Thick and creamy bacon potato and leek soup: all come together quickly to make a comforting and satisfying soup for the colder days of the year.
Looking for more cold-weather, hearty soup recipes with potatoes? Check out our Potato Dumpling Soup, that’s always a huge hit with the whole family, the Irish Potato Soup, or the Creamy Potato and Pumpkin Soup.
Reasons to love this recipe
Creamy, cozy, and comforting: The combination of potatoes and leeks is always irresistible, and adding crispy bacon to the creamy soup makes everything even better.
Low-budget: This creamy leek and potato soup recipe is made with just a few ingredients, and they are relatively inexpensive. You can save even more if you make it when leeks are in season.
Versatile: The bacon bits on top are incredible, but if you want to make a vegetarian soup, feel free to replace it with shredded cheese, bread or potato croutons, fried tofu cubes, or chopped green onions.
Recipe ingredients
- Leeks: You will need about 1 lb/ 450 g leeks weighed after cleaning. In my case, I had two large leeks, but depending on their size, you might need 4-5 smaller ones. I measured the leeks in cups after chopping them; I had 5 to 6 cups.
- All-purpose potatoes (between waxy and starchy) like Yukon gold or white potatoes. Avoid using waxy potatoes for soups.
- Butter and olive oil for sauteing the vegetables.
- Vegetable broth or chicken stock: Homemade chicken stock is always my first choice, but vegetable broth paste or cubes mixed with hot water are also fine.
- Spices: Thyme, one bay leaf, nutmeg, fine sea or Kosher salt, and ground black pepper. For a slightly different flavor, replace the thyme with a herb mixture like herbs de Provence or Italian herbs.
How to make leek and potato soup with bacon?
Clean the leeks
- Clean the leeks thoroughly; there is always a lot of dirt between the layers of the plant.
- Wash, top, and tail the stalks, discarding the wilted green ends.
- Slice lengthwise, starting at the transition between the white and the green part and moving the knife towards the top.
- Fan open the layers but don’t take the plant apart. Rinse between the layers under cold running water to remove all the dirt.
Chopping:
- Chop the leeks and the celery stalk.
- Potatoes: Peel, wash and cut them into cubes (1).
Cook:
- Heat the butter and oil in a Dutch oven or another large pot. Add the chopped leeks and celery and cook them, often stirring, for 5 minutes until softer. Add potatoes and sauté for 2-3 minutes (2).
- Simmer: Add the stock, thyme, bay leaf, about ½ teaspoon salt, and pepper, bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 15-20 until the potatoes are soft; the cooking time depends on the size of the potato pieces (3).
- Blend: Remove the bay leaf, add the heavy cream, and blend the soup with a hand blender (See Expert Tips).
- Adjust the taste with a few gratings of nutmeg, salt, and lots of freshly ground black pepper.
Bacon:
- Fry the sliced bacon in the pan just before serving.
- Place the slices on a paper towel-lined plate to remove the excess bacon fat. Break it into smaller pieces or crumble it over each bowl of soup.
- Sprinkle with fresh thyme sprigs, fresh chopped parsley, or chives, and serve immediately.
Expert Tips
- Don’t over-blend anything containing potatoes, over blending will make them gluey.
- Using an immersion blender for blending soups or other hot liquids is best.
- Food processor: If you use a food processor or blender, follow a few steps to ensure safety.
- Place a kitchen towel on top of the kitchen gadget to prevent drops from coming out of it.
- Puree in two or three batches, depending on the size of your machine.
- Increase the speed gradually to avoid splattering. Built-up steam might even blow the lid of the food processor and cause burns, so be careful!
Recipe FAQ
Yes. Let it come to room temperature, then refrigerate it in the covered pot or another container with a lid.
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Reheat it on the stovetop or in the microwave. Add a splash of milk if the soup has thickened too much.
Freezing: I avoid freezing anything containing potatoes, but you should be OK with a blended potato soup. The soup might separate after thawing. In this case, stir, reheat, and blend it again to return the creamy texture.
What to serve with bacon, potato and leek soup?
Crusty bread or French baguette is my first choice. Try our beloved Spelt Bread – No Rise, No Knead Bread, the Oatmeal Bread without Yeast, Easy Soda Bread with Yogurt, Irish Guinness Brown Bread Recipe, Green Bread with Spinach, Flaxseed Bread, or Buckwheat Bread.
To complete the meal, serve a small salad before or after the bacon, potato and leek soup. Try Beetroot and Feta Salad (with Balsamic Dressing), Loaded Tuna and Feta Salad, or a light green salad with Yogurt Dressing or Raspberry Vinaigrette.
More recipes with leeks
Simple Bacon Potato and Leek Soup
Equipment
- Large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed soup pan
Ingredients
- 1 lb leeks 450 g/ 5-6 chopped cups, Note 1
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter Note 2
- 1 celery stalk
- 4 cups chicken stock or vegetable broth 1 liter
- 2 lbs potatoes all-purpose, 900 g, Note 3
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- a few gratings of nutmeg
- ¾ cup heavy cream 175 ml
- 8 slices streaky bacon
- fresh thyme, chives, or parsley
Instructions
- Leeks: Wash, top, and tail them, discarding the wilted dark green ends (about 1 inch/ 2 cm). Slice them lengthwise, starting at the transition between the white and the green part and moving the knife towards the top of the plant.
- Wash leeks: Fan open the layers without taking the leek apart and rinse under cold running water until all the dirt is removed.
- Chop the leeks and celery.1 lb/ 450 g leeks + 1 rib of celery
- Potatoes: Peel, wash and cut them into cubes.2 lbs/ 900 g potatoes
- Sauté: Heat oil and butter, and add leeks and celery. Cook them, often stirring, for 5 minutes until softer. Add potatoes and stir for another 2-3 minutes.1 Tbsp oil + 1 Tbsp butter
- Simmer: Add stock, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer on low heat for 15-20 until the potatoes are soft.4 cups stock/1 liter + 1 tsp thyme + 1 bay leaf + about ½ tsp salt and some pepper
- Blend: Remove the bay leaf, add cream, and blend the soup with an immersion blender (Notes 4 and 5).¾ cup/ 175 ml heavy cream
- Adjust the taste with a few gratings of nutmeg, salt, and lots of freshly ground black pepper.
- Fry the bacon in the pan just before serving. Break it into smaller pieces or crumble it over each bowl of soup. Sprinkle fresh thyme, chives, or parsley on top and serve immediately.4 slices streaky bacon, 1-2 Tbsp fresh herbs
Notes
- Leeks: Weighed after cleaning. They come in very different sizes, I had two large ones, but you might need up to 4-5 smaller ones.
- Butter: Salted or unsalted; adjust the amount of salt you need accordingly.
All-purpose potatoes like Yukon or white potatoes; they are between waxy and starchy. - It’s preferable to always use an immersion blender for blending soups or other hot liquids.
- Blending in a food processor: Place a folded towel on the machine’s lid. Blend the soup in batches, and increase the speed only gradually to avoid the lid exploding and causing burns or other damages.