This is my very first recipe using leek as an ingredient. Leek is not a common vegetable in Japan. We have Tokyo negi, or naganegi, which is similar to leeks, but negi (green onion) is usually thinner and longer while leeks tend to be wider and shorter.
Recently I joined FoodBuzz, an online food-blog community and I found so many foodies’ blogs around the world. If you have a chance, spend some time and browse around. I found really good recipes there that inspired me to try. One of them was a potato leek soup recipe. However, while I was browsing several websites at once, I somehow lost the recipe I found. I kept looking for it but I just couldn’t find it. In the end I ended up creating my own recipe. To my surprise, it was really delicious and my husband loved it (good, I have 2 more leeks waiting in the fridge!). Hmm, maybe someone in the world will find my potato & leek recipe by accident. If you did, enjoy!
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Leek is not a common vegetable in Japan. We have Tokyo negi, or naganegi, which is similar to leeks, but negi (green onion) is usually thinner and longer while leeks tend to be wider and shorter. I ended up creating my own recipe. To my surprise, it was really delicious and my husband loved it!
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 russet potato (peeled and chop into small pieces)
- 1 leek (cut lengthwise and chop into small pieces)
- 2 cups water (or vegetable stock)
- 2 cups milk
- 2 vegetable bouillons (not necessary if you use stock)
- ½ tsp salt (kosher or sea salt; use half if using table salt)
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Parsley (fresh, to garnish)
Gather all the ingredients.
- Cut the leek lengthwise and chop into small pieces. Chop the potato into small pieces.
- In a large saucepan, heat butter on medium high heat. Add the potato and leek in the pan and sauté until they are well coated with butter and the leek gets wilted.
- Add water and the bouillon (or vegetable stock). Cover with a lid and bring it to a boil over high heat. Keep simmering until the potato is soft.
- When a skewer pierces through the potato easily, turn off the heat. Pour the soup into a blender.
- Add the milk and mix.
- Pour the soup back into the saucepan. Add salt and pepper. Reheat when you serve. DO NOT BOIL THE SOUP. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.
Recipe by Namiko Chen of Just One Cookbook. All images and content on this site are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without my permission. If you’d like to share this recipe on your site, please re-write the recipe and link to this post as the original source. Thank you.
I’ve got some leeks in the fridge right now. & some potatoes in the pantry. what to do? what to do? 🙂 I love potato leek soup! so yum.
xo, shannon in boise
Hi Shannon! If you have a good leek recipe, let me know! I still have 2 leeks to use. 🙂
p.s. love your photo. pretty linens!
Yours is lovely! I just cooked this soup a few days ago tooo 🙂
Hi Ellena! I just went to your site to check. What a beautiful picture of the soup! You also take very good pictures of Asian food!
I just joined Foodbuzz too! Its great! Potato Leek soup is one of my favorites. I like to add cheddar cheese to mine!
Hello Beth! I had cheddar cheese in the fridge but didn’t think of adding it. I have to try that next time! I just came back from your site. I’m looking forward to your report about food in Israel/Europe/Asia! I’m envious!!
Oh Nami this looks so beautiful! Fantastic color of the soup!
Thanks Sandra!
What a supreme looking soup. Perfect for the chilly weather we have been having in the Bay Area.
Thank you Lisa!
It looks beautiful and easy to make. Something I must try 🙂
Interesting! In Spain we make leek and potato soup too, but we usually discard most of the green part and we never blend it or add milk. I might try your recipe, it looks so good!
Thank you Irene! I think I have to try your version next. Thank you for letting me know and curious~. Hope you will enjoy it. 🙂
Do you suppose I could use almond milk instead of dairy milk due to lactose intolerance or?
Hi Kerry! I think you could…but hope you enjoy the almond milk flavor. 🙂
Hi Nami,
I started off following Delia Smith’s recipe on this. In it she ‘sweats the’ vegetables in butter fairly slowly and then adds the milk and stock and simmers it adding a swirl of cream or creme fraiche and snipped chives after processing on serving. However I make for the freezer too so whilst it’s going through the blender I add plenty of creme fraiche and chives, this gives a lovely thick soup for these colder days. The texture suffers ever such a little from the freezing but it’s still delicious. Cream is fine but I love the sharpness of the creme fraiche.
If you wish to look at other variations the French tend to serve it chilled and refer to it as Vichyssoise.
My first attempt at Mochi on the horizon, soon as the ingredients arrive
P.S. She also adds an onion.
Hi David! Thank you so much for writing and sharing your tip! I did not know the name Vichyssoise (I still don’t know how to pronounce, I must Google), so thanks for that too! I love creme fraiche and chives topping too!
And good luck with your mochi adventure!