Flavorful 4 ingredient potato soup with potatoes, leeks, stock, and butter, one of the simplest and best potato soup recipes. There is no need to add anything; this easy and delicious soup is full of flavor just as it is!
This 4-ingredient potato soup is one of the quickest ways of putting dinner on the table. And if you would like another easy recipe for soup, try our Panera Black Bean Soup, the Creamy Sweet Potato and Pumpkin Soup, Chicken and Cabbage Soup, or the Easy Lebanese Lentil Soup. Soups are the ultimate comfort food, perfect for any cold day during the winter months.
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What do I love best about it?
It’s perfectly delicious without a BUT. You can find many four-ingredient potato soup recipes out there, but most of them say: the recipe is delicious, but to make it even better, you can add this or that (most of the time crumbled bacon and cheddar cheese).
Hmm, if I am specifically looking for something tasty yet using just a few basic ingredients, I don't want to hear anything about extra stuff. When it comes to this recipe, there are really only four ingredients in it (not counting salt and pepper), and the dish is wonderful!
Other advantages?
- Super low budget, you will only need cheap, simple ingredients.
- Ready in no time.
- Make a big batch and reheat it (you won’t get tired of it, even if you have it 3 times in a row).
- Healthy and vegetarian. You can make it vegan and dairy-free by using vegan butter or oil instead of dairy.
- Something for the whole family; kids love it despite the many green leeks.
Tips
Make sure you clean the leeks really well; the dirt often finds its way between the many layers of this veggie.
How to clean leeks
- Wash them thoroughly on the outside, cut them, and discard the roots.
- If they are wilted, discard the last inch (2 cm) or so of the dark green ends as well.
- Slice the leek lengthwise, starting at the transition between the white and the green part and moving the knife towards the top of the vegetables.
- Carefully fan open the layers without taking the leek apart and rinse under cold running water until all the dirt is removed.
Recipe ingredients
This great recipe is made with only a handful of ingredients. All you need are tubers, leeks, butter, stock, and a large pot.
Potatoes:
- I use any type of potatoes I happen to have at the moment.
- The texture of this delectable soup will differ slightly depending on the sort you are using, but it will be delicious, no matter what.
- I've already cooked this recipe with Russet potatoes (especially if I wanted to blend it), with Yukon Golds, red potatoes, or no-name plain sorts.
Leeks:
- An underrated vegetable if you ask me, the leek is so great, we should eat it more often. I consider it the secret ingredient for this delicious potato soup; it’s the main reason you will not need to add any cheese or bacon. The leeks impart the soup an incredible flavor: sweet and hearty, somehow slightly smoky, just perfect.
Butter:
- I use unsalted butter in all my recipes, but salted butter should be fine here. Adjust the taste at the end accordingly and if using salted butter, make sure that the stock is not too salty.
- If you want to keep the soup vegan, use olive oil or vegan butter instead.
- I often think that using 3 tablespoons of butter for just a soup it’s quite a lot. But as this is a very basic recipe, I would not use less butter. The combination of butter and leeks makes this dish so flavorful.
Stock:
- Good quality chicken or vegetable stock. To keep the soup vegetarian, use vegetable broth.
- Make sure the stock is not too salty, and use salt accordingly.
- I cook this recipe with homemade chicken broth or stock most of the time, but I’ve often cooked enough with vegetable broth paste or chicken stock cubes to know that it works.
Recipe steps
- Vegetables: Clean the leeks as instructed above. Chop them into small pieces and set them aside. Peel, wash and chop the potatoes into bite-sized cubes.
- Saute: Melt the butter in a large soup pot (1). Add vegetables, a sprinkle of salt, stir well to combine, and saute on medium-low heat for 8 minutes, often stirring (2).
- Simmer: Add the stock, stir well, cover the pot (3), and simmer the 4-ingredient potato soup for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are soft (4).
- Adjust the taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Make sure you add a lot of pepper for a bit of a kick.
Recipe FAQ
Yes. Once cooked, let it cool and keep it in the fridge.
Keep it refrigerated; it will be fine for 3-4 days. If you have a lot, leave it in the pot. If there are only leftovers, transfer them to an airtight container, it will save you some room in the fridge.
Reheat it on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Don’t freeze it; frozen and thawed potatoes are not nice; they are grainy and weird.
Yes, I prefer it chunky, but I often blend it when I think a creamy texture fits our menu better.
When mixing potato soup with an immersion blender, please don’t overdo it, or the soup will turn gluey.
You can also mash it with a potato masher; it won’t be either chunky or creamy, but something in between.
You can make an easy 4-ingredient potato soup with other vegetables instead of leeks. Try peas, broccoli, swede, pumpkin, and carrot.
Another great option is cauliflower (one of my favorite combinations). If using cauliflower, it’s always a great idea to replace about half of the stock with milk or cream. In this case, the four-ingredient soup will turn into a five-ingredient soup.
What to serve with it?
Any kind of bread you like, from dark sourdough to French baguette. We also love dinner rolls and garlic bread or we eat it just as it is, with no extra bread.
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📖 Recipe
Easy 4-Ingredient Potato Soup Recipe
Equipment
- Soup pot
Ingredients
- 1-2 leeks depending on size 12.5 oz/ 350 g
- 2 lbs potatoes 1 kg
- 3 tablespoons butter Note 1
- 3 ¼ cups chicken stock or vegetable broth 25 fl.oz/ 800 ml
- fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Clean the leeks: Wash them thoroughly on the outside, cut, and discard the roots and the last inch (2 cm) or so of the dark green ends if they are wilted. Slice lengthwise. Carefully fan open the layers without taking the leek apart and rinse under cold running water until all the dirt is removed. Chop the leeks and set them aside.
- Potatoes: Peel, wash, and chop them into bite-sized cubes.
- Saute: Melt the butter in a large pot. Add vegetables, a sprinkle of salt, stir well to combine. Saute on medium-low heat for 8 minutes, often stirring.
- Simmer: Add the stock, stir well, cover the pot and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are soft (Note 2).
- Adjust the taste with salt and pepper. If you want the soup slightly hot, add lots of freshly ground black pepper (Note 3).
Notes
- Use olive oil or vegan butter and vegetable broth to make the soup vegan.
- We prefer it chunky, but you can blend it to make it creamy. Please don’t overdo it; potatoes will turn gluey when blended for too long.
- The soup keeps well in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days. Don’t freeze it.
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