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Instant Pot Potato Leek Soup

October 7, 2017 by Sandy 65 Comments

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Instant Pot Potato Leek Soup is a classic, simple, delicately flavored soup. My family has enjoyed my Grandpa’s Potato Leek Soup recipe for years. Now I’m sharing it with you! Enjoy this delicious creamy, but light, pressure cooker Potato Leek Soup with some nice crusty bread for a wonderful meal!

Potato Leek Soup in a white bowl with a pressure cooker in the background

Instant Pot Potato Leek Soup

Often times the recipes that we remember from childhood are the simplest ones. Our family recipes are some of my greatest treasures. Each one has a story. and brings to life all of the wonderful memories from the good old days.

My Nana and Grandpa were great cooks. I love to make their recipes. Today I’m sharing one of my Grandpa’s recipes with you. It is a very simple Potato Leek soup that I tweaked just a little so you can easily make it in your Instant Pot electric pressure cooker (because I just love making soup in my IP!).

This is one of the recipes from Grandpa’s side of the family. He said it’s a Welsh recipe. I’m not sure, but have seen references to that. I think like many recipes, each region has their own version and claims it as their own.

One thing’s for sure, it is a simple and tasty soup. It is very good hot, though in the Summer we would often eat it chilled, then it is called vichyssoise.

Two white bowls with handles with Potato Leek Soup garnished with parsley

This soup is easy enough to make on the stove, but I prefer making it in my pressure cooker. Instant Pot Potato Leek Soup is easy to prepare, and doesn’t take long at all to cook and get the leeks super tender. I hope you like it!

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4.97 from 27 votes
Potato Leek Soup in a white bowl with a pressure cooker in the background
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Instant Pot Potato Leek Soup
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
7 mins
Total Time
37 mins
 

Instant Pot Potato Leek Soup is a classic, elegant, simple soup with a delicate flavor of leeks and potatoes. Easy to make in your electric pressure cooker.

Course: Dinner, Soup
Cuisine: American, English, French
Keyword: pressure cooker potato leek soup recipe
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 244 kcal
Author: Sandy Clifton
Ingredients
  • 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 3 Tbsp Butter
  • 4-5 large Leeks, about 5-6 cups chopped (cleaned and sliced into half-moon shapes. Cut off the dark green part, trimming to the part where the color is a pale green)
  • 2 cloves Garlic, pressed or minced
  • 2 Tbsp Flour
  • 5 cups Chicken Broth (or vegetable broth)
  • 1 Bay Leaf
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1/4 tsp White Pepper (or black)
  • 1 lb Gold Potatoes, cubed
  • 1/8 tsp Nutmeg (optional)
  • 3/4 cup Half and Half (or heavy cream, or for lower fat use milk)
Garnish
  • Chopped Chives (or parsley)
  • Sour Cream
Instructions
  1. Press the Sauté button on the Instant Pot. When the display reads 'Hot', add the oil and butter.

  2. Add the leeks and stir. Cook until soft, stirring occasionally. It's fine if they brown a little.

  3. Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, until fragrant, stirring frequently.

  4. Sprinkle the flour over the leeks and stir. Cook for a minute to get the raw taste out of the flour.

  5. Stir in the broth. Be sure to dissolve the flour and scrape the bottom of the pot so you don't get a "burn" issue.

  6. Add the bay leaf, salt, pepper, and the potatoes, nutmeg. Stir.

  7. Put the lid on the pot and set the steam release knob to the Sealing position.

  8. Press the Manual (or Pressure Cook) button, and the + or - button to choose 7 minutes.

  9. When the cooking cycle has ended, let the pot naturally release the pressure for 15 minutes. Then manually release the remaining steam.

  10. When the pin in the lid drops, open it and stir the soup. Remove the bay leaf. Then use an immersion blender to puree it. If you don't have an immersion blender, you can use a blender, pureeing the soup in small batches very carefully.

  11. Stir in the half and half.

  12. Taste and adjust salt, if needed.

    Garnish with chopped chives and sour cream.

  13. Serve hot or chilled. 

Recipe Notes

Adapted from my Grandpa's recipe.

