Enjoy a simple and tasty Irish potato soup that's easy to make and budget-friendly. With just a few basic ingredients, this classic dish is creamy, comforting, and full of flavor.
Whip up this tasty Irish potato soup - it's ideal for St. Patrick's Day or any chilly day of the year. This creamy potato leek soup recipe is incredibly easy and requires just a handful of pantry and freezer staples, making it a go-to meal for cozy evenings.
Try more of our St. Patrick's Day recipes: Irish Chicken, Dutch Oven Irish Stew, Bailey's Chocolate Cake, or Irish Potatoes and Cabbage.
Featured comment:
Sonia: Was easy and delicious, easier than most other Potato and Leek Soups and enough for 2 people.
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Recipe ingredients
Irish potato soup is made with potatoes, onions, milk or cream, stock, salt, and pepper.
Leeks are often added because they’re cheap, easy to find, and taste great with potatoes. I recommend using them for extra flavor and sweetness.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make Irish potato soup?
Tip: Read Roasted Leeks to learn more about cleaning leeks.
Step #1: Cook the chopped onions in butter until golden.
Step #2: Add garlic, potatoes, and leeks. Cook for about 8 minutes, stirring often, until softer.
Step #3: Add stock and cook for about 15-20 minutes or until the vegetables are really soft.
Step #4: Blend and add milk, cream, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
Tips
Creamy potato soup: Blend it completely with an immersion blender or in a food processor or blender.
If using a food processor or blender, puree in batches, and remember that it is very hot.
Don't turn the processor to its highest level from the beginning; do that gradually to avoid splatterings all over the place (or worse, on your hands). The built-up steam can sometimes even blow the lid off the food processor or blender.
I always place a kitchen towel on top of the food processor to avoid any drops messing up the kitchen walls.
Don't over-blend a potato soup, or it might turn gluey, which is really not nice. Try our creamy Red Cabbage Soup next!
Chunky soup: You can also leave the potato leek soup as it is (not blended – love it – more to chew) or mash it only partially with a potato masher.
Recipe FAQs
Place all the prepared ingredients, except milk and cream, in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours or until the potatoes are completely tender and cooked through. Blend as instructed, add milk or cream, and season. Try the Slow Cooker Pumpkin Soup next!
You can easily make this recipe vegetarian by using vegetable stock instead of chicken stock or vegan by replacing the butter, milk, and cream with vegan alternatives.
For a creamy soup, use starchy potatoes like Russet or Idaho. All-purpose ones like Yukon Gold also work. Avoid waxy potatoes—they’re better for salads, not soup. Try our Sour Cream Potato Salad or the Potato Salad with Dill Pickles.
How to store and reheat?
The Irish potato soup keeps well in the fridge for about 3 days. It tastes even better the next day when reheated.
I don't recommend freezing it; frozen and defrosted potato dishes are not great; at least, I don't like them at all.
What to serve with it?
Recipe
Irish Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs potatoes Note 1
- 2 large leeks about 12.5 oz/ 350 g, Note 2
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 onion
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- ⅓ cup whole milk
- a few gratings of nutmeg optional
- fine sea salt and black pepper
- chives to garnish
Instructions
- Prepare vegetables: Peel and chop the potatoes, clean and chop the leeks. Finely chop the garlic. Set aside. Chop the onions, and set aside them separately.1½ lbs potatoes + 2 large leeks + 2 garlic cloves + 1 onion
- Saute vegetables: Melt the butter in a soup pot. Cook the onions for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, potatoes, and leeks, stir well, and cook for about 8 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables are softer.1 tablespoon butter
- Simmer soup: Add the stock, cover, bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the vegetables are perfectly soft.6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
- Blend the soup with an immersion blender or in a food processor or blender. In this case, blend in batches and follow the safety instructions mentioned above. Do not over-blend the potato and leek soup, or it will turn gluey. You can also blend it only partially with a potato masher or leave it as it is (Note 3).
- Add the milk and the cream and reheat. Adjust the taste with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle with finely chopped chives. ⅓ cup heavy cream + ⅓ cup whole milk+a few gratings of nutmeg + fine sea salt and black pepper + chives
Notes
- Potatoes: Ideally, mealy potatoes, like Russet or Idaho, or all-purpose potatoes, like Yukon Gold.
- Clean the leeks: Wash the leeks. Trim and discard the roots and the last 2 cm/ 1 inch or so of the dark green ends as well. Slice the leeks lengthwise. Carefully fan open the layers without taking the leek apart, and rinse under running water until all the dirt is removed.
- Consistency: If you feel the soup is too thick, you can add a bit more stock or milk after blending (not too much, though).
Sonia says
Was Easy and Delicious , easier than most other Potato and Leek Soups and enough for 2 People
Adina says
I am happy to hear it, Sonia. Thank you.