This Hairy Bikers leek and potato soup recipe uses milk instead of cream, so you get a lighter bowl at around 215 calories a serving. And it feeds four in about 40 minutes, which makes it an easy midweek lunch with bread and butter.
I have cooked through the entire Hairy Bikers cookbook collection, and I can tell you there is no standalone leek and potato soup in any of their books. Every recipe you find online for it is made up, since none of them can name a real source because one does not exist.
What does exist is their Colcannon soup from Our Family Favourites, which is a leek, potato and cabbage soup finished with cream. Si and Dave call it “a firm favourite for the cooler months,” and the technique is gold. So I stripped the cabbage, swapped cream for milk, and after testing it a few times this is the version I keep coming back to.
Hairy Bikers Leek and Potato Soup Recipe
Description
There is no standalone leek and potato soup in any Hairy Bikers cookbook, but the Colcannon soup in Our Family Favourites is almost the same thing. So I used that saute-and-simmer technique with milk for a lighter, simpler version.
Ingredients
For the Soup:
Instructions
- Soften the leeks: Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat, then add the onion and leeks. Cook gently for about 5 minutes until they are soft and sweet, since this saute is where all the flavour starts.
- Add the potatoes: Once the leeks have softened, stir in the potatoes and garlic, then cook for another minute so they pick up some of the butter.
- Simmer in stock: Pour in the stock and drop in the thyme and bay leaf, then season with salt and white pepper. Bring it to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer with the lid partly on for 15 to 20 minutes until the potatoes crush easily.
- Blend with milk: Fish out the thyme and bay leaf once the potatoes are soft, then pour in the milk and blend with a stick blender until smooth. And if you like a chunkier soup, just blend half and stir it back in.
- Season and serve: Check the seasoning and add more white pepper if it needs it, then ladle into warm bowls and scatter with snipped chives.
FAQs
Why does this soup use milk and no cream?
The Colcannon soup in Our Family Favourites finishes with 100ml of single cream, but I swapped it for whole milk because I wanted something lighter. And the potatoes thicken the soup on their own, so the milk just loosens it without making it heavy.
Semi-skimmed works too if that is what you have open, and if you want no cream or milk at all you can leave the dairy out completely. The soup still blends smooth with just the stock, so it holds up well without it.
Can I make this in a slow cooker?
Yes, and it is an easy hands-off way to do it, since the slow cooker holds a steady low heat. But I still sauté the leeks and onion in butter on the hob first, because the slow cooker cannot soften them properly on its own.
After that, tip everything into the slow cooker with the stock and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours. Then stir in the milk and blend at the end, since adding the milk too early can make it split.
Is leek and potato soup good for slimming?
At around 215 calories a bowl this soup is genuinely low, and it fills you up because of the potato. If you are following a Slimming World plan, swap the butter for low-calorie spray and use semi-skimmed milk to bring it down further.
Even without those swaps, the base recipe is mostly vegetables and stock, so it sits well in a calorie-controlled week. And for another filling low-cal option, their goulash soup is worth a look too.
What goes well with leek and potato soup?
Thick crusty bread with salted butter is the classic, and it is hard to beat alongside a smooth soup like this. Si and Dave top their Colcannon version with fried black pudding and a dash of Worcestershire sauce, which turns it into a proper meal.
If you want something more filling afterwards, a cottage pie follows on nicely as a main, since both are proper British comfort food. And a handful of crispy bacon lardons scattered on top is another good shout.
Can I add truffle to leek and potato soup?
A drizzle of truffle oil just before serving lifts the whole bowl, since the earthy truffle and sweet leeks are a natural pairing. I use about half a teaspoon per bowl, because truffle oil is strong and a little goes a long way.
You can also stir a teaspoon of truffle paste into the soup while you blend it, which spreads the flavour more evenly. And keep the chives on top even with the truffle, because the freshness balances the richness nicely.
