Equipment
Ingredients
Base and Aromatics
- 100 g streaky bacon, finely diced
- 30 g unsalted butter, room temperature
- 350 g leeks, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced and washed thoroughly
- 2 garlic, minced
Soup Body
- 500 g russet or yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced into 2cm cubes
- 800 ml chicken broth, hot
- 2 fresh thyme, whole sprigs
- 1 bay leaf, dried
Finishing and Garnish
- 120 ml heavy cream, room temperature
- salt
- black pepper, freshly ground
- 10 g fresh chives, finely chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 454 kcal
- Protein
- 17 g
- Carbohydrates
- 40 g
- Fat
- 27 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 6 g
- Sodium
- 2125 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 13 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 7 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 5 g
- Cholesterol
- 52 mg
- Potassium
- 1122 mg
- Calcium
- 122 mg
- Iron
- 4.7 mg
- Magnesium
- 68 mg
- Phosphorus
- 263 mg
- Zinc
- 1.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 267 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 21 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.5 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 3.0 mg
- Vitamin K
- 46 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.5 mcg
- Thiamin
- 1.28 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.35 mg
- Niacin
- 8.1 mg
- Folate
- 94 mcg
- Water
- 388 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Fry the diced bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crispy and golden brown.
Remove the cooked bacon from the pan and drain on paper towels. Transfer 15ml of the rendered bacon fat to the large Dutch oven.
Melt the unsalted butter with the reserved bacon fat in the Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the sliced leeks and sauté gently until completely softened. Do not let them brown.
Add the minced garlic to the leeks and sauté for an additional minute until aromatic.
Add the diced potatoes, chicken broth, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a boil at 100°C/212°F, then reduce the heat and simmer gently at 90°C/195°F until the potatoes are tender and easily crushed.
Carefully locate and remove the thyme stems and bay leaf from the soup, discarding them.
Blend the hot soup using an immersion blender until completely smooth. If using a stand blender, process in small batches and hold the lid down with a towel to prevent steam pressure buildup.
Stir the heavy cream into the blended soup. Heat gently for a few minutes to warm through, but ensure the soup does not exceed 85°C/185°F to prevent the dairy from splitting.
Season the soup heavily with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Potatoes absorb a significant amount of salt.
Ladle the hot soup into warmed bowls and garnish generously with the reserved crispy bacon and chopped chives before serving.
Chef's Notes
- Thoroughly washing leeks is critical as grit easily hides between their tightly packed layers. Slice them first, then agitate in a large bowl of cold water, lifting the leeks out so the dirt remains at the bottom.
- Bacon fat provides an incredible savory baseline for this soup. If you prefer to omit it, substitute with an equal amount of additional butter and consider adding a pinch of smoked paprika to replicate the smoky depth.
- For an ultra-refined restaurant finish, pass the blended soup through a fine-mesh sieve before adding the cream. This removes any microscopic fibrous elements and yields a flawlessly silky mouthfeel.
- If reheating leftovers from the refrigerator, the soup will be extremely thick due to potato starch setting. Whisk in a splash of milk or broth while warming over low heat to restore the original consistency.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container without the bacon and chive garnish.
Freezer: 1 month — Dairy may separate slightly upon thawing. Blend again briefly to emulsify after reheating.
Reheating: Warm gently over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. Do not boil to prevent the cream from splitting.
Troubleshooting
Soup has a gritty or gluey texture
Cause: Potatoes were either undercooked or overworked during blending, releasing excess starch.
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Ensure potatoes are completely fork-tender before blending. Blend only until just smooth, avoiding prolonged processing.
Leeks are stringy in the final soup
Cause: Dark green parts of the leek were included, or leeks were not cooked long enough during the sauté phase.
Fix: Pass the soup through a fine mesh sieve (chinois) to remove the fibrous pieces.
Prevention: Use only the white and light green portions, and sweat them until completely collapsed before adding liquids.
Soup tastes flat or bland
Cause: Under-seasoning. Starchy root vegetables require more salt than expected to enhance their natural flavors.
Fix: Stir in additional salt a pinch at a time. A few drops of lemon juice or white wine vinegar can also brighten the flavors.
Prevention: Season incrementally throughout the cooking process, tasting as you go.
Cultural Context
Potato and leek soup is a cornerstone of traditional British and Irish country cooking. Historically relied upon for its hearty, warming qualities, it utilizes accessible, winter-hardy root vegetables. Often associated with the Welsh standard Cawl Cennin, the dish has evolved from a humble peasant broth into a refined, silky classic commonly served in modern gastropubs.