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Instant Pot Potato Leek Soup is a classic, elegant, delicately flavored soup. You can make pressure cooker potato leek soup in your Instant Pot! simplyhappyfoodie.com #instantpotpotatoleeksoup #instantpotsoup

Filed Under: Instant Pot, Instant Pot Soup Recipes, Lunch, Recipes, Soups, Stews & Chowders, Vegetarian

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Comments

  1. Susan

    December 2, 2020 at 3:19 am

    Hi there, have just discovered you and I am delighted to find some inspiring recipes which I look forward to making. I have started with your potato and leek soup and it was absolutely delicious both me and my husband loved it so thank you for sharing it. Kind regards from the UK.

    Reply
  2. Jean

    November 22, 2020 at 5:01 pm

    So happy to see measurements for the vegetables, as not all vegetables are created equal, my rather large two leeks were more than enough. Great recipe, thanks for sharing your grandfather’s recipe

    Reply
  3. Michelle

    November 17, 2020 at 2:28 pm

    My family of veggie haters loved this soup so much they requested for me to make it again 3 days later when we ran out of it in the fridge! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I served it with salad and rolls for a delicious meal.

    Reply
  4. Caroline

    June 8, 2020 at 7:40 pm

    First time making a leek soup and was no disappointed! I have always wanted to make this as my uncle makes it for the family all the time. It was so so delicious, thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  5. Ryan

    March 27, 2020 at 4:02 pm

    I can’t highlight the 5 stars so that’s what I’m giving this soup. I have made potato leek soup for many years and thought it was excellent, until I made this recipe. The flavors blend well together and no added seasoning is needed. Cook times are spot on. I added the nutmeg and that made the soup so delicious. I used peeled russets and heavy cream. Being very lazy, I didn’t want to use my immersion blender and used a potato masher instead. Not one clump of potato in the pot. Thanks, Sandy.

    Reply
  6. Myrna

    February 20, 2020 at 10:51 am

    Where I live bay leaf is available ground, then you don’t have to remember to take it out.

    Reply
  7. Alixandra Hice

    December 13, 2019 at 5:23 pm

    I made this lovely recipe tonight for dinner. My husband (who isn’t a fan of puréed soup) ate three bowls and my mother loved it as well. I had two bowls myself. Thank you so much for sharing your Grandfather’s yummy soup with us. Five stars!

    Reply
  8. Cris

    November 25, 2019 at 3:53 am

    The soup was delicious! Let me say upfront I am not a novice cook. Once the soup depressurized I removed the lid and not thinking, being in a hurry, whatever was going through my head at the moment I forgot to take out the bay leaf. AUUGHHH YES! I did it! I plopped my handy submersion blender in the sop and pureed away. Once done I saw a straggly piece of it and realized what I had done. I carefully spooned through my soup to make sure I didn’t have any other big pieces. It’s a wives tale that they are toxic to eat. Since I had basically crushed the bay leaf into small pieces I was fine with that. We all have had our moments. I tasted the soup and it was still very good. At this point I realized I did not have any milk, cream, etc to add. (I was obviously having a bad day.) I did spy a package of boursin garlic and herb cheese in my fridge and added that. I remembered seeing it used in a soup on another blog I was reading. All in all the soup was absolutely perfect, even with my oops and blunders.

    Reply
    • Sandy

      November 26, 2019 at 8:01 am

      Hi Cris, yes, we all have those days! Obviously you know your way around the kitchen. Your ability to find a tasty substitution was so good! Love it!

      Reply
  9. Vanessa

    November 22, 2019 at 8:16 am

    mmmm, mmmm! This soup is soooo yummy! Even my husband loves it and generally he doesn’t like soup at all. It’s become a must make recipe in our house for sure! I made it pretty much as is, only I only used 3 large leeks, (because that’s how my grocery store sells them, in bunches of 3s), but it was still extremely tasty!

    Reply
  10. Dan

    November 9, 2019 at 11:44 am

    I have tried this recipe three times now and every time the instant pot says “burn”….don’t know what I am doing wrong but this just won’t work for me. Is the flour necessary?

    Reply
    • Sandy

      November 9, 2019 at 3:29 pm

      I’m sorry about that. Are you scraping the pot very well and completely dissolving the flour? If you are, then I would add the flour after pressure cooking. It could be that your pot runs hotter than normal. There are so many versions of the IP out now, who knows?! After pressure cooking and releasing the pressure, mix the flour with an equal amount of very soft butter. Turn on the sauté setting and as soon as the soup starts to simmer, stir in the flour mixture. Then turn off the pot and keep stirring for a little bit.

