Creamy Potato Leek Soup (Printable version)

Smooth blend of potatoes and leeks topped with crispy garlic croutons for a comforting dish.

# Ingredient list:

→ Soup

01 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
02 - 2 tbsp olive oil
03 - 2 large leeks, white and light green parts only, cleaned and sliced
04 - 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
05 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
07 - 5 cups vegetable broth
08 - 1 bay leaf
09 - ½ cup heavy cream
10 - Salt, to taste
11 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
12 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh chives

→ Garlic Croutons

13 - 3 cups day-old baguette or country bread, cut into ½-inch cubes
14 - 2 tbsp olive oil
15 - 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
16 - ¼ tsp sea salt
17 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# Directions:

01 - Melt butter and olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add leeks and onion; sauté for 6 to 8 minutes until softened without browning.
02 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add diced potatoes, vegetable broth, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes until potatoes are tender.
04 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Toss bread cubes with olive oil, minced garlic, salt, and pepper until evenly coated. Spread on a baking sheet and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring once, until golden and crisp.
05 - Remove bay leaf from soup. Puree using an immersion blender or in batches with a countertop blender until smooth and creamy.
06 - Stir in heavy cream. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Gently reheat if necessary.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls. Top with garlic croutons and sprinkle with fresh chives. Serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The texture is impossibly silky without feeling heavy, thanks to the butter-and-cream balance that tastes way fancier than the effort it takes.
  • Those garlic croutons are your secret weapon for turning a simple soup into something people actually remember eating.
  • It comes together in under an hour, so you can feed people something that feels thoughtfully made without spending your whole evening in the kitchen.
02 -
  • Don't skip cleaning the leeks properly—slice them lengthwise first so you can rinse between the layers where dirt loves to hide and ruin everything.
  • Blend the soup until it's genuinely smooth, because any lumps will make it feel like someone forgot a crucial step in the kitchen.
  • Make your croutons ahead of time if you want—they'll stay crispy in an airtight container and give you one less thing to juggle while ladling soup.
03 -
  • Toast your bread cubes in the oven instead of a skillet—it's more forgiving and you don't have to stand there watching them like you're defusing a bomb.
  • Save a cup of broth before you blend, so you can adjust the thickness at the end if the soup feels too heavy or too thin.

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