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This Potato Leek Soup, also known as Vichyssoise Soup, is perfect for a cozy winter meal. It is a nutritious vegetarian dinner that the whole family can enjoy.
Slow Cooker Potato Leek Soup Recipe
Tender potatoes and flavorful leeks are blended up to a creamy and dreamy perfection to make this amazing Potato Leek Soup. Also called potage parmentier, this soup makes for a perfect light lunch or works great as a starter to a fabulous dinner.
One of the joys of using a slow cooker for this particular soup recipe is the depth of flavor you achieve. As the ingredients simmer together over several hours, they meld in harmony, deepening the soup’s character. Plus, the convenience factor is hard to beat. Just set it up, go about your day, and return to a warm, ready meal. And, lemme tell you – this soup is rich, a bit creamy, a bit chunky, a whole lot of wonderful, and is also great chilled! The chilled version of it is called Vichyssoise. So fancy, right? The flavor, the texture, and everything all together is like getting a hug from a soup bowl.
Why I Love This Potato Leek Soup Recipe
- Versatility in Serving: Serve the soup warm with crusty bread on a cold day, or chill it for a refreshing summer appetizer. You can also play around with toppings: consider a sprinkle of crispy bacon, a dollop of sour cream, or even some grated cheddar.
- Meal Prep Friendly: This potato leek soup is a meal prepper’s dream! It stores beautifully in the refrigerator for up to a week, and its flavors continue to meld and intensify over time. If you’re looking to stretch it out further, it freezes wonderfully, too.
- Vegetarian Favorite: While many soups rely on chicken or beef broth for their base, this one celebrates the richness of vegetables alone, making it a perfect option for vegetarians. And for our vegan friends, you can easily omit the butter and heavy cream or substitute them with plant-based alternatives.
How To Make Potato Leek Soup In The Slow Cooker
I want to call this a back-to-basics recipe because it’s very simple and easygoing, and you might already have all the ingredients hiding in the pantry. The best part is that you can prep this in the morning and leave it to cook for the whole day. By the way, you only need carrots, celery, garlic, leeks, potatoes, fresh thyme, salt, pepper, and butter. AND a Slow Cooker.
- Cut the potatoes and the leeks. Leeks may need to be washed before cutting because dirt likes to hide in places you can’t see. Just cut off the dark green part, then cut the leeks in half lengthwise, and rinse under cold water. Pat dry with paper towels and chop them up.
- Put potatoes and leeks in the slow cooker and set aside.
- Combine sliced carrots and celery in a skillet and sauté for 4 minutes; stir in some garlic and transfer it all to the slow cooker.
- Stir in vegetable broth; add fresh thyme sprigs and butter.
- Close with the lid and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours, or until potatoes are very tender. You can also cook it on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours.
- When done, blend the soup with an immersion blender. If you only have a traditional blender, blend in batches. I also advise not to blend it at high speed; pulse it so that you have more control of the texture in the end. The finishing touch should involve some heavy cream – totally optional but totally necessary. 😉
Recipe Tips
- Cleaning Leeks: Leeks can trap a lot of dirt between their layers. To clean, slice off the dark green parts, cut the white and light green parts in half lengthwise, and rinse thoroughly under running water, fanning out the layers.
- Consistent Sizing: Ensure that your potatoes are cut into roughly even sizes. This helps them cook uniformly.
- Seasoning: Potatoes tend to absorb a lot of salt, so always taste and adjust your seasoning before serving. A splash of lemon juice or white wine vinegar can also brighten the flavors.
- Smooth or Chunky: If you like a chunkier texture, only blend a portion of the soup, leaving some potato and leek pieces whole. For a smoother texture, blend thoroughly.
- Protein Boost: Add white beans, lentils, or even diced chicken for a protein-packed version.
- Spicy Kick: Add a finely chopped chili pepper or a dash of cayenne pepper to add a bit of heat to the potato leek soup.
- Cheesy Delight: Stir in some grated cheddar, gruyère, or your cheese of choice for a richer, cheesier soup.
Serving Suggestions
When serving potato leek soup as a main, be generous with the portion size. Offering a larger bowl will ensure it feels like the meal’s centerpiece. Also, accompany the soup with substantial sides: crusty focaccia bread, a slice of quiche, a stuffed roll, or a mixed green goddess salad. Top your soup with flavorful garnishes. This could be fresh herbs, grated cheese, a swirl of cream, toasted seeds, or even a sprinkle of spice.
If you want to serve the potato leek soup as a starter or a complement to a main course, consider serving this roasted chicken as a main meal or my churrasco steak. For a vegetarian spin, serve it with my tomato tart or my creamy Parmesan baked zucchini.
Storage
- Leftovers: Store soup in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To freeze: Potato Leek Soup can be frozen for 3 months, but don’t add the cream if you plan to freeze it.
More Easy Soup Recipes
- Slow Cooker French Onion Soup
- Creamy Mushroom Soup
- Lighter Loaded Baked Potato Soup
- Ham and Sweet Potato Soup
- Asparagus Soup
- Creamy Carrot Soup
ENJOY!