      Reply
  11. Joseph Pierce

    October 23, 2019 at 2:37 pm

    Sounds good what about the nutmeg? Also, does it freeze well? I have the 10 at and plan to make some ahead of time for winter.. freeze without cream, I would have to guess. Thanks…

    Reply
    • Sandy

      October 26, 2019 at 12:30 pm

      I don’t think Grandpa used nutmeg, though I’m sure it would be nice in there. Yes, you can freeze it without the cream and add it after reheating.

      Reply
  12. Lori Mann

    August 26, 2019 at 2:35 pm

    I quickly skimmed through the other comments and didn’t see my question
    After making this and loving it I’m just thinking about making a very large batch of your recipe and an wondering if it will freeze ok
    Thanks in advance
    Lori

    Reply
    • Sandy

      August 28, 2019 at 4:20 pm

      It does freeze well if you leave out the dairy. If you do freeze it, reheat it slowly for the best results.

      Reply
  13. Brenda

    March 2, 2019 at 2:34 pm

    Really enjoy this soup. So quick and easy. It is part of our regular rotation. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
    • Sandy

      March 2, 2019 at 3:29 pm

      That’s great, Brenda! Thank you.

      Reply
  14. Brenda

    February 7, 2019 at 4:32 pm

    This is a great, quick n easy soup for the IP. I followed it exactly but halving amounts as I only had 2 leeks on hand.
    A keeper.
    Thanks for sharing it.
    5 stars.

    Reply
  15. Teri

    January 31, 2019 at 3:54 pm

    This was the very first thing I made in my Instant Pot. It’s definitely a favorite. It was easy to cut the ingredients in half for my 3 qt. IP. So yummy and perfect for a cold, rainy day. It’s definitely a keeper!

    Reply
    • Sandy

      February 2, 2019 at 1:35 am

      That’s great, Teri! Thank you for letting me know!

      Reply
  16. Paulette

    December 23, 2018 at 11:59 am

    First, wonderful, easy recipe (that surprised me) New instapot user!. 2 notes:
    1) would be helpful to include that this recipe will work in a 3 quart Instant. and
    2) Reminder to remove the bay leaf before pureeing!! I forgot (not awful, but will do it next time for sure.
    Thank you. – Yum!

    Reply
    • Sandy

      December 23, 2018 at 8:29 pm

      Hi Paulette. Thank you. I will make a note about the bay leaf! So glad you liked it!

      Reply
  17. Sheri

    December 5, 2018 at 12:53 pm

    so good barely even needed the milk. i just did a splash. Very flavorful and cozy for the winter.

    Reply
  18. Wendy

    December 2, 2018 at 9:15 pm

    I’m pretty new to my Instant Pot (and loving it so far), but this was super easy and came out DELICIOUS! Thanks for sharing. 🙂

    Reply
  19. sanderson

    October 24, 2018 at 8:27 am

    This soup was perfect! Thank you for adapting and sharing it. I recommend no substitutions if you’re after the traditional flavors- don’t leave out the nutmeg folks. I’ve been growing weary of testing new recipes from blogs, so many don’t work as expected. But this one is quintessential vichyssoise with the ease of the Instant Pot. The only thing I’ll do differently next time is use a tiny bit of the finely chopped chive option instead of the parsley as the garnish. My parsley seemed very strong tasting and I think a bit of chive will better compliment the leek. Ate it hot last night with dinner and can’t wait to bring it to lunch cold today. Thanks again Sandy, to you and your grandpa. 🙂

    Reply
    • Sandy

      October 24, 2018 at 11:20 am

      Hi, I’m so glad you liked this recipe! Thank you for the nice review!

      Reply
  20. Jackie

    October 22, 2018 at 12:14 pm

    Do you need to peel potatoes, assume not. Also is the flour necessary? Trying to keep it gluten free.

    Reply
    • Sandy

      October 22, 2018 at 4:57 pm

      Hi Jackie, I don’t peel them if using the gold potatoes. I do like to peel the russets. Flour is not necessary. You can use a GF option to thicken it at the end. Maybe potato starch.

