This delicious leek soup is ultra creamy, with a base of cream cheese and yogurt. Garnish with chives and it’s rich and cozy, perfect for entertaining.

Creamy Leek Soup

Here’s a delicious, creamy leek soup full of greens and general cozy feelings! It would be a perfect starter, or even a meal in itself, since it is fairly rich. It’s perfect for a holiday or elegant dinner party! We loved the strong taste of the leeks in this soup, along with the velvety texture.

The soup is one my mom made growing up, so it holds a special place in my heart. It’s also a retro recipe: it’s adapted from the New York Times Bread and Soup Cookbook 1972! We enjoyed it recently with my parents — and my mom would make sure to mention that the original recipe calls for ham. If you don’t eat vegetarian, stir in some cooked ham in the last step — it adds a nice salty counterpoint.

How to cut leeks

Leek soup is very simple to make: the most involved part is cutting the leeks! If you’ve never cut a leek before, here is our tutorial. And make sure to watch our video below to see it in action!

  1. Chop off the dark green stems of the leeks and the bottom root.
  2. Slice the leeks in half length-wise.
  3. Place each leek half cut-side down on the cutting board, then slice it into thin slices, resulting in half-moon shapes. You will likely notice dirt in between each layer of the leeks,
  4. Rinse the sliced leeks thoroughly in a colander, then shake them dry.

Video: How to cut leeks

How to make leek soup

Once you’ve mastered how to cut leeks, it’s all downhill from there! This leek soup is rich and creamy, less of our traditional healthy fare and more of a soup for a special occasion like entertaining. To make the soup, you saute the spinach and leeks together in butter, then add the vegetable broth and simmer. While it’s simmering, you mix together the creamy base: a mixture of cream cheese, plain yogurt, and egg yolks. Once the simmering is finished, stir in the creamy base. It brings a huge pop of flavor! We love garnishing this leek soup with chopped chives and serving in little cozy bowls or mugs! A little goes a long way.

Looking for more soup recipes?

Outside of this leek soup, here are a few of our favorite soup recipes:

Related: Try using our Homemade Vegetable Broth for this recipe!

This recipe is…

This creamy leek soup is vegetarian.

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

Creamy Leek Soup


  • Author: a Couple Cooks
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 6 to 8 1x

Description

This delicious leek soup is ultra creamy, with a base of cream cheese and yogurt. Garnish with chives and it’s rich and cozy, perfect for entertaining.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ½ tablespoons butter
  • 8 ounces frozen spinach (do not substitute fresh)
  • 2 large leeks, white part only
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 2 ½ cups vegetable broth
  • 2 ½ cups water
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 cup plain yogurt
  • 2 egg yolks
  • ½ cup chives, finely chopped
  • Kosher salt
  • Fresh ground pepper (or white pepper if you have it)

Instructions

  1. Chop the spinach.
  2. Chop the leeks (watch the video!): Chop off the dark green stems of the leeks and the bottom root, then slice them in half length-wise. Place each leek half cut-side down on the cutting board, then chop it into thin slices, resulting in half-moon shapes. There will be dirt in between each layer of the leeks, so when you’ve finished chopping them, rinse them thoroughly in a colander.)
  3. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter. Saute the leeks and spinach gently in the melted butter for several minutes. When the veggies are soft, sprinkle in the flour and cook for 2 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring constantly.
  4. Add the vegetable broth, water and salt. Return to low heat and continue to stir until the mixture thickens slightly. Simmer for 15 minutes.
  5. Mash the cream cheese in a small bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, and stir in the yogurt and egg yolks. Stir the mixture until smooth.
  6. Carefully stir the cheese mixture into the soup and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Serve the soup piping hot, garnished with chopped chives.

Notes

Adapted from the New York Times Bread and Soup Cookbook 1972

 

  • Category: Soup
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: Leek Soup, Creamy Soup, Vegetarian Soup, Vegetarian Soup Recipes, Appetizer Recipes,

About the authors

Sonja & Alex

Meet Sonja and Alex Overhiser: Husband and wife. Expert home cooks. Authors of recipes you'll want to make again and again.

Leave a Comment

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

11 Comments

  1. Food has a beautiful way of connecting us with family. We celebrate, mourn and gather around food. Thank you for sharing a recipe that has a personal connection at such an emotionally charged time.

  2. This was truly awesome. It was quick and easy enough for a weeknight and tasted amazing. I just added a nice sourdough roll to go along with it. Thanks!

  3. Have you tried freezing this soup? Would it work to add the creamy ingredients and freeze, or would I have to add them once the soup is thawed?

    1. Yes, you can freeze this soup! It will separate a little, but reheat it gently: just make sure not to boil.

  4. I cooked leeks for the first time, following all the steps. Leeks did not get soft or tender at first, but after cooking in broth for 15 minutes, it was nice. Yogurt added subtle sourness. Egg yolks blended into solidity. Beautiful to look at and tasted fancy. Thanks.