Soups

Creamy Leek and Potato Soup without Cream

Softened leeks and tender potatoes are blended with vegetable stock to create a smooth, comforting soup without needing cream. This simple vegetarian leek and potato soup has a delicate savoury flavour and pairs well with crusty bread.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 30 min
Total: 45 min
Serves: 4

Our British Kitchen

13 October 2026

Share Recipe:

Smooth light green leek and potato soup in a rustic ceramic bowl garnished with chives and olive oil sheen

Why You'll Love This Dish

Floury potato starch naturally emulsifies to create an exceptionally creamy, velvety texture without adding double cream.
Gentle sweating of leeks in butter unlocks sweet, mellow aromatics with zero harsh bitterness.
A pure, wholesome vegetarian one-pot lunch or starter requiring straightforward seasonal ingredients.
Freezes and reheats effortlessly, making it perfect for healthy weekday batch cooking.

What You Need

Trimmed leeks, floury potatoes, onion, unsalted butter, vegetable stock and seasoning—six honest vegetarian ingredients that create a thick, velvety soup entirely without cream.

Freshly sliced trimmed leeks, peeled floury potatoes, onion, butter and vegetable stock on a wooden board

Medium leeks (approx. 600g trimmed weight), washed and sliced into 1cm rounds – Trim dark green tops and roots; wash thoroughly in a colander to rinse away trapped soil.
Floury potatoes (e.g. Maris Piper or King Edward), peeled and cubed into 2cm pieces – High-starch floury potatoes break down during blending to create a natural creaminess without cream.
Unsalted butter – Provides gentle richness when sweating the alliums. For a strictly vegan version, substitute 2 tbsp olive oil. Contains milk.
Medium brown onion, finely chopped – Adds foundational savoury allium depth to support the sweet leeks.
Garlic clove, finely minced (optional) – Provides gentle background warmth without overpowering the delicate leek flavour.
Litre good-quality vegetable stock – Use a quality vegetable stock or stock cube for balanced savoury flavour. Check certification if cooking vegan.
Fine sea salt and freshly ground white or black pepper – White pepper keeps the pale velvety soup visually pristine.
Fresh chives and extra virgin olive oil (for garnish) – A light olive oil drizzle and snipped fresh chives provide visual contrast and aromatic brightness.

Need to convert cups to grams for this recipe?

Use our free Cups to Grams Converter for practical ingredient conversions.

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How to Make Creamy Leek and Potato Soup without Cream

Step 1: Clean and slice the leeks thoroughly

Clean and slice the leeks thoroughly. Trim the tough fibrous dark green tops and roots from the leeks, then slice the white and pale green stems into 1cm rounds. Place the sliced leeks into a colander and rinse thoroughly under cold running water, separating the layers with your fingers to wash away any trapped soil or grit. Drain well.

Step 2: Sweat onions, leeks and garlic gently

Sweat onions, leeks and garlic gently. Melt the butter in a large heavy-based saucepan over low-medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook gently for 5 minutes until soft and translucent without colouring. Stir in the sliced leeks, garlic and a pinch of salt. Cook over low heat for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are tender, sweet and collapsed. Do not let them brown.

Step 3: Add potatoes and simmer in stock

Add potatoes and simmer in stock. Add the potato cubes to the pan and stir for 1 minute. Pour over the vegetable stock, stirring to combine. Bring to a gentle boil, then lower the heat to a steady simmer. Cover loosely with a lid and cook for 15–18 minutes, or until the potato pieces are completely tender when tested with a knife tip.

Step 4: Blend safely to a velvety consistency

Blend safely to a velvety consistency. Remove the pan from heat. An immersion stick blender is strongly recommended for safety: blend directly in the pot in slow circles until velvety and smooth. If using a jug blender, let the soup cool for 15 minutes first; fill the jug no more than half-full, remove the centre lid stopper to let steam escape, cover with a folded tea towel, and blend in batches. Do not over-blend, or potato starch turns gluey.

