it is edible. The dark green tops are tougher, so they are best for soups (like this one), sautees, and stir-fries.
☘️ More Irish Recipes
- Irish Lamb Stew - A hearty stew packed with tender lamb meat and root vegetables.
- Corned Beef and Cabbage - An Irish classic you can make in a crockpot, Instant Pot, or on the stovetop!
- Irish Oatmeal Cake with Caramel Pecan Frosting - Moist and tender oatmeal cake with homemade caramel pecan frosting.
- Traditional Irish Soda Bread - This easy, no-knead bread pairs well with just about anything!
- Irish Soda Bread Pudding - Turn your soda bread into a sweet and creamy bread pudding.
- Irish Barmbrack - Subtly sweet raisin bread you can enjoy as dessert or slather in butter.
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📖 Recipe Card
Potato Leek Soup with Bacon
Ingredients
- 1 lb potatoes (2-3 russet potatoes, peeled and diced)
- 2 stalks leek (thin sliced)
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 ½ tablespoon garlic (minced)
- 8 sprigs thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme - more for garnish, if desired)
- ½ teaspoon each, salt & pepper (or more, to taste)
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 2-3 strips bacon (cooked, crumbled - reserve some for adding to the top when serving)
- 1 tablespoon chives (chopped)
- ¼ cup heavy cream (more to drizzle as garnish when serving, if desired)
- 2 tablespoon smoked white cheddar (grated, optional garnish)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- In a large stock pot, melt butter over medium high heat and add sliced leek. Saute the leek for a few seconds by itself, then add the minced garlic and continue to saute until the leek begins to wilt (2-3 minutes).
- Add seasoning (thyme, salt, pepper) once the leek has begun to wilt. Add the chicken broth and diced potatoes, stir and add the turmeric. Stir again and cover. Reduce heat to medium and cook at a low boil until the potatoes are fork tender and come apart easily, about 15 minutes.
- Once the potatoes are tender, use a hand blender to puree the soup base until it is your desired level of smoothness (we like ours a bit rustic, with a few chunks that can still be found in the soup). Add the crumbled bacon, chopped chives, and heavy cream. Stir and serve.
- Top with your choice of garnish. We used some more crumbled bacon, a few sprigs of thyme, some freshly grated smoked white cheddar and a swirl of heavy cream.
Notes
- We like to leave our potato leek soup a bit rustic (a few chunky pieces) versus blending it until completely smooth. You can do whichever you prefer!
- If using a standard blender, do not fill it more than halfway with soup. Leave the hole in the lid open and cover it with a clean dish towel to let the steam escape.
- If your soup is too thick, you can add more broth to thin it out. If it is too thin, you can always blend some cooked potato and stir it in or let it simmer for a few more minutes to thicken up!
Anonymous says
Bravissima ❤️
Nick says
My wife grows all the vegetables. I do the cooking. Absolutely delicious. Will definitely make it again.
Best wishes
Nick and Carli
Mette Smith says
Hi Angela, I just made this potato soup. My family LOVED it!!!! Super delicious and easy to make. Definitely a keeper.
Silvia says
Hoeveel prei etc staat helaas niet op "how many leeks"
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
2 stengels prei "2 stalks leek "