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You are here: Home / Food / Irish Potato Leek Soup (Instant Pot or Stovetop)

Irish Potato Leek Soup (Instant Pot or Stovetop)

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Irish Potato Leek Soup - perfect for St. Patrick's Day...or any day!#Irish #PotatoLeekSoup | APinchOfHealthy.com

This Irish potato leek soup is a delicious way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. It reminds me of a loaded baked potato…in the form of soup!

Irish potato leek soup with cheese, green onions and bacon

I could not let St. Patrick’s Day pass by without paying homage to my Irish roots. So I am breathing new life back into this old recipe. In the form of updated photos and newly-added Instant Pot instructions.

🎉🙌🏻

Yes, you can make this on the stove top OR in your Instant Pot.

Did you know I am (part) Irish? I researched my ancestry a few years back and found several Irish branches in our family tree. My grandmother’s side of the family were farmers and supposedly came over during the potato famine.

So back to the recipe. Yes, this soup had potatoes in it. But I’ll bet you will be surprised to know that there is a super sneaky ingredient in there too – some cauliflower.

I used the cauliflower to add some creaminess, plus extra nutrition. Honestly I cannot even detect it in the finished dish! And my husband and kids don’t like cauliflower, and they ate the soup happily.

And as I often do with soup, I love to go a little crazy on ALL the toppings (<-Bacon! And cheeeeese!).

Irish potato leek soup with cheese, green onions and bacon

The toppings are, of course, 100% up to you, but may I suggest some REAL bacon. Not the turkey variety. The real pork stuff. We used the Trader Joe’s pre-cooked bacon because we like to be lazy with our bacon. 😆 YUM.

So let’s talk about leeks for a second. They have a mild onion-y like flavor, and I think I need to find more ways to use them because they are so good! If you have never cooked with leeks before, this link may be helpful: how to wash and prep leeks. Mine were gritty, so a good washing should not be skipped!

As for the potatoes, I recommend yukon golds (<- Thank you Costco for the ginormous bag!) But russets would work okay too.

Also, if you have not sprung for an immersion blender (affiliate) yet, you totally should! I don’t know why I waited so long to buy one! They are really inexpensive, and when you are pureeing soups like this one, it makes things so, so, so much easier!

Irish potato leek soup with cheese, green onions and bacon

If you only have a regular blender handy, you can modify this recipe by letting the soup cool, then transferring to the blender in batches to puree. And THEN transferring back to the pot to re-heat. More complicated, and a few more dishes to wash…but it works.

I bet you’ll be cruising Amazon afterward to check out that immersion blender, though. 🙂

I hope you enjoy this recipe. And Happy (early) St. Patrick’s Day!!🍀

Tools Used to Make Irish Potato Leek Soup

Note: These are Amazon affiliate links. Shopping through these links supports this site at NO extra cost to you.

  • Instant Pot, large pot or Dutch oven
  • Measuring spoons
  • Dry ingredient measuring cups
  • Measuring cup for liquids
  • Knife and cutting board
  • Ladle for serving

Irish Potato Leek Soup Recipe

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Irish potato leek soup with cheese, green onions and bacon
5 from 2 votes
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Irish Potato Leek Soup

This Irish potato leek soup is a delicious way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. It reminds me of a loaded baked potato...in the form of soup!
Course Soup
Cuisine Irish
Keyword potato leek soup
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Calories 182 kcal
Author Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 medium onion roughly chopped
  • 3 leeks chopped
  • 1 rib celery roughly chopped
  • 2 pounds medium Yukon gold potatoes Diced into 1 inch chunks
  • 2 cups cauliflower florets (7 ounces on food scale)
  • 5 cups chicken stock
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste, since this will vary greatly based on saltiness of broth, butter, etc.)
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 leaves bay
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme

