I love a nice full bowl of potato leek soup on a cold day. I also happen to think it is a wonderful go to soup when feeling under the weather (because it is gentle and far less acidic than many other comfort foods like chili or spaghetti).
The other things I find wonderful about this soup is it’s versatility and freezability! This soup can be made vegan, vegetarian, or with bacon crumbles for meat lovers!
What makes this particular recipe so freezer friendly (and therefore meal prep friendly) is the fact that you wait to add any dairy or cheese products until right before serving.
I recently made this as my contribution/meal for a meal train. (Side note – meal trains are an amazing and thoughtful thing to do for friends and family with new babies, who are dealing with extended illness, those who have lost a spouse or family member, etc, etc). Happily my soup with all the side fixings went over very well both at home and with my meal train recipient!
Without further ado – for your consideration… potato leek soup!
Recipe for 1 family. Double if wanting to freeze it or send along a portion to a friend.
- 3 leeks sliced and rinsed
- 1.5lbs potatoes peeled and diced
- 1/2 pkg thick cut bacon diced
- 32-64oz veggie or chicken broth
- S&P to taste
- Cream or half & half
- Shredded cheese (cheddar or Dubliner)
- Chives
Start by prepping all ingredients. 
Saute bacon until crispy. 
Remove bacon to drain and discard all but 1Tbl of bacon drippings from pot. 
Saute leeks ( in 1Tbl of bacon drippings with a dash of salt) until soft. 
Add diced potatoes and saute 3-4 min. 
Add just enough broth to cover potato’s for thicker soup and 1-2 inches above potatoes for thinner soup. 
Simmer until potatoes are soft – then use an immersion blender for smooth soup or hand masher for chunky soup. Adjust S&P. Divide into bowls and top with cream, cheese, bacon crumbles, and chives.
To make this vegan or vegetarian – omit bacon to start. Saute leeks with a little water to keep them from sticking for vegan or in a little olive oil for vegetarian.
Toppings – there are a variety of plant based milks and cheeses for vegans – or you can simply top with chives! This soup is just as delicious without all the cream and cheese. And if you really want to go crazy – feel free to add other veggies such as cauliflower, carrots, and Italian summer squash to make this a veggie packed potato leek soup!
Optional – serve with a nice wedge of crusty home made artisan bread! Recipe to come!
We hope you’ll give this Irish classic and family favorite a try (and if you do let us know how it goes!). With love from all of us here in the Wee Laird’s Kitchen – Happy cooking!
The Wee Lairds Kitchen 