Lemon Leek and Potato Soup

Posted on: November 8, 2024. Updated on: November 16, 2024.

by Carolina Gelen

lemon leek and potato soup

This lemon leek and potato soup recipe delivers a bright, zesty take on the hearty leek and potato soup. Thinly sliced leeks are cooked in olive oil with turmeric, fennel seeds and coriander seeds until tender and simmered with buttery Yukon gold potatoes for a comforting dinner.

lemon leek and potato soup

The lemon leek and potato soup is flavored at the end with freshly squeezed lemon juice, lemon zest and grated garlic. Serve with a dollop of creme fraiche or sour cream on top.

lemon leek and potato soup

lemon leek and potato soup

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Lemon Leek and Potato Soup

3.4 / 5. from 34

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3.4 / 5. from 34

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Servings: 4
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 1 hour
Total: 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 large (800g) leeks
  • 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
  • 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • Salt and pepper
  • 4 medium (775g) Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed into bite-sized pieces
  • 10 cups (2.3l) water or vegetable stock
  • 2 cups short pasta, such as gemelli, ditalini, etc.
  • 2 medium lemons
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely grated
  • Sour cream or creme fraiche, for serving, optional

Instructions

  1. Prepare the leeks: peel off the outer layer. Trim any dry dark green ends. Trim the root ends. Halve the leeks lengthwise and thinly slice. Add the sliced leeks to a large bowl and thoroughly wash and drain.
  2. Make the lemon leek and potato soup: To a large soup pot or Dutch-oven over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the fennel, coriander, turmeric and a few cracks of black pepper. Stir for 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the leeks, season with a few big pinches of salt and toss to coat in spices and oil. Cook, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes, until softened.
  3. Add the potatoes, water or vegetable stock, and season with a few big pinches of salt. Raise the heat to high, cover the pot and bring to a boil.
  4. Once the liquid starts boiling, reduce the heat to medium, partially cover the pot with a lid and vigorously simmer for 45 to 50 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, bring a small pot of water to a boil. Season with salt. Cook the pasta until al dente (a few minutes less than what the packaging calls for). Drain and reserve.
  6. Taste the soup and add more salt, as needed. Remove the pot off heat. Zest the lemons in the broth using a zester or microplane. Juice the lemons (3 to 4 tablespoons lemon juice) and stir the juice in the soup. Stir in the grated garlic and cooked pasta. Serve with a dollop of sour cream or creme fraiche on top.

Carolina Gelen

You may have seen my work on TV, Food Network, NYT Cooking, Food52 and more. I make recipes more fun and accessible for home cooks. I immigrated to the US from Transylvania, Romania—where I lived most of my life—in 2021 to pursue my passion for cooking full-time. Here you’ll find a collection of approachable recipes, from weeknight dinners to desserts, you’ll come back to over and over again. Some of my most popular recipes include my chicken paprikash, orange chicken roast with fennel and shallots or butter beans all vodka. Some recipes are inspired by my Romanian-Hungarian upbringing, and most definitely all come with that Transylvanian resourcefulness! I love a good thrift, so make sure to catch my thrift hauls every Sunday on my Instagram!

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2 thoughts on "Lemon Leek and Potato Soup"

  1. Kate says:

    I substituted cannellini beans for pasta, just for fun, and it was excellent!

  2. shannon says:

    This soup is delicious. And easy. It’s definitely going into our fall/winter meal rotation, and I’m ditching any other potato leek soup recipes I’ve saved. (I made a small batch of chicken meatballs for my husband to add to his soup. It was a pretty good addition if you “must have meat” in your meal. I thought it tasted wonderful either way.)