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Slow Cooker Potato Leek Soup
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes, peeled and quartered
- 3 leeks, white and light green parts only, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large carrot, sliced
- 3 celery ribs, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1¼ teaspoons salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, or to taste
- 6 to 8 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- ½ cup heavy cream, optional
- chopped fresh parsley, for garnish, optional
- fresh thyme leaves, for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Place chopped potatoes and leeks inside the slow cooker and set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet and add carrots and celery; cook for 4 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 20 seconds. Add the carrot mixture to the slow cooker. Stir in the vegetable broth and add the butter and thyme sprigs.
- Cover with the lid and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or until the potatoes are very tender. You can also cook it on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours.
- When done, remove the thyme sprigs and, if using, stir in the heavy cream.
- Blend the soup with an immersion blender. If you only have a traditional blender, blend it in batches. Taste the soup for seasonings and adjust accordingly.
- If the soup is too thick for your liking, add more vegetable broth to thin it out.
- Ladle the potato leek soup into bowls, garnish with parsley and fresh thyme leaves, and serve.
Notes
- Leeks: Ensure leeks are washed thoroughly to remove trapped dirt between layers
- Soup Texture: For a chunkier texture, blend only part of the soup. For smoother, blend thoroughly.
- Avoid Curdling: Introduce the heavy cream off the heat so that it doesn’t curdle.
- Seasoning: Adjust salt as needed before serving. A hint of lemon juice can also enhance the flavors.
- To freeze: Potato Leek Soup can be frozen for 3 months, but don’t add the cream if you plan to freeze it. When ready to serve it, defrost the soup in the refrigerator overnight; reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat until hot. Once heated through, stir in heavy cream and bring to a simmer; remove from heat and serve.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Can I brag for a sec?! This soup right here? It was given 5 stars by the Oprah.com team many years ago. Yeppers, it was! 🙌 That was one fantabulous day in the life of Diethood. I was just starting this whole recipe blog deal, and that review meant so much to me! STILL DOES! ❤️ Originally published on December 9th, 2012
This reminds me of the wonderful soups I grew up with in Europe, so good!
This is a go-to fall soup! So easy, I put it in before work and have something warm and delicious to warm up after I get home.
My friend made this recipe for us and I immediately came to pin it for later! This was DELICIOUS!!
I have made this 6 or 7 times now. It is my go to soup! Only change I make is not to puree it. I tried it the first time and just prefer it as is. So happy I found this recipe.
Where can I find the nutritional information on the recipes?
Hi Michelle! I shared this recipe years ago when there wasn’t a reliable nutrition calculator online so that is why that information is not included. If you’d like to calculate it for yourself, you can go to http://www.caloriecount.com/
Have a great Sunday!
i am confused. The instructions say to purée the soup, but in the picture it looks like there are chunks of potatoes. Is it necessary to purée?
Hi Kris! Yes, it should be pureed, but you can leave a few chunks as I do for presentation.
Delicious and so nutritious! Both my husband and I loved it. Will definitely make again.
WOuld I be able to add bacon to this? and how would i do that?
Hi Annabel! Yes, that sounds even better! However, I would cook the bacon in a frying pan, (or microwave it), crumble it, and just add it to the soup as garnish.
Katerina,
I got so excited about your blog – my fellow Macedonian! Great job! I actually found it through an email from Oprah’s team which recommended 6 best crock pot recipes for winter (Feb 26 I think). Kudos.
About this dish – I think I used too many leaks (had frozen and cut from Trader Joe’s) so it wasn’t a hit. How did yours end up orange/red? Mine was yellow-ish. I ate 2 cups but my hubby and the baby (8.5 months) weren’t fans. Any recommendations in ways to tweak it (other than less leeks)?
Hope you have other crock pot recipes coming. I’ll definitely try more…my resolution is try the new dishes at least once per month. Doing well on that resolution so far.
Aleks
Hi Aleksandra!! SO glad you found me!! 🙂
My soup is always a bit orange – I think that’s more to do with the 3 carrots that I add to it. Was it the flavor of the leeks that they didn’t like? If that’s the case, use only one large leek. I have never used frozen leeks, and since I don’t know how much is in one bag, I couldn’t tell you if you might have used too much. The taste of leek should be subtle – not overpowering – but still there. 🙂 I hope this helps! Let me know!!
It wasn’t a hit at our house either. The celery overpowered the other flavors. I tried it with and without the parsley and it wasn’t good. We experimented with adding corn, soy sauce, and milk (separately and at the same time). Only the corn helped. Finally, on a whim, we tried coconut milk. It was pretty good, but not the same soup at all. In all, this is the first 1 star rating I’ve ever had to give. We won’t make this one again.
I’m really sorry you didn’t enjoy it, Tricia.
The potatoes didn’t cook in the 4hrs on high. I’m about to dump it into a soup pot to try and salvage this. Maybe it’s my crock pot? I don’t think so. I use it all the time
Hi Karen!! I’m sorry about that :(. I make this soup quite often and it’s never taken more than 4 hours, but you never know… Hope it turns out great! Have a wonderful evening!