Irish Potato Leek Soup (Instant Pot or Stovetop)

Name: Irish Potato Leek Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 70 min
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

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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!

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!).

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!

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

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Irish Potato Leek Soup Recipe

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