Garlicky potato and leek soup without cream

A bowl of potato leek soup made without heavy cream.

5 from 1 vote

Garlicky potato and leek soup without cream

This creamy potato leek soup gets its silky texture from potatoes rather than cream. It features plenty of tender leeks, two types of potatoes, garlic, and optional crispy garlic chips.

Prep Time15

Cook Time40

Total Time55

Servings: 1.5 cup bowls

Calories: 257kcal

Ingredients

Soup Base

3 tablespoon unsalted butter olive oil for dairy-free
4 cloves garlic
4 leeks white and green parts

Soup

1.5 lbs russet potatoes
1 lb red potatoes sub russets for a completely smooth, not chunky, soup
6-7 cups chicken broth
1 head garlic
6 sprigs fresh thyme
3 bay leaves
1.5 teaspoon salt

Garnishes

¼ cup fresh chives
Black pepper
4-6 cloves garlic for chips, or use chopped garlic scapes
3 tablespoon oil for chips

Instructions

Prep

Leeks: cut in half the long way and wash between the layers. If it's really dirty, chop the leeks first and then rinse in a colander or salad spinner.
Potatoes: peel russet potatoes, and cut the all potatoes into ½ inch cubes or so (no need to be exact).
Garlic: Separate cloves from 1 head of garlic, peel and chop up 4 of those, to be used in the base. Peel and slice up 4-6 cloves (if you are making garlic chips). Cut the tops off the other head of garlic so the tops of the cloves are exposed (for simmering in the broth).

Saute the leeks with garlic & butter

In a large pot, melt the butter. Add chopped garlic and leeks and cook until leeks are soft but not browned, about 5-10 minutes.

Add broth and aromatics, simmer for 20 minutes

Add broth, the whole garlic head (with the top cut off), bay leaves, thyme sprigs, and salt.
Bring to a boil then simmer for 20 minutes.

Add potatoes, simmer for another 15-20 minutes

Add potatoes, partially cover the pot with a lid and continue to simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
While this simmers, fry the garlic chips.

Finish the soup

Remove the garlic heads and squeeze the garlic onto a plate using tongs. The garlic should be a mashed consistency at this point. Add the squeezed garlic back into the soup and stir.
Remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. If you want some potato chunks in the soup, use a slotted spoon to remove the desired amount. Then puree the soup, and add the potatoes back in.
Taste and add salt or pepper if necessary. Add more broth to thin the soup, if needed. Top with chives, pepper and garlic chips.
Top soup with chives and garlic chips and serve.

Garlic Chips

Use a small frying pan and cover the bottom in a layer of oil, just enough to mostly cover the sliced garlic. Heat the oil to hot, but not smoking. Add sliced garlic to hot oil and swirl / push around to cook them evenly. After about 1 or 2 minutes, they will start to turn a light gold, watch them, because in seconds they will turn golden and after that they can turn dark gold and start to get bitter. Remove from pan at the light to medium gold stage, then cool on paper towels.

Notes

Garnishes: if garlic scapes are in season, you can skip the toasted garlic chips and garnish with chopped scapes instead. It's a fun seasonal swap.

Leftovers: the soup thickens overnight, so be ready to add more broth to thin it down when reheated the next day.

Nutrition is calculated with the optional garlic chips, which only added about 15 calories per bowl since I estimated only a small amount of the frying oil was absorbed.

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Nutrition