Step 5: Season, adjust texture and serve

Season, adjust texture and serve. Return the soup to low heat and warm gently. Taste and season with fine sea salt and white or black pepper. If the soup is thicker than you like, stir in a splash of warm stock or water; if a little thin, simmer uncovered for 3–5 minutes. Ladle into warm bowls, garnish with snipped chives and a drop of olive oil, and serve with crusty bread.

Gentle Sweating Dynamics, Allium Sweetness and Potato Starch Science

Leeks are an allium with natural sweetness that only emerges through slow, low-temperature cooking. Browning leeks scorches volatile sulfur compounds, introducing harsh acrid notes. Cook them in unsalted butter with a pinch of salt over gentle heat for a full 8–10 minutes until they soften into a silky tangle. Maris Piper or King Edward potatoes are ideal: their high starch-to-water ratio provides the natural emulsification that makes cream entirely unnecessary.

Countertop Blender Safety, Steam Venting and Immersion Best Practices

Blending hot liquids carries serious kitchen burn risks. A stick blender operated at the base of the pan is the safest method. If using a countertop jug blender, never seal hot soup airtight: hot steam rapidly builds pressure that will blow off the lid and spray scalding liquid. Always allow the soup to cool for 15 minutes, fill the jug only half-full, remove the central lid cap to vent steam, and hold a folded kitchen towel firmly over the opening while blending on low speed.

Batch Cooking, Safe Refrigeration Protocol and Freezing Advice

Leek and potato soup is ideal for advance preparation and batch cooking. Cool the soup promptly within 2 hours of cooking, transfer to airtight containers, and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months. As the soup sits, potato starch continues absorbing liquid and will thicken; simply loosen with a splash of hot vegetable stock or water when reheating gently on the stove.

How to Serve Creamy Leek and Potato Soup without Cream

Ladle steaming hot into warmed bowls and finish with a delicate drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, freshly snipped chives and cracked black pepper. Serve with thick slices of warm, crusty bread.

Steaming bowl of smooth leek and potato soup served with torn crusty bread on a rustic wooden table

Creamy Leek and Potato Soup without Cream

No reviews yet

Published by Our British KitchenEasy

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Estimated Total Time

45 min

Yield / Servings

4 Servings

Equipment Needed

Large heavy-based saucepan or Dutch oven (at least 3-litre capacity)
Colander (for thoroughly washing grit from sliced leeks)
Stick / immersion blender (strongly recommended for safe in-pot blending)
Sharp chef's knife and chopping board
Vegetable peeler
Wooden spoon or silicone spatula
Soup ladle

Ingredients

Adjust yield quantities or check items off as you prep.

Scale:

3 medium leeks (approx. 600g trimmed weight), washed and sliced into 1cm rounds: Trim dark green tops and roots; wash thoroughly in a colander to rinse away trapped soil.
400g floury potatoes (e.g. Maris Piper or King Edward), peeled and cubed into 2cm pieces: High-starch floury potatoes break down during blending to create a natural creaminess without cream.
30g unsalted butter: Provides gentle richness when sweating the alliums. For a strictly vegan version, substitute 2 tbsp olive oil. Contains milk.
1 medium brown onion, finely chopped: Adds foundational savoury allium depth to support the sweet leeks.
1 garlic clove, finely minced (optional): Provides gentle background warmth without overpowering the delicate leek flavour.
1 litre good-quality vegetable stock: Use a quality vegetable stock or stock cube for balanced savoury flavour. Check certification if cooking vegan.
½ tsp fine sea salt and freshly ground white or black pepper: White pepper keeps the pale velvety soup visually pristine.
Fresh chives and extra virgin olive oil (for garnish): A light olive oil drizzle and snipped fresh chives provide visual contrast and aromatic brightness.

