“Such a simple recipe produces an amazing and delicious soup. It is my “go to” recipe now! Thank you so much for posting it.” ~Natasha
This traditional Irish leek and potato soup recipe comes straight from the Irish countryside, and couldn’t be easier, or more satisfying. Soup is one of the most elemental forms of cooking, and there’s something about ladling out steaming bowls of soup to the family that is so gratifying. This one has no bells and whistles ~ it’s based on fresh, great quality ingredients, simply prepared.
what you’ll need
Leeks and potatoes are a classic Irish pair. Both vegetables grow easily and plentifully in Irish soil, and they find their way into so many great recipes. This classic Irish leek and potato soup is a true 30 minute meal ~ the vegetables are cooked just long enough to soften them, and then the soup is pureed and ready to serve.
- potatoes
- I use starchy russets (baking potatoes) because they provide the perfect ‘creamy’ texture to this soup without any cream.
- leeks
- Leeks can seem formidable when they’re raw from the supermarket, but once sliced and sautéed in butter they become meltingly tender and delicious.
- butter
- we’re using good quality butter here, not olive oil. You wouldn’t go amiss to buy Irish butter for this recipe 🙂
- onion
- peas
- chicken stock
- salt and pepper
blending your soup
You can process it to a super smooth or a chunky consistency. I learned an interesting thing making this soup, though…when you process cooked potatoes they develop a slightly ‘gluey’ texture. It has something to do with their starch molecules. You’ve probably experienced it if you’ve ever whipped potatoes in a processor, blender, or with electric beaters. Some people don’t mind this at all, and some find it not so nice. Anyway, one way around that is to puree everything except the potatoes. You can put the potatoes through a ricer and then mix them back into the soup, thus avoiding the problem.
tips for leek and potato soup
- The secret ingredient that gives my soup its appealing green color is a handful of garden peas, fresh or frozen. This is a little trick I learned back when I made my Ham and Pea Soup ~ that soup is a gorgeous green!
- Be sure to remove the tough outer layers and ends off your leeks, and then, after slicing, immerse them in lots of cold water and separate the outer rings to release all the dirt and grit.
- Traditionally the Irish don’t cook with many herbs and spices and the flavors tend to be mild, so be sure to add enough salt and freshly cracked black pepper to your soup. If you’re so inclined, some crumbled crisp bacon or finely diced ham makes a great topping.
- To go along with your farmhouse soup, I’d suggest my Irish Fish Cakes with 30-Second Tartar Sauce. And after dinner, don’t forget a nip of my Homemade Irish Cream.
“Absolutely delicious, and so easy to make. I put sour cream on the table instead of drizzling it on top, and that worked well for us. Served with brown Irish soda bread. Thank you for a wonderful recipe!” ~Vivian
more traditional Irish recipes
- Dublin Coddle
- Irish Oatmeal Soda Bread
- Authentic Irish Apple Cake
- Traditional Irish Farmhouse Recipes
- Darina Allen’s Irish Soda Scones
- Instant Pot Irish Stew
Traditional Irish Leek and Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 large leeks, trimmed, sliced, thoroughly rinsed, and dried
- 2 russet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 3 1/2 cups chicken stock, or vegetable stock
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- salt and fresh cracked black pepper
garnish, optional
- sour cream thinned with milk to a drizzle-able consistency
- snipped chives
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large soup pot and saute the onion, leeks, and potato for about 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the stock to the pan and bring up to a simmer. Cover, turn down the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until everything is tender. Add the peas to the pot just long enough to defrost them.
- Working in 2 batches, process the soup until your desired consistency. It can be smooth, or chunky. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve piping hot with a drizzle of sour cream and a sprinkle of chives.
Notes
Nutrition
Thanks for pinning my traditional Irish leek and potato soup!
Thank you for your recipe! I am ethnic Irish (for many years naturalised Netherlands citizen) and I used to have a recipe for a similar soup on one of those chopping boards with jolly pictures on them which one used to see frequently in shops. The recipe on my chopping board was, predictably, surrounded by innumerable little shamrocks and dancing leprechauns. Unfortunately I have lost it! But in that recipe the leeks were not puréed, while the potatoes, onions and other ingedients were.
But I have a question. Your weights and measures are mystifying. What is ‘4 Tbsp’ of butter? And what does ’31 / 2 cups’ mean? What is that in millilitres (or decilitres if you prefer)?
Personally I would use a mildish olive oil instead of butter, just to cover the bottom of the pan (I would also add plenty of fresh garlic!) But the measurement for the stock has me baffled. No matter, I can use just enough to cover the vegetables.
Cheers, Maria
Cooking isn’t an exact science, it’s an art! A cup is 200ml or so.\
I love your recipes and I can’t wait to try this! So glad I found it. I was on the hunt for a recipe after my husband and I had potato leek soup at an Irish pub recently and really loved it. Can’t wait to make this.
One question- do you have an approximate weight for the potatoes? Russets come in different sizes (so specifying the number of potatoes throws me off). Just want to get it right. Love the idea of the peas!
Thank you!
The weight could be anywhere between 1 – 1 1/2 lbs.