      Reply
  21. Jessi

    October 8, 2018 at 8:53 pm

    Hey there, I used your recipe as a guide for making my first instant pot potato leek soup. It was delicious. I love how the pressure cooker infuses the flavors. It was so leeky! I did only a couple things different. I added two heaping tablespoons of white miso in place of cream. Also, rather than cubing the potatoes, I cooked them halved. After the cooker was done, I scooped them out, blended the rest of the soup with an hand held blender and then ran the potatoes through a potato ricer. It’s extra work, but the ricer really does make the texture of the soup extra velvety.

    Anyway, thanks again for your recipe. Its my go to guide for this soup from here on out. Cheers!

    Reply
    • Doreen

      October 23, 2019 at 8:24 am

      Absolutely delicious. Does this soup freeze well?

      Reply
      • Sandy

        October 26, 2019 at 12:31 pm

        Yes.

        Reply
  22. CHRIS HICKETHIER

    October 2, 2018 at 3:37 pm

    I doubled the recipe, its amazing! Will definitely make again. Thanks so much for sharing!

    Reply
    • Sandy

      October 2, 2018 at 7:47 pm

      Awesome, Chris! Thank you for your review!

      Reply
      • Patel

        November 29, 2020 at 8:12 am

        Hi Sandy – for doubling this recipe do you change the minutes of the pressure cooking to double?

        Reply
        • Sandy

          November 29, 2020 at 10:03 am

          Nope, just keep the cook time the same.

          Reply
  23. Carol Coppens

    September 11, 2018 at 4:09 pm

    I made this tonight in my Instant Pot. Oh my goodness….so delicious!!

    Reply
    • Sandy

      September 13, 2018 at 3:09 pm

      That’s great, Carol! Thank you for your review!

      Reply
  24. Kaye Swafford

    September 7, 2018 at 3:24 pm

    Thanks very much for your explicit instructions as well as your lovely recipe. I just got my pot and thought I would try out my favorite slow cooker recipe for potato leek soup and see how it came out in the pressure cooker, hopefully tasting great and cooked in a lot less time. I found your recipe on the internet and it had a similar number of leeks and potatoes so I decided your timing would be my model. Worked great and now I’ve got a big bowl of delicious soup on my lap while I’m writing this. Thank you again. I’ve clipped this recipe to to try as you’ve written it to taste an entirely new set of flavors, my only changes will be that I’m plant based, so will make those changes.

    By the way, if you know of a reference on pressure cooker timings I would appreciate that. Thanks again.

    Reply
    • Sandy

      September 7, 2018 at 5:03 pm

      Hi Kaye! I’m so glad this method worked for you! As for timing, they are all over the place, and I usually do my own thing. I’m sure Pinterest has some timing printables you could download. Just go there and do a search. Enjoy your soup!

      Reply
  25. Melanie

    July 9, 2018 at 9:41 pm

    This soup was absolutely delicious. So good that I couldn’t stop eating it. It was super fast using frozen sliced leeks I found at trader Joe’s. I used like 6 cloves of garlic, added an extra bay leaf and used 4 cups of broth and 1 cup of stock. Otherwise stuck to the recipe. Highly recommend!

    Reply
    • Sandy

      July 10, 2018 at 4:20 pm

      Yay! Grandpa would be happy that you liked his recipe! Thank you for letting me know!

      Reply
  26. Tess Geer

    June 4, 2018 at 6:50 am

    Thanks for this recipe. I make a similar soup called Potage Parmentier, julia Child’s recipe. Her husband liked it so much that he had it as the first course for EVERY SINGLE DINNER she cooked for him at home their ENTIRE MARRIED LIFE. I was looking for an infant pot recipe. I garnish mine with radish slices per her recipe. I sometimes serve it chilled in mini parfait cups as an appetizer (shooters) when I entertain. I’m an EatWith host in France and Washington DC.. I actually think it tastes better chilled. Leek is such a delicate flavor and it comes out more when it is chilled. This soup is a staple in France where I live part time. You can buy it in cartons at the grocery!

    Reply
    • Sandy

      June 5, 2018 at 2:39 pm

      Hi Tess, that is so interesting! Thank you for the info!

      Reply
  27. Lindsey

    April 10, 2018 at 9:53 am

    First time making potato leek soup. Process worked well in the IP, but it needed more flavor. Added more salt, dried sage, and bay leaves.

    Reply
    • Sandy

      April 10, 2018 at 12:29 pm

      Hi Lindsey, this soup is not one that is strong in flavor. It is supposed to be delicate. Having said that, you know what you like! I’m glad you could jazz it up to taste how you wanted. Thank you for your review!