Instructions

Trim and slice leeks into 1cm rounds. Rinse thoroughly in a colander under cold running water, separating layers with fingers to remove all trapped soil. Drain well.
Melt butter in a large pan over low-medium heat. Cook onion 5 minutes until soft. Add leeks, garlic and salt. Cook gently 8–10 minutes until leeks collapse—do not brown.
Add potato cubes and pour in vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, reduce to a gentle simmer, cover loosely, and cook 15–18 minutes until potatoes are completely tender.
Remove from heat. Blend directly in pot with a stick blender until velvety smooth. If using a jug blender: cool 15 mins, fill half-full, vent lid stopper, and hold with a tea towel. Do not overblend.
Warm gently on low heat. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls, drizzle lightly with olive oil, sprinkle with chives, and serve with crusty bread.

Nutrition Information

Per ServingServing: 1 bowl (1/4 of soup)

Calories

203kcal

Total Fat

Protein

Carbohydrates

29g

Dietary Fiber5 g

Total Sugars5 g

Sodium475 mg

Calcium68 mg

Iron1.9 mg

Chef's Notes & Expert Advice

Rinsing sliced leeks after cutting is essential: grit lodges deep inside the tight concentric layers as leeks push through soil, so washing whole leeks will not remove internal dirt. Sauté on low heat without colouring—browned leeks turn bitter and tint the soup brown, whereas gentle sweating produces a sweet, bright-pale green soup. When blending, pulse only until smooth and velvety; over-processing activates the starch in floury potatoes, which can turn the soup sticky and gluey rather than velvety.

Frequently Asked Questions

The velvety, creamy texture comes entirely from the natural starch in floury potatoes (such as Maris Piper or King Edward). When cooked until tender and pureed, the potato cells burst and emulsify with the vegetable stock and butter, creating a luxurious body without heavy cream.

Yes, easily. Replace the 30g of butter with 2 tablespoons of good olive oil for sweating the vegetables, and ensure your vegetable stock is certified vegan. The soup remains just as creamy and flavorful.

Allow the soup to cool for 15 minutes. Fill your blender jar no more than half-full, remove the central stopper in the lid to let steam vent, cover the hole with a folded kitchen towel, and blend in short pulses on low speed. Never seal hot liquid airtight in a blender.

Yes. Let the soup cool completely within 2 hours, transfer into airtight freezer-safe containers, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently on the hob, whisking in a splash of water or stock to loosen the texture.

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Creamy Leek and Potato Soup without Cream

Prep

15 min

Cook

30 min

Total

45 min

Serves

Our British Kitchen

13 October 2026

Share Recipe:

What You Need

Trimmed leeks, floury potatoes, onion, unsalted butter, vegetable stock and seasoning—six honest vegetarian ingredients that create a thick, velvety soup entirely without cream.

Medium leeks (approx. 600g trimmed weight), washed and sliced into 1cm rounds – Trim dark green tops and roots; wash thoroughly in a colander to rinse away trapped soil.

Floury potatoes (e.g. Maris Piper or King Edward), peeled and cubed into 2cm pieces – High-starch floury potatoes break down during blending to create a natural creaminess without cream.

Unsalted butter – Provides gentle richness when sweating the alliums. For a strictly vegan version, substitute 2 tbsp olive oil. Contains milk.

Medium brown onion, finely chopped – Adds foundational savoury allium depth to support the sweet leeks.

Garlic clove, finely minced (optional) – Provides gentle background warmth without overpowering the delicate leek flavour.

Litre good-quality vegetable stock – Use a quality vegetable stock or stock cube for balanced savoury flavour. Check certification if cooking vegan.

Fine sea salt and freshly ground white or black pepper – White pepper keeps the pale velvety soup visually pristine.

Fresh chives and extra virgin olive oil (for garnish) – A light olive oil drizzle and snipped fresh chives provide visual contrast and aromatic brightness.

Need to convert cups to grams for this recipe?

