Potato and Leek Soup (Potage Parmentier)

Warm up those winter nights with a delicious bowl of potato and leek soup, or Potage Parmentier as it's known in France.  This classic french soup is so quick and easy to put together.  The result?  A thick and creamy leek and potato soup that's perfect as is or served with crusty bread.  The BEST potato and leek soup recipe you'll try - move over Julia Child! 

When it comes to french cooking the word "easy" rarely comes to mind BUT in the case of Potato and Leek Soup, or Potage Parmentier as it's known in France, it's fitting!

Made with minimal ingredients and one pot, you'll want to make this classic french soup all winter long.  This hearty soup can be served as an appetiser or a main, but just be mindful that it's quite hearty so if you are serving it as an appetiser serve small portions.

Now I will take a moment here to point out that I have taken a few liberties with my recipe and strayed slightly from the traditional path.  Julia Child, who literally wrote the book on french cooking, makes her version of potato and leek soup with water.

I find soups made with just water quite bland, so I much prefer to make this with chicken stock.  I also like to flavour it with a little dried thyme and a bay leaf.

Sorry Julia Child, we'll just have to agree to disagree on this one.

Why you'll love this recipe...

• Very easy to prepare.
• Thick and creamy soup.
• Full of flavour.
• Great as an appetiser or main.

Potato and Leek Soup (Potage Parmentier) Ingredients List

One of the best parts of this soup is its simple and minimal ingredients list.  Here's what you'll need (full measurements listed in the printable recipe card below)...

• Olive Oil
• Brown / Yellow Onion
• Leeks
• Potatoes
• Garlic
• Chicken Stock
• Bay Leaf
• Heavy Cream
• Thyme
• Salt and Pepper

How to clean and slice leeks?

Leeks are notorious for getting dirt and grit stuck inside their many layers of leaves and require a good clean before cooking with them.  Luckily the process for preparing them is pretty straight forward.  Here's what you'll need to do:

Give your leeks a rinse under the tap, then place on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to remove both the root end and the dark green, tough ends off and discard.

Next, halve each of the leeks lengthwise, then slice the leeks into half moons.

Submerge the sliced leeks into a mixing bowl filled with cold water, swishing around with your hands to break apart the leeks and remove as much dirt as possible.

Transfer the leeks into a colander by hand.  The reason we don't just pour the whole bowl into the colander is that the water will now be quite dirty, and you'd essentially be pouring all the grit back onto the leeks.  Give the leeks one final rinse in the colander and we're all set!

How to make Potato and Leek Soup (Potage Parmentier) - Step by Step

Heat oil in large pot over medium-high heat.  Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for a few minutes until onion becomes translucent.  Add leek and potatoes and cook, stirring, for a few minutes until leek softens.

Season the vegetables with salt, pepper and thyme, then add 2 cups of stock, or enough to cover the vegetables, and the bay leaf.  Bring to boil, then reduce heat to medium and leave to simmer, covered, for 20 minutes or until potatoes soften.  

Remove the bay leaf, then puree the soup with a hand held immersion blender until smooth.  Add in more stock slowly whilst blending to get the soup to your desired consistency.  

Add the cream and bring to a simmer.  Taste the soup and adjust salt & pepper if required.  Serve topped with extra heavy cream and/ or shredded cheddar cheese.

Storing Potato and Leek Soup in the Fridge

Potato and Leek Soup can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Can you freeze potato and leek soup?

Absolutely!  If you're planning to freeze potato and leek soup just be sure to leave out the heavy cream.  Cream and the freezer don't go well together.  The soup can then be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Tips for making potato and leek soup

• Don't skip cleaning your leeks well (see the instructions for how to do this at the beginning of this post).  You don't want gritty potato and leek soup!
• If you don't have a hand held blender you can use a stand alone blender or food processor.  Just be sure it can handle hot liquids, and if not, allow the soup to cool before blending.

MORE SCRUMPTIOUS SOUP RECIPES:

• Roasted Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Soup
• Split Pea Soup with Ham Bone
• Italian Minestrone Soup
• Vegetable Barley Soup
• Moroccan Pumpkin and Chickpea Soup
• OR see all Soup Recipes

If you’ve tried this Potato and Leek Soup (Potage Parmentier) I’d love to hear how you enjoyed it!  Pop a comment and a star rating below!

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