Description
A comforting and creamy leek and potato soup recipe that can be prepared on the hob, in a slow cooker, or using a soup maker. This versatile soup combines tender leeks, potatoes, and aromatic thyme, blended smooth and enriched with cream or milk, perfect for a warming meal.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Oil
- 600 g Leeks (washed, trimmed, and sliced 1-2 cm width)
- 1 Onion (roughly chopped)
- 450 g Potatoes (cut into 1-2 cm cubes)
- 1 tsp Dried thyme
- 1.2 l Vegetable stock (reduce to 1 litre when using slow cooker or soup maker)
- 200 ml Milk or single cream (optional, plus extra for swirling)
- 3-4 Chives (chopped, to serve)
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper (to season generously)
Instructions
- Heat the oil: On the hob, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large saucepan.
- Add vegetables: Add the sliced leeks, roughly chopped onion, and cubed potatoes to the pan, stirring to coat them in the oil. Cook for 3-4 minutes until slightly softened.
- Add seasoning and stock: Stir in 1 teaspoon of dried thyme, pour in the vegetable stock, and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Simmer soup: Let the soup gently simmer uncovered for 25-30 minutes until the potatoes are tender enough to blend.
- Blend: Use a hand blender or transfer to a blender to blend the soup until smooth.
- Add cream or milk: Stir in 200 ml of milk or single cream to enrich the soup.
- Heat and serve: Bring the soup back to a gentle simmer, then ladle into bowls. Optionally, swirl in a little extra cream and scatter with chopped chives before serving.
- Slow cooker method: Add all ingredients except oil and milk/cream into the slow cooker, reducing the stock to 1 litre. Cook on HIGH for 2 hours until potatoes are soft. Blend the soup, stir in cream or milk, heat through with the lid on, and serve garnished with chives and optional cream swirl.
- Soup maker method: Place all ingredients except oil and milk/cream into the soup maker with 1 litre stock. Cook and blend according to the machine’s instructions. Stir in milk or cream, then serve garnished with chopped chives and optional cream swirl.
Notes
- Potatoes should be cut into 1-2 cm cubes for even cooking.
- The stock quantity is reduced to 1 litre when using a slow cooker or soup maker to compensate for evaporation differences.
- Milk or single cream can be omitted for a lighter soup or substituted with plant-based cream for a dairy-free option.
- Swirling extra cream and adding chopped chives at serving enhances presentation and flavor.
- This recipe serves 4 people.