      Reply
  28. Tam

    March 15, 2018 at 2:18 pm

    Fabulous conversion to the Instant Pot! I made it with my homemade chicken broth. Also using chicken fat for some of the butter. Was using this recipe for a family favorite watercress soup. Chopped the stems and put them in the hot soup after opening. Wait 5 minutes use the immersion blender. Add the watercress tops , your watercress is chopped less than half inch. Add the half and half…this soup is good cold as well as hot. My boyfriend loved this. My kids always loved it too. Also used russet bakers, old fashioned Idaho gal.

    Reply
    • Sandy

      March 15, 2018 at 3:24 pm

      Hi Tam, what a fabulous variation! Thank you for your review!

      Reply
  29. Marie Manor

    January 25, 2018 at 2:59 pm

    I made this today and both my husband and I loved it. I want to share the recipe with our son but he doesn’t have an IP, can you tweak it back for stove top recipe?

    Reply
    • Sandy

      January 25, 2018 at 3:57 pm

      Hi Marie! I’m glad you liked this soup! To make it on the stove top, sauté the onion, etc., as stated in the recipe, but instead of pressure cooking it, let it simmer on low for about 20 minutes. Then use immersion blender to puree, or a potato masher if your son doesn’t have a blender. Then stir in the cream, taste, and adjust for salt

      Reply
      • Marie Manor

        January 25, 2018 at 4:12 pm

        Thanks Sandy! I’m excited to try some of your other recipes!

        Reply
  30. CFitz

    December 9, 2017 at 6:58 am

    Do you use the whole leek? Or just the top? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Sandy

      December 9, 2017 at 9:41 am

      Hi, Cut off the dark green part, trimming to the part where the color is a pale green. I’ll add this to the instructions, too. Thank you!

      Reply
  31. Steven

    November 12, 2017 at 5:20 pm

    Looks really nice

    Reply
  32. Melody

    October 17, 2017 at 9:59 am

    If you are dairy-free what alternatives would work well ?

    Reply
    • Sandy

      October 17, 2017 at 10:04 am

      Hi Melody. I would say that any plant based unsweetened milk would work. I usually go for coconut milk, though it does change the flavor a bit. I haven’t tried almond milk in it, but that might be a good one for this recipe.

      Reply
      • Denise Hiatt

        October 30, 2017 at 10:13 am

        Sandy, I used Almond milk and it work just fine. I did add 2 cloves garlic minced, 1/2 tsp. Chili powder and 3-4 sprigs of fresh Thyme. This is really good soup, hubby loved it.

        Reply
        • Sandy

          October 30, 2017 at 11:54 am

          Hi Denise! Those changes sound great! I’m so glad it worked for you, and that it is Hubby Approved! 🙂

          Reply
      • DALYN DERZON

        October 2, 2018 at 2:17 pm

        My first comment EVER on a recipe. I made this recipe on Sunday. Here it is only Tuesday and I am making it tonight. The recipe is FABULOUS! I didn’t even add the dairy. Taste-wise, you don’t need it. Thank you!!!

        Reply
        • Sandy

          October 2, 2018 at 7:47 pm

          Hi Dalyn, I’m so thrilled that you like this recipe enough to leave your first ever comment! My grandpa would be proud! Thank you, and I’m happy you like this soup!

          Reply
      • Pat Broad

        July 31, 2019 at 2:37 pm

        Long, long story, but no recipe.

        Reply
        • Sandy

          July 31, 2019 at 9:07 pm

          The recipe is at the bottom. This is a special recipe to me as it was my dear grandfather’s. I can’t just throw it up on the Internet without honoring his memory, and what this means to me. Surely you have a special family recipe or memory around a special meal?

          Reply
    • Justine

      October 22, 2020 at 5:55 pm

      We actually don’t add any other liquid after doing it once accidentally and like it best without any added milk!

      Reply
      • Erika

        December 9, 2020 at 3:29 pm

        How many potatoes is a pound?

        Reply
        • Sandy

          December 17, 2020 at 8:47 pm

          It depends on the size of the potatoes. Usually 3 medium Russets will be a pound.

          Reply

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Sandy wearing a black shirt and a red apron I’m Sandy - foodie with a passion for cooking and sharing my tasty recipes. My hubby Paul, our Pug Gizmo, and I live in Washington.

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