This delicious variation of the classic French potato leek soup, or potage parmentier, is a more creamy and hearty version of the traditional French potato soup recipe. This simple potato soup with cream cheese is flavorful and filling, perfect for cold Fall and Winter days.
It is a very affordable and comforting dish for cozy nights at home, made in a few simple steps. This is definitely one of my favorite French potato dishes, alongside this ginger infused Gratin Dauphinois.
Summer is coming to an end here in Toronto and the dark and rainy part of the year is approaching. It has been raining all week so far, while temperatures are dropping slowly. Perfect time for a cheesy and creamy leek and potato soup!
Here's what you need
These are the ingredients you need for this soup. Detailed measurements can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the page. 👇
Potatoes - I use a flavourful all-purpose potato like the Yukon Gold. A potato with very high starch content could make the soup very pasty and I would therefore not recommend it.
Leek - just regular leek. I use organic, if available.
Onion - yellow or sweet onions my go-to for soups. You can use shallots instead but would have to triple the amount given in the recipe below.
Vegetable Stock - Pay careful attention here if the stock is salted already and adjust the amount of salt added to the soup accordingly.
Cream Cheese - Any type of regular plain cream cheese works here. I would not recommend low fat and/or flavored cream cheese. As for all dairy products, I pay close attention to additives indicated on the label and opt for an organic version most of the time.
Butter - just a little bit to brown the onions and the leek. Olive oil, coconut fat or other frying fat can be used instead.
Nutmeg - One of the key ingredients to season this soup. I grind the nutmeg freshly into the soup but you can use pre-ground nutmeg instead.
Salt & Pepper - Just the basics. As mentioned above, add salt at the very end to taste. The cream cheese and the vegetable stock might contribute a significant amount of saltiness already.
How to make this Creamy Potato Soup
This soup is made easily in a few simple steps even for inexperienced chefs. 😉 We'll start off with preparing our ingredients.
Peel and chop the onions roughly. Next cut the root portion and the thick green part off the leek and remove the outer layer. Wash remaining leek pieces thoroughly to remove all remaining soil and slice them.
Lastly, peel the potatoes and cut them into four to six evenly sized pieces. All ingredients will be blended at the end, so don't put too much effort into chopping the vegetables.
Now, let's move on to cooking the soup. All steps are shown in the pictures below.
- Place a large pot on the stove and turn it to medium heat. Melt some butter and glaze the onions until translucent.
- Add the sliced leek and sauté until onions and leek turn slightly golden.
- Now, add the potato pieces and pour the vegetable stock into the pot.
- Once the soup starts to boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer with a closed lid for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
- Take a hand blender and puree the ingredients to a creamy and smooth soup. Make sure not to "overblend" your soup. Stop when all ingredients are just smooth, or else the potato starch will turn the soup pasty.
- Lastly, add the cream cheese, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Be careful with the salt in case the vegetable stock and cream cheese are salted already. Stir the soup until the cream cheese is completely melted and remove the pot from the heat.
How to serve it
I absolutely love this soup just by itself as a main dish, served with a side salad and toasted bread. However, it is also the perfect starter for an elegant dinner at home paired with meat dishes.
As for toppers, a hint of nutmeg and crispy homemade butter croutons are the perfect addition to this delicious creamy dream. You could also top this soup up with fried leek, green onions, chives or crispy pieces of bacon.
Storage
Since this soup contains dairy products, freezing is not recommended. The soup will last in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
See guidelines at USDA.gov for instructions on safe handling of fresh ingredients.
Leek and Potato Soup
Tools
- Hand blender
Ingredients
- 2 lbs potatoes (Yukon Gold)
- 1 lb leek
- 1 medium onion
- 8.5 oz cream cheese (plain)
- 6.5 cups vegetable stock
- ¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 teaspoon salt (depending on whether stock is salted or not)
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon butter
Instructions
- Peel and chop the onions roughly. Next cut the root portion and the thick green part off the leek and remove the outer layer. Wash the remaining part of the leek thoroughly to remove all soil and slice it.
- Lastly, peel the potatoes and cut them in 4 to 6 evenly sized pieces. All ingredients will be blended at the end, so don't put too much effort in chopping the vegetables.
- Place a large pot on the stove and turn it to medium heat. Melt some butter and glaze the onions until translucent.
- Add the sliced leek and sauté until onions and leek turn slightly golden.
- Now, add the potato pieces and pour the vegetable stock into the pot.
- Once the soup starts to boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer with a closed lid for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
- Take a hand blender and blend the ingredients to a creamy and smooth soup.
- Lastly, add the cream cheese, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir the soup until the cream cheese is completely melted and remove the pot from the heat.
Izel says
Delicious, thank you.
Lexa says
I'm glad you liked it 🙂
Toni says
This is such an amazing soup! So good and delicious!
Lexa says
Thank you.
Detmike says
I've made this a dozen times, it's excellent!
Amy Liu Dong says
This is such a perfect soup for my cold weather today. Delicious!
Lexa says
Thank you!
Lara Brooks says
This is such a good and easy recipe! Perfect for soup season!
Lexa says
Thanks!
Jeri says
Potato soup is one of my favorites, and I can't wait to try this recipe with leeks! It looks like the perfect soup for these cooler evenings!
Lexa says
Thanks so much Jeri! I hope you'll like it.
Amanda Scarlati says
This soup was so creamy and delicious, perfect for a rainy day!
Lexa says
Thank you.
Natalie says
Such a simple soup, yet so delicious and so healthy. I love it! I will definitely give your recipe a try. Looks yummy!
Lexa says
Glad it inspired you for your meal planning.
Chef Dennis says
Its been getting chilly here and your potato soup made a delicious and warming dinner!
Lexa says
thanks!
Kayla DiMaggio says
Yum! I love a good hearty Potato Leek soup! This was so delicious!
Lexa says
Thank you.
Megan Ellam says
This looks amazing! I cannot wait to give it a try. Thanks for sharing.
Lexa says
Thanks. Hope you'll like it
Jean says
I would like to make this soup it looks so good and warm!
Lexa says
Let me know how it turns out!
Addie says
Such a cozy soup! Yum!
Lexa says
Thank you.
Oscar says
I love leaks and the fact that you add cream cheese to this recipe makes it even better. So creamy and rich, love this soup.
Lexa says
Thanks Oscar!
Melissa says
I like that I can make this with ingredients I have on hand. Thank you!
Alexandra says
Such a delicious soup!
Lexa says
Thank you!
Bernice says
Such an easy, comforting soup that tastes delicious!
Lexa says
Thank you Bernice!