Irish Potato Leek Soup (Instant Pot or Stovetop)

This Irish potato leek soup is a delicious way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. It reminds me of a loaded baked potato…in the form of soup!

I could not let St. Patrick’s Day pass by without paying homage to my Irish roots. So I am breathing new life back into this old recipe. In the form of updated photos and newly-added Instant Pot instructions.

🎉🙌🏻

Yes, you can make this on the stove top OR in your Instant Pot.

Did you know I am (part) Irish? I researched my ancestry a few years back and found several Irish branches in our family tree. My grandmother’s side of the family were farmers and supposedly came over during the potato famine.

So back to the recipe. Yes, this soup had potatoes in it. But I’ll bet you will be surprised to know that there is a super sneaky ingredient in there too – some cauliflower.

I used the cauliflower to add some creaminess, plus extra nutrition. Honestly I cannot even detect it in the finished dish! And my husband and kids don’t like cauliflower, and they ate the soup happily.

And as I often do with soup, I love to go a little crazy on ALL the toppings (<-Bacon! And cheeeeese!).

The toppings are, of course, 100% up to you, but may I suggest some REAL bacon. Not the turkey variety. The real pork stuff. We used the Trader Joe’s pre-cooked bacon because we like to be lazy with our bacon. 😆 YUM.

So let’s talk about leeks for a second. They have a mild onion-y like flavor, and I think I need to find more ways to use them because they are so good! If you have never cooked with leeks before, this link may be helpful: how to wash and prep leeks. Mine were gritty, so a good washing should not be skipped!

As for the potatoes, I recommend yukon golds (<- Thank you Costco for the ginormous bag!) But russets would work okay too.

Also, if you have not sprung for an immersion blender (affiliate) yet, you totally should! I don’t know why I waited so long to buy one! They are really inexpensive, and when you are pureeing soups like this one, it makes things so, so, so much easier!

If you only have a regular blender handy, you can modify this recipe by letting the soup cool, then transferring to the blender in batches to puree. And THEN transferring back to the pot to re-heat. More complicated, and a few more dishes to wash…but it works.

I bet you’ll be cruising Amazon afterward to check out that immersion blender, though. 🙂

I hope you enjoy this recipe. And Happy (early) St. Patrick’s Day!!🍀

Tools Used to Make Irish Potato Leek Soup

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Irish Potato Leek Soup Recipe

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Irish Potato Leek Soup

This Irish potato leek soup is a delicious way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. It reminds me of a loaded baked potato...in the form of soup!

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Author Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 medium onion roughly chopped
• 3 leeks chopped
• 1 rib celery roughly chopped
• 2 pounds medium Yukon gold potatoes Diced into 1 inch chunks
• 2 cups cauliflower florets (7 ounces on food scale)
• 5 cups chicken stock
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste, since this will vary greatly based on saltiness of broth, butter, etc.)
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 leaves bay
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme

Instructions

Stovetop Instaructions

1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat; stir in onion, celery and leek.

2. Cover and cook 20 minutes.

3. Stir in potato, bay leaves and thyme; cover and cook 15 minutes.

4. Stir in broth, cauliflower florets, salt, and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until potato is tender.

5. Remove from heat.

6. Carefully remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs.

7. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup in the pot.

8. Serve with desired toppings. Recommended: real pork bacon, shredded cheese and green onions

Instant Pot Instructions

1. Melt butter in the inner pot on sauté mode; stir in onion, celery and leek.

2. Cook until tender, about 7 minutes, stirring frequently. It will cook down in volume, FYI.

3. Add in chicken stock, potato, cauliflower florets, salt, pepper, bay leaves and thyme.

4. Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes, and quick release the pressure (QR) when the cook time is complete. (Hint: I place a dish towel over the lever before releasing pressure to avoid starchy liquid from spraying everywhere.)

5. After the pressure is fully release, remove the lid, and carefully remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Tongs are helpful for this.

6. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup in the pot.

7. Serve with desired toppings. Recommended: real pork bacon, shredded cheese and green onions

Recipe Notes

Nutritional information is approximate and was calculated using a nutrition label generator.

Nutrition Facts

Irish Potato Leek Soup

Amount Per Serving

Calories 182

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 

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