Potato & Leek Soup
Two vegetables, a knob of butter, and somehow one of the finest bowls of soup there is. Potato and leek was granny's proof that good cooking has nothing to do with money — just patience with the leeks and a decent potato.
Two rules make it silky instead of stodgy. First, sweat the leeks slowly and never let them colour — browned leeks turn the soup khaki and bitter; slow ones melt into sweetness. Second, use floury potatoes and don't over-blend; blitzing waxy spuds to death releases starch and turns the soup to wallpaper paste.
A swirl of cream, a few chives, and a slice of brown bread — lunch, sorted, for half of nothing.
Potato & Leek Soup
Silky, comforting, and made from the humblest of ingredients — ready in 45 minutes.
Ingredients
- 50 g butter
- 3 large leeks, washed & sliced
- 1 onion, chopped
- 500 g floury potatoes, diced
- 1000 ml chicken or vegetable stock
- 100 ml cream, plus extra to serve
- Salt, white pepper & chives
Slice first, then swish in a big bowl of cold water — the grit sinks, the leeks float. Lift them out, don't pour.
Method
- Sweat the leeks. Melt the butter over low heat. Add the leeks and onion with a pinch of salt, cover, and sweat 10 minutes without colouring, stirring now and then.
- Potatoes & stock. Stir in the potatoes, pour over the hot stock, and simmer 18–20 minutes until the potato is completely tender.
- Blend. Blitz until completely silky — in batches if needed. Sieve it for restaurant-smooth, if you're feeling fancy.
- Finish. Stir in the cream, warm through gently (don't boil), season with salt and white pepper. Swirl, chives, bread. Done.
White pepper, not black — it seasons without freckling the pale, silky soup. That's the old-school polish.
Tips for silky soup
Low, slow, no colour
Leeks should melt, not fry. Browned leeks make bitter, khaki soup.
Floury spuds
Roosters or Maris Pipers blend silky. Waxy salad potatoes turn gluey.
Cream at the end
Add it off the boil and just warm it through — boiled cream can split and dull the flavour.
Questions, answered
How do I stop leeks being gritty?
Slice first, then wash in a big bowl of cold water, swishing well — the grit sinks and the leeks float. Lift them out rather than pouring the water through them.
Why is my potato soup gluey?
Over-blending waxy potatoes releases too much starch. Use floury potatoes, blend just until smooth, and never use a food processor — it works the starch like dough.
Is this the same as vichyssoise?
Nearly — vichyssoise is essentially this soup served chilled, with more cream. Ours is served hot, the way it was always eaten in this house.