How to Make the Best Leek and Potato Soup

Leek and potato soup is a prairie classic – add a little farmer sausage or a little smoky bacon and you could be sitting in any traditional farm house – maybe even my mom and dad’s!

A warm and hearty bowl of thick leek and potato soup.

Also Read: Leek and Potato Au Gratin, Award Winning Chicken Corn Chowder, Homemade Ham Bone Soup Stock

Start with a trip to the garden or local market sometime between September and end of October when leeks, carrots and potatoes are freshly harvested. Here’s a look at harvesting leeks from our garden.

ingredients for leek and potato soup
Fresh from the garden. Find fresh leeks, carrots and potatoes in late fall.

Tips for Making Leek and Potato Soup

Washing and cutting the leeks is as tough as this recipe gets! But here are a few tips to help along the way:

The immersion blender is a great tool for making this soup thick and creamy – of course the potatoes help too.  If you prefer, you could serve this soup as is – no blender required.

Sometimes we add meat to our leek and potato soup. The recipes explains how to cook it before you sauté the veggies, of course you could also use left overs, pre-cooked kielbasa, thick cut bacon or ham.

bowl of leek and potato soup
Thick cut smoky bacon, farmer sausage or ham are great additions – but totally optional.

The variety of potato does make a difference but any variety will work. The thickest, creamiest soup will come from high starch potatoes like russet potatoes. Red potatoes are considered a waxy potato. They hold their shape and will require a little more cooking and blending in this soup. No problem, as you can see in my photos, I use them all the time because that’s what I usually have on hand. Trust me, the soup doesn’t mind!

No need to peel your potatoes. They blend right in and you’ll get the benefit of all the fibre and nutrients that are in potato peels. Just scrub really well and cut out any blemishes.

leek and potato soup with sandwich
No meat in this soup – we saved the ham for sandwiches! The little flecks in the soup are from potato peel, because why not get all the nutrients you can.

Leek and Potato Soup Recipe

Print Recipe
4.50 from 4 votes

Leek and Potato Soup with Farmer Sausage

A classic autumn comfort soup. Get rich creamy texture from the potatoes, savoury flavour from the leeks and mellow it out with sweet carrots. Smoked meat like ham, bacon, farmer sausage is optional.
Prep : 10 minutes
Cook : 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 6
Author: Getty Stewart

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp canola oil divided
  • 250 g farmer sausage uncooked
  • 4 cups sliced leeks 4 medium leeks
  • 2 cups chopped carrots 2-3 carrots
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme 1 tsp dried
  • 4 cups diced potatoes 5 potatoes (no need to peel)
  • 6 cups soup stock veggie or chicken
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • In a large soup pot, heat 1 Tbsp canola oil over medium high heat.
  • Add crumbled farmer sausage.
  • Stir frequently to break up and lightly brown sausage.
  • Remove farmer sausage from pot and save for later.
  • If your pot is dry (no leftover grease), add 1 Tbsp canola oil.
  • Add leeks, carrots and thyme and saute until soft about 5-7 minutes. Do not brown.
  • Add potatoes and stock, stirring to combine well.
  • Bring soup to boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until potatoes are soft.
  • Remove from heat.
  • Use an immersion blender to puree soup.
  • If needed, add water, milk, cream or soup stock to thin soup to desired consistency.
  • Return to heat and add farmer sausage.
  • Heat through and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley, dill, chives or chopped onions. Enjoy!

Notes

Prefer your leek and potato soup without the farmer sausage? No problem, just omit any steps involving the sausage. Start by sauteeing leeks and carrots.
Prefer to use bacon? No problem, just replace the sausage with the bacon. Drain all but 1 to 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease and omit the oil.
For dehydrating:  Omit the oil and farmer sausage. Use water in pan to steam leeks and veggies. Use low fat stock. Puree and place individual serving sizes on a dehydrating tray and dry at 135°F/57°C for 4-6 hours until dry and crumbly. Add dried salami, pepperoni or tofu bacon/tempeh at camp if you wish.
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Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Calories: 323kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 14g | Sodium: 618mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Iron: 3mg
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: carrots, leek and potatoes, leeks, potatoes

More Potato Recipes to Try

Potato, Leek and Carrot Au Gratin

Cauliflower Potato Curry

Sausage and Root Veggie Sheet Pan Dinner

Leftover Mashed Potato Patties

Make Ahead Freezer Mashed Potatoes

Broccoli Soup with Potatoes

Roasted Rosemary Potatoes

Chili Cheese Roasted Potato Slices

How to Dehydrate Potatoes

How to Make Scalloped Potatoes with Dehydrated Potatoes

Everyone in our family, even the picky eaters, loves this soup. They like it best when it’s pureed so it’s smooth and creamy. The carrots add a nice, slightly sweet flavor and a golden color.

Most of the leeks in my garden end up in soup. Do you have any favorite recipes for using leeks? Maybe the kids are mature enough now to try something a little more adventurous – your ideas are welcomed!

Sign up to get articles by Getty delivered to your inbox. You’ll get recipes, practical tips and great food information like this. Getty is a Professional Home Economist,  speaker and writer putting good food on tables and agendas.  She is the author of Manitoba’s best-selling Prairie Fruit Cookbook, Founder of Fruit Share, a mom and veggie gardener.

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