Leek and Potato Soup for a Chilly Day

Andalucía doesn't really do cold. But occasionally, in the depths of January or February, the Sierra Mágina decides otherwise — and on one such morning, with a rare grey sky overhead and two leeks winking at me from the fridge, leek and potato soup makes itself.

This is one of those soups that doesn't demand much of you. A little patience while the leeks soften, a hand blender, and a decent swirl of cream or crème fraîche. That's it.

Leek & Potato Soup

Ingredients

• 2 medium leeks, trimmed and sliced
• 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed and chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 litre hot vegetable stock
• Olive oil and a generous knob of butter
• White pepper and sea salt to taste
• 2–3 tablespoons of double cream or crème fraîche

Method

1. Warm a generous glug of olive oil and a good knob of butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the leeks and onion and cook gently, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften — around 8–10 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and bay leaf. Stir and cook for a further minute.
3. Add the potato chunks. Stir to coat, then continue cooking for 2–3 minutes.
4. Pour in the hot vegetable stock. Stir, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Check the potatoes are tender, then remove the bay leaf and set the pan aside to cool.
6. Once cool enough to handle, blitz with a hand blender until smooth.
7. Season with white pepper and a pinch of sea salt. Add the cream or crème fraîche and stir through.
8. Return the pan to a gentle heat and warm through. Serve with chunks of sourdough.

The choice between cream and crème fraîche is yours — cream gives a richer, rounder finish; crème fraîche adds a very slight tang that works well against the sweetness of the leeks.

Serves 2.

This leek and potato soup recipe is part of both the Soup Recipes hub and the Potato Recipes hub — complete collections of soups and potato recipes from The Flexible Chef.

It also features in my Gut Health Recipes collection — real food from a rural Andalucían kitchen, built around fermented foods, high-fibre pulses, wholegrains and prebiotic-rich ingredients.

Find more recipes and food adventures here.
Wonky photos, proper spuds, genuine adventures — The Flexible Chef