Irish Potato Soup (Printable)
A creamy, comforting classic featuring tender potatoes, leeks, and onions. Ready in 50 minutes, serves 4.
# What You Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 1.5 lbs potatoes, peeled and diced
02 - 1 large leek, cleaned and sliced
03 - 1 medium onion, chopped
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 medium carrot, diced (optional)
→ Liquids
06 - 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
07 - 1 cup whole milk
→ Dairy
08 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
→ Seasonings
09 - 1 bay leaf
10 - 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
11 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
→ Garnish
12 - Chopped fresh chives or parsley (optional)
13 - Crumbled cooked bacon or shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
# How To Make:
01 - In a large soup pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion, leek, carrot if using, and garlic. Sauté until softened but not browned, approximately 5 minutes.
02 - Add the potatoes, bay leaf, dried thyme, a generous pinch of salt, and black pepper. Stir to coat all vegetables evenly in the butter and aromatics.
03 - Pour in the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until potatoes are very tender.
04 - Remove the bay leaf. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth, or leave some texture if preferred.
05 - Stir in the milk and gently reheat without boiling. Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed.
06 - Ladle into bowls and garnish with chives, parsley, bacon, or cheese as desired. Serve hot with crusty bread.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- This soup somehow manages to feel both luxuriously creamy and light enough for any occasion, no heavy cream required.
- The ingredients are so humble that you probably have everything you need already hiding in your kitchen.
02 -
- Always clean leeks thoroughly by slicing them lengthwise and rinsing between the layers, as grit hiding there can ruin your soup experience.
- Adding cold milk to hot soup increases the risk of curdling, so either warm the milk slightly or let the soup cool for a few minutes before combining.
03 -
- Save the potato water if boiling potatoes separately, as this starchy liquid makes an excellent addition to the stock for natural thickening.
- For the silkiest texture, pass the blended soup through a fine-mesh sieve before adding the milk, catching any fibrous bits that might have survived blending.