You’re looking for a bacon potato soup, but the leeks in the title have you nervous and one swipe away from moving on. Give me one minute to show you how leeks take potato soup from overly thick and flavorless glue to a beautifully creamy, savory soup layered with depth, not heaviness.
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What leeks do for potato soup
Leeks soften the potatoes, balance the bacon, and make the whole pot taste intentional instead of accidental.
I think of leeks as the onion’s softer, elegant and wiser cousin. They look like overgrown green onions but the similarities end there.
While green onions hold their shape as they cook, chopped leeks melt down into a creamy base that when blended with potatoes makes for the creamiest potato soup without cream.
So let’s get to the whole leek cleaning business. It’s super easy but you do have to be diligent.
TIP
Leek cleaning 101
- Trim off the bulb end as well as the dark green leaves, leaving the leek intact.
- Slice the leeks lengthwise down the middle, then chop them as the recipe directs.
- Place the leeks in a bowl of clean, cold water and swish them around to loosen all the sand and dirt. Let the leeks sit in the water bath for a minute or two so the grit sinks to the bottom.
- Use a colander or large Chinese strainer to remove the leeks from the water, leaving the sandy water behind. Give them a final rinse and pat dry with a paper towel.
Bacon in a subtle role
The bacon in this potato leek soup doesn’t scream. It cooks first then the leeks and shallots soften in the remaining fat, letting the bacon flavor the soup base without taking over.
Recipe testing notes: last minute addition
At our last recipe test, the J+N team and I decided the leek and potato soup needed one more ingredient: a whole Honeycrisp apple. It brings a lovely sweetness and plays so well with bacon.
How to make creamy bacon potato soup without cream
Blending hot soup safely
- Carefully ladle the hot potato leek soup into the blender until it’s half full.
- Remove the “plug” from the center of the blender lid.
- Gather a clean dish towel and fold it into quarters.
- Place the lid on the blender and cover the “hole” with the clean dish towel.
- Turn the blender on low and slowly increase the speed to blend the soup to the desired consistency.
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Ultra Creamy Bacon Leek and Potato Soup
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Ingredients
Garnish
- 4 slices thick cut bacon, diced
- Sliced green onions
Soup ingredients
- 2 T butter
- 2 lbs leeks, about 3, thoroughly cleaned to remove any sand, light green and white parts chopped
- 1 shallot, peeled and sliced thin
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme, whole
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, to taste
- ½ cup white wine
- 2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 Honeycrisp apple, peeled, cored and diced
- 2 quarts chicken stock
- 1 T chicken soup base
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- In a large stock pot, cook the bacon until crispy. about 6 minutes. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and set aside.4 slices thick cut bacon
- Stir the butter into the bacon drippings and melt.2 T butter
- Add the leeks and shallot into the butter along with the seasonings and stir a bit before adding in the garlic. Cook a minute or so until fragrant.2 lbs leeks, 1 shallot, 2 cloves garlic, 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- Pour in the white wine and cook for 2 minutes.½ cup white wine
- Toss the potatoes and apple with the leeks and cover the pot. Lower the heat to low and cook until the potatoes soften a bit about 8 minutes.2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, 1 Honeycrisp apple
- Pour in the chicken stock and the chicken soup base. Add in the bay leaf.2 quarts chicken stock, 1 T chicken soup base, 1 bay leaf
- Simmer for about 25-30 minutes or so until the potatoes are super tender. Cover the pot if the soup thickens too much.
- Remove the bay leaf and thyme stems. In batches, add ladlefuls of soup to a high speed blender until half full. Cover the blender but remove the blender “plug”. Place a clean, folded dish towel over the hole in the middle and turn the blender on low. Pulse until smooth. Pour the soup into the same pot (rinsed) or a new pot. Repeat until all the soup has been pureed.
- Serve in bowls with a garnish of diced crispy bacon and green onions.Sliced green onions
Notes
- Add the thyme sprigs into the soup and let the leaves fall away as the soup simmers.
- Remove the sprigs before blending the soup.
When I read that your hubby ate this several days in a row I needed to make it for my (picky) hubby. Delicious! Had seconds! Actually have made this soup twice in ten days and both times was asked for the recipe. Easy to make with all the tips you provided and great flavor. The bacon adds the perfect finish and the apple a yummy addition!
Yay!! Two picky hubbies and SO glad yours enjoyed it as much as mine 😊. I know in my case the bacon sealed the deal. Thanks so much!