“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!
I love your recipes! Could I just cook the potatoes separately, rice them and then add to
leek soup base after the leeks and chicken stock have cooked? The Shepherd’s Pie recipe was
wonderful!
I’m sure you could Deanna, and I love the texture of riced potatoes, so I bet that would give this soup a whole new personality.
Thanks for the information on traditional Irish potatoe leek soup. I never realized that in traditional Irish cooking that people had access to blenders.
Edward
They would have used a hand held potato masher, Edward! And a bit of texture would be a good thing in that case.
I love this nutrient-dense soup! Great choice, Sue!
A cozy bowl of this soup is just what I need for St. Patrick’s Day! Love your pretty garnish too 🙂
What a gorgeous, green color! I love leeks in soup and the peas are a great addition.
Sue, adding peas makes the final colour fresh – great thought! Thank you for this! I sometimes use chard or spinach but the colour gets darker and a bit dull. I finally add a jalapeño which brings the dish a bit south…..
What beautiful pictures, I also like that cloth under the plate. I love the German version of potato and leek soup, I should try this Irish version as well.
Absolutely perfect bowl of soup! Love your addition of peas to make it such a pretty green colour, too 🙂 Sharing!
I love that pea trick 😉
What a beautiful, spring inspired soup! I haven’t made leek soup very often, but always wonderful why. This is just too lovely not to try! Thanks – and happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Leeks kind of get lost in the produce section, I overlook them often, too. But they do have the nicest onion flavor!
So creamy and delicious…I love leeks and make soup with them quite often, but mine never looks this pretty.
Psssst…it’s the peas, Angie ~ they give the soup a little boost in color, otherwise it’s not nearly as pretty 🙂 Thanks for stopping by today!