Instructions

Stovetop Instaructions

  1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat; stir in onion, celery and leek.
  2. Cover and cook 20 minutes.
  3. Stir in potato, bay leaves and thyme; cover and cook 15 minutes.
  4. Stir in broth, cauliflower florets, salt, and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until potato is tender.
  5. Remove from heat.
  6. Carefully remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs.
  7. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup in the pot.
  8. Serve with desired toppings. Recommended: real pork bacon, shredded cheese and green onions

Instant Pot Instructions

  1. Melt butter in the inner pot on sauté mode; stir in onion, celery and leek.
  2. Cook until tender, about 7 minutes, stirring frequently. It will cook down in volume, FYI.
  3. Add in chicken stock, potato, cauliflower florets, salt, pepper, bay leaves and thyme.
  4. Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes, and quick release the pressure (QR) when the cook time is complete. (Hint: I place a dish towel over the lever before releasing pressure to avoid starchy liquid from spraying everywhere.)

  5. After the pressure is fully release, remove the lid, and carefully remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Tongs are helpful for this.

  6. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup in the pot.
  7. Serve with desired toppings. Recommended: real pork bacon, shredded cheese and green onions

Recipe Notes

Nutritional information is approximate and was calculated using a nutrition label generator.

Nutrition Facts
Irish Potato Leek Soup
Amount Per Serving
Calories 182
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 

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2691shares
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  • Yummly 17

Related posts:

  1. Chicken Noodle Soup from Scratch (Instant Pot or stovetop)
  2. Instant Pot Vegetable Beef Soup
  3. Healthy Turkey Chili (Instant Pot, Slow Cooker or Stovetop)

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Leigh says

    October 11, 2019 at 11:17 pm

    5 stars
    Girl, you are a mind reader! Was thinking about this soup earlier today and when i opened my email, boom, there it was. (see what i did there? boom! lol) plan to try the instant pot version tomorrow.

    Reply
  2. Beverly says

    January 6, 2019 at 7:48 am

    5 stars
    our family made this recipe last night in the IP. The house smells amazing, and we are enjoying it so much. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
    • Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says

      January 6, 2019 at 10:18 am

      Yay Beverly! I am so glad y’all enjoyed it.💙 Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback!🙏🏻

      Reply
    • Lori Mann says

      August 4, 2020 at 7:55 am

      Can this recipe brrrrr be frozen.
      Thank you

      Reply
      • Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says

        August 5, 2020 at 6:51 am

        Hi Lori! I have never frozen this one. So I am not sure what it would do to the texture.🤔

        Reply
  3. Beth mitchell says

    November 3, 2018 at 4:53 am

    This recipe sounds wonderful.
    Which grandmother, maternal or paternal?
    How are you feeling? Im keeping you in my prayers.
    I have no idea why I can’t capitalize, it’s just not working,

    Beth

    Reply
    • Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says

      November 3, 2018 at 3:23 pm

      My mom’s mom.🍀 Thank you Beth! The first few days after each chemo are tough, but I am feeling better today.

      Reply
  4. sheisthexdreamer says

    October 31, 2017 at 10:48 am

    Saw someone use leeks on a cooking show and was immediately transported back to St. Paddy’s 2015 when I made this soup. SO good. So good that I have to make it again tonight! I’m going to attempt to convert it to an Instant Pot recipe. Wish me luck!

    Reply
    • Marjorie@APinchOfHealthy says

      November 7, 2017 at 8:49 pm

      Oh this would be a great one to convert to the IP. I may need to post that😉👏🏻

      Reply
    • kay says

      June 4, 2018 at 5:47 pm

      If dairy is your problem, try ghee.

      Reply
  5. Lora Jones Campbell says

    March 15, 2017 at 8:08 pm

    What substitute options if any do you suggest for the butter. It is really the only downside to this yummy recipe.

    Reply
    • Marjorie@APinchOfHealthy says

      March 15, 2017 at 9:26 pm

      It will taste better with the butter. But! You could substitute with olive oil, and you don’t have to use as much as 1/2 cup…just try a couple tablespoons and see how it looks. Add more if needed. Good luck!

