Nothing beats a bowl of creamy, cosy slow cooker leek and potato soup on a chilly night. Ten minutes of prep, then the slow cooker does the heavy lifting. If you love simple winter warmers like my Roast Pumpkin Soup and Chicken, Corn & Noodle Soup, this one's about to be your weeknight hero.
Absolutely delicious! I used extra garlic and put crispy bacon bits in at the end!
- Alycia
Leeks and potatoes are budget-friendly staples that turn into something special with low-and-slow cooking. This is an easy slow cooker leek and potato soup (creamy but light) that you can finish with cream for classic richness, or swap to milk/evaporated milk for a healthy crockpot potato leek soup that still feels indulgent.
Add chives on top and serve with warm bread rolls or savoury muffins for dunking. It's simple, nourishing and freezer-friendly - perfect for busy families.
Why You're Going To Love This Recipe
- Set-and-forget: 10 minutes of prep, then the slow cooker handles the rest.
- Creamy your way: finish with cream, or make it creamy without cream using milk or evaporated milk.
- Budget winner: leeks + potatoes = affordable, filling and kid-approved.
- Freezer-friendly: brilliant for batch cooking and easy lunches.
- Silky smooth: tips below to blend without that dreaded "gluey" texture.
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Soup Ingredients
You'll find exact quantities in the recipe card. Here's what needs a quick note for best results:
- Leeks: Use the white and light green parts only; slice lengthways and rinse well to remove hidden grit.
- Potatoes (mashing type): sebago, desiree, pontiac, dutch cream or yukon gold blend velvety smooth.
- Bay leaves: add gentle depth that makes a simple soup taste "long simmered".
- Cream / milk / evaporated milk: stir in after blending for a silky finish (see freezing tip).
Variations
- Vegetarian/GF: use a certified gluten-free vegetable stock/vegetable broth and finish with olive oil or your preferred DF milk.
- Lighter: swap the cream for evaporated milk or regular milk; still creamy without feeling heavy.
- Bacon & chive: pan-fry chopped streaky bacon until crisp; scatter over bowls to serve. Garnish with fresh chives.
- Extra veg: add 1 diced celery stalk and 1 diced carrot with the potatoes for more veggie goodness.
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How To Make Slow Cooker Potato And Leek Soup
Minimal prep, maximum comfort.
Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredients quantities and full detailed method.
- Step 1: Sauté: Melt butter with olive oil over medium-low heat. Add finely sliced leeks and the garlic; cook 5 minutes until soft and sweet (don't brown).
- Step 2: Load & cook: Transfer leeks to the slow cooker. Add diced potatoes, stock and bay leaves. Place the lid onto the dish and cook 4 hours on HIGH or 8 hours on LOW until the potatoes are very soft. Discard bay leaves.
- Step 3: Blend safely: Use a stick blender to purée just until smooth.
Thermomix/processor note: If blending in batches, allow the soup to cool slightly, vent steam and start low before increasing speed.
- Step 4: Finish: Stir through cream (or milk/evaporated milk) and chopped chives. Season to taste. Ladle into bowls and add a little extra cream and chives if you like.
Top Tip
Stop blending as soon as the soup is smooth - over-blending can activate potato starch and make the texture gluey.
Recipe Tips
- Clean leeks well: slice lengthways and rinse between layers to remove grit.
- Keep leeks pale: sauté gently; browning dulls the flavour and colour.
- Avoid "gluey" soup: blitz briefly with an immersion blender; if using a high-powered jug blender, pulse in short bursts.
- Perfect thickness: if it's too thick after blending, stir in ½-1 cup warm stock until it's just right.
- Season at the end: stocks vary - taste after adding cream/milk, then adjust salt and pepper.
- Make-ahead: store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently until piping hot.
- Freezing: for best texture, freeze before adding cream. Cool completely, portion and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw, reheat, then stir in cream/milk to finish.
- Serving ideas: try with Ham, Cheese & Zucchini Muffins, Bacon & Cheese Muffins, or Spinach & Feta Muffins for dunking.
Slow Cooker Potato And Leek Soup FAQs
Absolutely. Use evaporated milk or regular milk for a lighter finish, or your favourite dairy-free milk and olive oil for a dairy free option.
Floury/mashing types like sebago, desiree, pontiac, dutch cream or yukon gold blend silky smooth.
Technically, no, but a quick sauté gives a sweeter, more rounded flavour. If you're in a rush, add everything to the slow cooker and go.
It's usually from over-blending. Use a stick blender or Thermomix and stop as soon as it's smooth.
You can, but the texture may become slightly grainy. Reheat gently and whisk in a splash of fresh cream or milk to bring it back together.
More Potato and Leek Recipes
While we're talking about leeks and potatoes, here are a few more tempting recipes using these ingredients....
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Slow Cooker Leek And Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 45 g (3 tbs) butter
- 30 g (2 tbs) olive oil
- 2 leeks sliced finely
- 3 teaspoon minced garlic or 3 cloves, crushed
- 1.25 kg white potatoes peeled and diced into small pieces
- 1.5 litres liquid chicken stock
- 2 dried bay leaves
- salt and pepper to season
- 300 ml cream or thin pouring cream
- 2 tbs fresh chives finely chopped, to serve
Instructions
- In a frying pan over medium-low heat, heat the butter and olive oil. Add the leeks and garlic and cook for 5 minutes or until the leeks are translucent and soft.Transfer to a slow cooker (crock pot). Note: if you have a searing slow cooker, you can saute the leeks and garlic in the slow cooker on the stovetop.
- Add the potatoes, liquid chicken stock and bay leaves. Cook for 4 hours on HIGH or 8 hours on LOW (until the potatoes are very soft). Remove and discard the bay leaves.
- Use a hand-held blender or food processor to puree the soup until smooth and creamy.
- Stir through the cream and chives. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with an extra drizzle of cream and extra chives (optional).
Notes
- Stop blending as soon as the soup is smooth - over-blending can activate potato starch and make the texture gluey.
- Clean leeks well: slice lengthways and rinse between layers to remove grit.
- Keep leeks pale: sauté gently; browning dulls the flavour and colour.
- Avoid "gluey" soup: blitz briefly with an immersion blender; if using a high-powered jug blender, pulse in short bursts.
- Perfect thickness: if it's too thick after blending, stir in ½-1 cup warm stock until it's just right.
- Season at the end: stocks vary - taste after adding cream/milk, then adjust salt and pepper.
- Make-ahead: store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently until piping hot.
- Freezing: for best texture, freeze before adding cream. Cool completely, portion and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw, reheat, then stir in cream/milk to finish.
- Serving ideas: try with Ham, Cheese & Zucchini Muffins, Bacon & Cheese Muffins, or Spinach & Feta Muffins for dunking.
Alycia says
Absolutely delicious! I used extra garlic and put crispy bacon bits in at the end!
Lucy says
Fantastic!!