This Irish potato leek soup recipe 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.
This is such a comforting soup, full of flavor. It is one of our favorites! You may also like classic potato soup.
Note: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. See my full affiliate disclosure policy here.
Yes, you can make this potato leek soup on the stove top OR in your Instant Pot.
Yes, this soup had potatoes in it. I used the cauliflower to add some creaminess, plus extra nutrition. You won’t miss the heavy cream – promise!
Honestly I cannot even detect any cauliflower taste in the finished dish! And my kids don’t like cauliflower, and they ate the soup happily.
How to make Irish potato look soup
First, gather your ingredients.
Ingredients
For tastiest results, always use the best quality ingredients you have access to. To make this potato leek soup recipe, you will need the following ingredients:
- butter
- onion (I used yellow)
- leeks
- celery
- Yukon gold potatoes (Russet potatoes also work)
- cauliflower florets
- cooking liquid of choice: chicken broth, chicken stock, vegetable broth or vegetable stock
- salt and pepper
- bay leaf
- fresh thyme, or other fresh herbs of choice
Prep and clean leeks
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 in some cold water should not be skipped!
Cooking potato leek soup
Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium heat; stir in onion, celery and leek, and reduce heat to low. Cover and cook 20 minutes.
Stir in potato, bay leaves and thyme; cover and cook 15 minutes.
Stir in stock/ broth, cauliflower florets, salt, and pepper; bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until potato is tender. Remove from heat. Carefully remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs.
Use an immersion blender to puree the soup in the pot.
Alternatively, you could transfer the mixture to a standard blender. Just be sure and be cautious with the hot liquid!
Serve with desired toppings. Recommended: bacon, shredded cheese and green onions
Toppings
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. We used the Trader Joe’s pre-cooked bacon because we like to be lazy with our bacon. Another great option is air fryer bacon.
Sour cream would also be yummy on this!
Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Recipe tips
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
This post may contain affiliate links, which pay a referral fee to me at no additional cost to you. My full affiliate disclosure can be seen here.
- Instant Pot, large pot or Dutch oven
- Measuring spoons
- Dry ingredient measuring cups
- Measuring cup for liquids
- Knife and cutting board
- Ladle for serving
Share this recipe
Did you try this recipe? Give it a star rating. Pin it and share it if it looks good to you. And be sure and stay connected on social media!
Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook | YouTube | TikTok
Be sure and check out all my favorite kitchen tools in my Amazon store (affiliate).
Irish Potato Leek Soup
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 bay leaves
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
Instructions
Stovetop Instaructions
-
Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium heat; stir in onion, celery and leek.
-
Reduce heat to low, cover and cook 20 minutes.
-
Stir in potato, bay leaves and thyme; cover and cook 15 minutes.
-
Stir in broth, cauliflower florets, salt, and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until potato is tender.
-
Remove from heat.
-
Carefully remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs.
-
Use an immersion blender to puree the soup in the pot.
-
Serve with desired toppings. Recommended: real pork bacon, shredded cheese and green onions
Instant Pot Instructions
-
Melt butter in the inner pot on sauté mode; stir in onion, celery and leek.
-
Cook until tender, about 7 minutes, stirring frequently. It will cook down in volume, FYI.
-
Add in chicken stock, potato, cauliflower florets, salt, pepper, bay leaves and thyme.
-
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.)
-
After the pressure is fully release, remove the lid, and carefully remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Tongs are helpful for this.
-
Use an immersion blender to puree the soup in the pot.
-
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.
Leigh says
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.
Beverly says
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.
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Yay Beverly! I am so glad y’all enjoyed it.💙 Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback!🙏🏻
Lori Mann says
Can this recipe brrrrr be frozen.
Thank you
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Hi Lori! I have never frozen this one. So I am not sure what it would do to the texture.🤔
Beth mitchell says
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
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
My mom’s mom.🍀 Thank you Beth! The first few days after each chemo are tough, but I am feeling better today.
sheisthexdreamer says
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!
Marjorie@APinchOfHealthy says
Oh this would be a great one to convert to the IP. I may need to post that😉👏🏻
kay says
If dairy is your problem, try ghee.
Lora Jones Campbell says
What substitute options if any do you suggest for the butter. It is really the only downside to this yummy recipe.
Marjorie@APinchOfHealthy says
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!
sheisthexdreamer says
In the process of making this! Do you mean 2 14oz potatoes or 2 potatoes equaling 14 oz? HELP!
Marjorie@APinchOfHealthy says
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.
sheisthexdreamer says
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!
Marjorie@APinchOfHealthy says
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!
sheisthexdreamer says
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?
Marjorie@APinchOfHealthy says
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.
sheisthexdreamer says
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!
Haley Gasper says
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!
Marjorie@APinchOfHealthy says
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!
Abby says
When do I add the cauliflower?
Marjorie@APinchOfHealthy says
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.
Abby says
Thank you, making it right now!
Marjorie@APinchOfHealthy says
Thanks for the heads up Leigh! I am not sure what happened. But I fixed it now.