German Leek and Potato Soup (Lauchcremesuppe)
This simple creamy leek and potato soup recipe is a simple favorite that I grew up with in Germany. It's ready in about half an hour and I love the mild onion flavor from the leeks in this soup, paired with the creaminess of the potatoes and heavy cream. A bit of ground nutmeg and cayenne sets this leek and potato soup apart and gives it a unique flavor profile.I like to garnish my leek soup with parsley oil made from fresh parsley and avocado oil. It instantly elevates this simple soup and is sure to impress. But it will taste great without it, too.Serve with some fresh sliced bread such as my German sourdough rye bread.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 197kcal
Equipment
- 1 Immersion Blender I love this immersion blender that's rechargeable and use it for the soup and the parsley oil
- 1 Peeler This is the best peeler I have owned and I have had a lot of them! It has the perfect weight and grip to it and just works.
Ingredients
- 3 leeks Large, or use 5 smaller leeks.
- 3 potatoes Large. I used Yukon gold potatoes in my recipe, which are a waxy potato, but you can use any potatoes you have.
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 2 liters water
- 1 Tablespoon bouillon
- 250 milliliters cream plus a bit more for garnish
- 1 pinch ground cayenne It adds a subtle, smoky spice note, but does not make the soup spicy.
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- fresh parsley puree parsley leaves with avocado oil to make a parsley oil for garnish like I did or use chopped leaves as the garnish
Instructions
- Remove the roots of the leeks, then cut the leeks in half lengthwise. Open up the layers with your fingers and wash them out.3 leeks
- Cut the leeks into half rings. You will use all of the white parts and any light green parts. It doesn't matter so much if they are larger pieces because you will puree this soup anyways.
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1-inch chunks. This way they will cook faster.3 potatoes
- Over medium heat, add butter and leeks to a large stock pot and cook leeks for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.1 Tablespoon butter
- Add 2 liters/quarts of water, cut up potatoes and 1 tablespoon of bouillon paste (or use 2 quarts of veggie or chicken stock). Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.1 Tablespoon bouillon, 2 liters water
- Add cream, nutmeg, and cayenne and puree. Season to taste with salt and pepper.250 milliliters cream, 1 pinch ground cayenne, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- You can optionally garnish the soup with some homemade parsley oil and cream. The parsley oil adds such a pretty accent color and a delicious, herbal finishing note.To make the parsley oil, puree a large handful of parsley leaves and ¼ cup (about 60 ml) of avocado oil, then drizzle over the top.fresh parsley
Video
Notes
How to clean leeks
I didn't know how to clean leeks for a long time, but it's important to get all the dirt out that can collect between layers. Here is the simplest way to clean leeks. Trim off the roots, then cut the leek in half lengthwise. Open up the layers with your fingers while letting water run through them. It's so easy!Reserve leek trimmings
You can reserve the dark green parts for making veggie stock in the future. I simply collect veggie trimmings in my freezer and whenever it's full, I make a veggie stock.Nutrition
Calories: 197kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 39mg | Sodium: 60mg | Potassium: 455mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1073IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 1mg