Use our free Cups to Grams Converter for practical ingredient conversions.

Open Cups to Grams Converter

How to Make Creamy Leek and Potato Soup without Cream

Step 1: Clean and slice the leeks thoroughly

Step 2: Sweat onions, leeks and garlic gently

Step 3: Add potatoes and simmer in stock

Step 4: Blend safely to a velvety consistency

Step 5: Season, adjust texture and serve

Gentle Sweating Dynamics, Allium Sweetness and Potato Starch Science

Countertop Blender Safety, Steam Venting and Immersion Best Practices

Batch Cooking, Safe Refrigeration Protocol and Freezing Advice

Creamy Leek and Potato Soup without Cream

No reviews yet

Published by Our British KitchenEasy

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Estimated Total Time

45 min

Yield / Servings

4 Servings

Equipment Needed

Large heavy-based saucepan or Dutch oven (at least 3-litre capacity)
Colander (for thoroughly washing grit from sliced leeks)
Stick / immersion blender (strongly recommended for safe in-pot blending)
Sharp chef's knife and chopping board
Vegetable peeler
Wooden spoon or silicone spatula
Soup ladle

Ingredients

Adjust yield quantities or check items off as you prep.

Scale:

3 medium leeks (approx. 600g trimmed weight), washed and sliced into 1cm rounds: Trim dark green tops and roots; wash thoroughly in a colander to rinse away trapped soil.
400g floury potatoes (e.g. Maris Piper or King Edward), peeled and cubed into 2cm pieces: High-starch floury potatoes break down during blending to create a natural creaminess without cream.
30g unsalted butter: Provides gentle richness when sweating the alliums. For a strictly vegan version, substitute 2 tbsp olive oil. Contains milk.
1 medium brown onion, finely chopped: Adds foundational savoury allium depth to support the sweet leeks.
1 garlic clove, finely minced (optional): Provides gentle background warmth without overpowering the delicate leek flavour.
1 litre good-quality vegetable stock: Use a quality vegetable stock or stock cube for balanced savoury flavour. Check certification if cooking vegan.
½ tsp fine sea salt and freshly ground white or black pepper: White pepper keeps the pale velvety soup visually pristine.
Fresh chives and extra virgin olive oil (for garnish): A light olive oil drizzle and snipped fresh chives provide visual contrast and aromatic brightness.

Instructions

Trim and slice leeks into 1cm rounds. Rinse thoroughly in a colander under cold running water, separating layers with fingers to remove all trapped soil. Drain well.
Melt butter in a large pan over low-medium heat. Cook onion 5 minutes until soft. Add leeks, garlic and salt. Cook gently 8–10 minutes until leeks collapse—do not brown.
Add potato cubes and pour in vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, reduce to a gentle simmer, cover loosely, and cook 15–18 minutes until potatoes are completely tender.
Remove from heat. Blend directly in pot with a stick blender until velvety smooth. If using a jug blender: cool 15 mins, fill half-full, vent lid stopper, and hold with a tea towel. Do not overblend.
Warm gently on low heat. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls, drizzle lightly with olive oil, sprinkle with chives, and serve with crusty bread.

Nutrition Information

Per ServingServing: 1 bowl (1/4 of soup)

Calories

203kcal

Total Fat

Protein

Carbohydrates

29g

Dietary Fiber5 g

Total Sugars5 g

Sodium475 mg

Calcium68 mg

Iron1.9 mg

Chef's Notes & Expert Advice

Rinsing sliced leeks after cutting is essential: grit lodges deep inside the tight concentric layers as leeks push through soil, so washing whole leeks will not remove internal dirt. Sauté on low heat without colouring—browned leeks turn bitter and tint the soup brown, whereas gentle sweating produces a sweet, bright-pale green soup. When blending, pulse only until smooth and velvety; over-processing activates the starch in floury potatoes, which can turn the soup sticky and gluey rather than velvety.