      Reply
  6. sheisthexdreamer says

    March 17, 2016 at 3:12 pm

    In the process of making this! Do you mean 2 14oz potatoes or 2 potatoes equaling 14 oz? HELP!

    Reply
    • Marjorie@APinchOfHealthy says

      March 17, 2016 at 8:37 pm

      I wish I had seen this sooner! I am sure you are done making it by now…I am sorry! It is 14 ounces total. I am updating the recipe so that others don’t get confused.

      Reply
  7. sheisthexdreamer says

    March 5, 2016 at 4:14 pm

    Would it be possible to make this in a slow cooker? I’m planning a St. Paddy’s Day Party and was hoping to make it all in my slow cookers.

    If I cooked the onion, celery, and leek in butter for ~5-10 mins before putting it in the crock pot and then adding everything else I think it might work, but I would like your opinion!

    Reply
    • Marjorie@APinchOfHealthy says

      March 5, 2016 at 4:51 pm

      It miiiight work, but I am not sure since I have never tested it that way. If you are making it for a party, I’d suggest doing a test run first to make sure it turns out okay (consistency, taste, etc.). Please let me know if you try it and how it turns out!

      Reply
      • sheisthexdreamer says

        March 5, 2016 at 4:56 pm

        You know, this recipe is sooooo easy already. I should just make it your way! My only problem is I have non stick pans and I’m afraid the immersion blender would damage the bottom of the pan.. Do you know of any immersion blenders that would be safe for non-stick?

        Reply
        • Marjorie@APinchOfHealthy says

          March 5, 2016 at 5:01 pm

          I definitely see your dilemma! Yeah, I’d worry about using it in non-stick too, since it might chip the finish. I am sorry to say I don’t know of any.

          Reply
          • sheisthexdreamer says

            March 5, 2016 at 7:58 pm

            I might just transfer it to the crockpot to keep it warm and just blend it in there!

            Hopefully this will work! Thanks for helping me work through this problem!

  8. Haley Gasper says

    March 5, 2016 at 4:49 am

    I’ll be making this in a few days, and I totally just ordered the immersion blender. I’m sitting next to my husband as I’m reading this recipe and, thinking out loud, exclaimed “but I need an immersion blender!” He convinced me to buy it, as I’ve been talking about getting one for months. So thank you 😉 Plus I have Amazon Prime sooooo free 2 day shipping! I’m excited to try the recipe (and my new blender!!) It looks delicious (the soup…not the blender). I’ve made quite a bit of potato soup, but this one looks perfect!

    Reply
    • Marjorie@APinchOfHealthy says

      March 5, 2016 at 12:36 pm

      I hope you enjoy that soup and the immersion blender too! I have couple other recipes that use that immersion blender – tomato basil soup and ranch dressing. (<- just in case you want to use it in some other recipes.) 🙂 Enjoy!

      Reply
  9. Abby says

    November 14, 2015 at 11:58 am

    When do I add the cauliflower?

    Reply
    • Marjorie@APinchOfHealthy says

      November 14, 2015 at 12:10 pm

      Thank you so much for your question Abby! I add the cauliflower florets with the broth. I did not even realize I left that out of the instructions, so I appreciate the note! I have updated the recipe to reflect this.

      Reply
      • Abby says

        November 14, 2015 at 12:52 pm

        Thank you, making it right now!

        Reply
  10. Marjorie@APinchOfHealthy says

    March 18, 2015 at 6:21 am

    Thanks for the heads up Leigh! I am not sure what happened. But I fixed it now.

    Reply

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I am a home cook, recipe developer, coffee drinker, wife and mom of two. My recipes are simple and tasty. I enjoy lots of fresh, healthy food, plus full treats without guilt. Thanks so much for stopping by! Read more here.

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