Slow Cooker Potato Leek Soup

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It’s rather amazing how much more flavorful potato leek soup is when you use the slow cooker than when you make it on top of the stove. And with less work involved since you don’t need to keep an eye on it or give a stir or adjust the temperature! The potatoes are creamy and smooth. The leeks are mellow from long cooking. And then there is all the wonderful cheese to finish things off. This is just the thing for dinner on a chilly night like it is here tonight. Brrr.

Isn’t the slow cooker awesome?

It took me about 15 minutes to get this soup into the slow cooker, including all the chopping and sauteing the leeks. And then the slow cooker did the work, just needing a few quick additions towards the end, until it was time to finish it off and eat. (I do love my slow cooker! There is nothing like dinner happening on its own without needing me.)

Finishing it off took another 15 minutes, including pureeing it up with my stick blender and making some homemade croutons. The croutons are optional, but the ones I use in my Homemade Caesar Salad recipe are great in the soup as well.

30 minutes active time for dinner? Sign me up!

Cheesy potato leek soup is a recipe I’ve been making for decades. In the summer I love a simple soup of potato, leek, chicken broth, and cream. And not too much leek or potato! A thin, refreshing, very cold soup.

But in the winter?

It’s time for the cheese. And lots of potatoes. And plenty of leeks. I want a soup that a spoon could stand up in. Well, almost. If your spoon can actually stand up for more than a moment, it’s probably a bit too thick and you need to add a little more liquid. 🙂

But it still should be thick and filling and comforting. I do love my comfort food and you can’t go wrong with a bowl of thick, potato leek soup to warm you up and make you feel better about the world.

I certainly felt better about the world after I had a bowl.

Some soup. Some salad. A good fire in the fireplace. A cat or three to warm up your lap. (Or a dog. We have both! 🙂 ) That sounds like just the thing on a chilly evening. Don’t you think?

You can, of course, use a regular blender to puree the soup, but that is something else to clean and you have to deal with transferring hot liquid around, which is going to be a few more things to clean.

That is where my stick blender has it all over the regular blender. I basically just use it to puree hot liquids (soups, sauces, and so on), but I would not part with it. I spent too many years washing blenders and bowls and ladles every time I wanted a smooth soup! I’ve had a couple of stick blenders in my life. I can’t even remember what brand the first one was, but it didn’t work and sat in my drawer until I finally threw it out.

My KitchenAid Stick Blender, though?

That one I love. It’s a workhorse and can deal with the chunkiest of soups to make them lovely and smooth. If you are totally fussy about your soup and want not one bit of unpureed soup left, then stay with your blender and get a fine mesh strainer too. But, if you are okay with your soup being homestyle smooth and don’t want to wash extra dishes then a stick blender is for you.

– Happy Eating, Annemarie

5 from 2 votes

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Slow Cooker Potato Leek Soup

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

5 hr 30 mins

Total Time

5 hr 45 mins

 

Comforting, creamy, cheesy, and now even easier to make, this potato leek soup delivers all the flavor for only minutes of work.

Course: Soup

Cuisine: French

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 425 kcal

Author: Just a Little Bit of Bacon

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 leeks, cleaned and thinly sliced, white and light green
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 3 cloves garlic
• 5 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 leaves bay
• 3/4 cup white wine
• 5 cups low sodium broth, vegetable or chicken
• 4 medium (1 1/2 lbs) yellow potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
• 1 1/2 cups half and half
• 8 oz grated cheese, such as havarti, fontina, cheddar, parmesan, gouda
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• chives and croutons for topping

Instructions

1. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add leeks and salt and saute until soft, about 8 minutes. Add garlic; saute for 30 seconds.
2. Pour leeks and garlic in the slow cooker. Add thyme, oregano, bay leaves, white wine, broth, and potatoes. Set slow cooker on low for 5 hours.
3. Add half and half. Stir to combine and puree soup until smooth. Either puree in two batches in the blender or use a stick blender right in the pot. If the soup is a little too thick, add some more liquid - broth, half and half, or water, your choice.
4. Set slow cooker on low for 30 more minutes. Mix cheese with a teaspoon or two of cornstarch. Add cheese to soup and mix to melt the cheese. Serve soup with croutons and chives.

Recipe Notes

I used a KitchenAid Immersion Blender to blend the soup.

For the croutons, you can buy croutons or use the crouton recipe in my Homemade Caesar Salad.

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