Spring Potato and Leek Soup Recipe

Soup is honestly one of my favorite foods. I’m pretty sure I have more soup recipes on this blog than any other category. And this potato and leek soup is the perfect spring meal. It takes advantage of the early produce popping up but hits all those comfort-food notes I crave when it’s still a little chilly outside. Plus, as with most soup, it’s pretty easy to put together. Chop veggies, saute veggies, simmer veggies, enjoy!

SPRING POTATO AND LEEK SOUP INGREDIENTS

POTATOES: I love potato soups and this one is no exception. I like red potatoes in soups because they hold their shape the best. Potatoes tend to be a bit higher on the glycemic index but once you refrigerate cooked potatoes, the amount of resistant starch actually increases, making them a moderate-glycemic food instead of a high-glycemic food. All the more reason to whip up a batch on the weekend and store it in the fridge for lunches! 

LEEKS: Potatoes and leeks are a common combination and for good reason: they’re absolutely delicious together! Leeks are also a good source of vitamins A, C, and K, minerals like iron and manganese, and dietary fiber. 

GARLIC: As usual, I include plenty of garlic in this soup. It’s some of the most potent food medicine we can get our hands on so I figure the more, the merrier. 

AROMATICS: Celery and yellow onion round out the flavor base of this soup. They’re classics for a reason.

WINE: Anytime I can deglaze my pan with a bit of wine, I do it. It’s just a great way to add a more complex flavor to just about any dish. It definitely adds that extra something to this soup but if you’d rather not use wine you can just sub in additional stock. 

PEAS: I’m a sucker for a pop of color, so I love the addition of green peas to this soup. They also bump up the nutrition of the soup with a good amount of vitamins A, K, and C.

THE REST: Fresh thyme, a bay leaf, and stock finish out this soup. The herbs add a subtle flavor without overwhelming the vegetables and you can use vegetable stock to keep this recipe vegetarian. 

RECIPE NOTES AND SUBSTITUTIONS

• While this recipe stores nicely in the fridge for a few days, I would not recommend freezing it. Potatoes just don’t freeze well and the texture of the soup will be less-than-ideal once defrosted. 
• You could easily use another waxy potato, like Yukon gold. You could also use Russet if that’s what you have but they do tend to breakdown when cooked in a soup. 
• For a different variation, you could puree the soup. Just remove the bay leaf and blend it with a stick blender or in batches in a standard blender. 

Spring Potato and Leek Soup

This potato and leek soup is the perfect spring meal. It takes advantage of spring produce but still hits all those comfort food notes I crave when it’s still a little chilly outside.

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Course Soup

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

• 2-3 leeks
• 2 tablespoons butter or avocado oil
• 1/2 small yellow onion
• 2-3 celery stalks
• 4-5 cloves garlic
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme 1/2 teaspoon dried
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 4-6 red potatoes
• 4 cups stock chicken or vegetable work well
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup fresh or frozen peas

Instructions

 

• Slice the root ends of the leeks off, then slice the white and light green parts into ½-inch rounds. (Save the dark green parts for making stock!) Place sliced leeks in a medium bowl and cover with water. Swish the leeks around, separating the rings to make sure all the grit is cleaned off. Remove cleaned leeks onto a kitchen to drain. Discard dirty water.
• Heat butter or oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add leeks and onions and saute for 10 minutes, until beginning to soften.
• Add celery and saute for 10 minutes, until softened and vegetables are beginning to caramelize. This is key to a really flavorful soup.
• Add garlic and thyme and saute for 1 minute, until fragrant.
• Increase heat to high and add wine. Let cook for 3-4 minutes, until the wine has reduced, scraping up any flavorful bits from the bottom of the pan.
• Add potatoes, stock, bay leaf, salt, and pepper to the pot and stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low and cover. Allow soup to simmer for 10-15 minutes until potatoes are tender.
• Remove bay leaf and stir in peas. Return soup to simmer and let cook for 5 minutes.
• Taste and adjust seasoning as needed before serving. Serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.