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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.
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!
- Chop off the dark green stems of the leeks and the bottom root.
- Slice the leeks in half length-wise.
- 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,
- 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:
- Golden Vegetable Soup Recipe
- Tortellini Soup with Basil
- Easy Tomato Basil Soup
- Creamy Corn Chowder (or Vegan Corn Chowder)
- Instant Pot Wild Rice Soup
- Tomato Basil Gnocchi Soup
- Mango Black Bean Chili
- Vegetarian Tortilla Soup
- Tomato Sage Chickpea Soup
- Cauliflower Soup with Moroccan Spices
- Ribollita (Tuscan Vegetable Stew)
- Tuscan Soup with White Beans
- Vegan Split Pea Soup
- Italian Soup with Vegetables & Gnocchi
Related: Try using our Homemade Vegetable Broth for this recipe!
This recipe is…
This creamy leek soup is vegetarian.
Creamy Leek Soup
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.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 to 8 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 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
- Chop the spinach.
- 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.)
- 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.
- Add the vegetable broth, water and salt. Return to low heat and continue to stir until the mixture thickens slightly. Simmer for 15 minutes.
- 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.
- 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
The original N. Y. Times cookbook calls for fresh spinach, and it works fine. I have the cookbook and have been making this soup for years. It is wonderful!! Highly recommended. (A little chopped sautéed ham in the bottom of the bowl is a treat, but equally good without it.)
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.
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?
Yes, you can freeze this soup! It will separate a little, but reheat it gently: just make sure not to boil.
Is it 2 or 3 leeks? Ingredient list says 2 directions say 3…
It’s 2 large leeks: good catch! Updated.
Soup looks so creamy and tempting to have it now
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!
This looks amazing! Just printed the recipe out and plan to make it very soon! Merry Christmas!
Looks so good! I have been trying out so many soup recipes this winter!
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.
Looks fabulous!