Imagine the flavors of a baked potato loaded with all your favorite toppings in a healthy soup. This recipe is creamy without adding milk or cream. This recipe is a combination of real food ingredients with bold flavors, a simple method, and what we consider to be one of the best uses of leeks.
This recipe for potato leek soup is one you’ll want to make again and again.
This delicious potato leek recipe is made with just ten ingredients. It’s perfect for cold winter evenings, spring nights, summer rainy days, or chilling autumn weekends. You don’t need to wait until a specific time of year to prepare nourishing soup. Make it whenever you feel like it!
Ingredients to make Creamy Potato Leek soup with Bacon
What ingredients are needed to make this recipe for potato leek broth? All you need is a trip to the supermarket, some bacon, and some broth.
- Yukon Gold or Red Potatoes -use any potato or a mixture.
- Baconwe prefers the Applegate bacon without sugar or the Bacon from ButcherBox.
- Fresh Leek – find out how to choose a leek below.
- Celery
- Yellow Onion- or use white onions
- Garlic
- Dried Thyme- you can substitute dried oregano, dried marjoram, or fresh Thyme.
- Dried Parsley – You can use fresh flat-leaf or dried Parsley or substitute dried basil or cilantro
- salt
- Homemade Bone Broth and Instant-Pot Bone Broth are both recipes for Vegetable or Chicken Broth.
How To Make Potato Leek Bacon Soup
This creamy, easy potato recipe doesn’t require any extra oil, butter, or cream.
Sauté the bacon dice in a pan, and then transfer the Bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. In the bacon drippings, sauté the celery, leeks, and garlic. After the Onion is softened, you can add the potatoes, broth, and seasonings. The potato leek broth should be cooked for 20 minutes until the potatoes become tender.
Pour about half or three-quarters of the soup into the container of a mixer. The soup will become thick and creamy after this step. Blend the soup with a few small pieces of potato until it’s mostly blended.
Stir the soup together after returning the blended portion to the pot. You’re almost done. Add the Bacon to complete this simple potato soup recipe. Enjoy your potato lek soup garnished with fresh herbs and Bacon.
Why Leeks are Good for You
Leeks are not given the attention that they deserve. Leeks can seem intimidating. When you think of leeks as a mild, tender (and gigantic) green onion, you will see the many possibilities. Chefs and home cooks who are well-versed in leek recipes love the lighter green and white bottom leaves. The top, dark green leaves can be flat and hard. Leeks go well with many flavors, including ham, seafood, chicken, cream, garlic, and Parsley. This soup is no exception!
Alliums include leeks, onions, and garlic. This vegetable family is high in anti-inflammatory substances that reduce your risk for inflammation-related diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, and joint pain. Leeks contain prebiotic fibers, which promote gut health and help you absorb nutrients.
What is a Leek and How to Pick One?
Leeks are a type of green vegetable from the allium family. They have an underground edible bulb. Leeks are milder and sweeter than onions, but they taste similar. The Leek’s bottom roots, the dark and hard leaves on top, and the stalk are removed. Slice the remaining bulb and stem it into half-moon shapes. Swishing the leeks in water can help remove dirt that has gotten trapped in the layers.
Leeks that have their roots and dark stems intact will stay fresher longer. Choose a leek with dark, firm leaves (not flimsy) and a white bulb.
How our Creamy Potato Leek Soup with Bacon Fits into Your Diet
This potato leek and bacon soup uses only whole food ingredients and is suitable for many allergies and diets. This soup is dairy-free because we use the blender to create a thick, creamy soup instead of adding heavy cream and milk. This recipe is Whole30-friendly, paleo-approved, gluten-free, and nut-free.
The recipe for potato leek is dairy-free and Whole30 compliant. The soup, despite being thick and creamy, will not make you feel heavy or weighed down. You will want to eat another bowl.
Ingredients
- 4 – 5 Bacon strips, diced
- 1 Large Leek thinly sliced only (white and light-green parts; about 2 – 3 cups)
- 2 Celery ribs finely diced 1/3 cup )
- 1/2 Medium yellow Onion, diced 1 cup )
- Five cloves garlic, minced
- Half a teaspoon Dry thyme (or two teaspoons Fresh thyme leaves
- Half a teaspoon of dried (or One tablespoon of Fresh parsley
- Half a teaspoon Salt plus More to Taste
- 2 lbs. Cut into wedges red or Yukon Gold potatoes (or mix), if desired. 1/4 – 1/2 The skin on a -inch cube is still visible.
- Divided into 3 to 3 1/2 cups of chicken or vegetable stock
- Optional: Fresh cracked black pepper, red pepper flakes, or fresh parsley/chives.
Instructions
- Place a large Dutch oven or pot over a medium-high flame. Add the Bacon to the pool when it is hot and cook for 5 minutes, stirring every so often. Transfer the Bacon onto a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Set aside.
- Add the celery and Onion to the pot that has the bacon drippings. Cook the leeks, celery, and Onion in the same pot with the bacon drippings, stirring every few minutes. Stir in the garlic and continue to cook for 30 seconds or until it is fragrant.
- Add the remaining ingredients (except the Bacon, the 1/2 cup broth, and any garnishes) to the pot. Reserve 1/2 cup of broth to use later. Bring the elements to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to maintain a vigorous simmer and cover with a lid.
- Cook potatoes for 20-22 minutes or until they are tender. Remove the soup from the heat and add half to three-quarters to the container in the blender. Blend until the soup is creamy but still has some chunks. If you prefer it to be really creamy, blend it further until it reaches your desired consistency. Alternatively, you can also use an immersion blender to combine the soup right in the pot to your desired consistency/chunkiness.
- Remove the blender lid carefully and stir the blended soup into the pot. If necessary, add the 1/2 cup of broth that was reserved to thin out the soup. If necessary, add additional salt to taste. Add Bacon and top with toppings.