If there's one soup you need to make this month, it's this Instant Pot Potato Leek Soup with Bacon. It's like a fully loaded baked potato in a bowl of soup! This recipe includes instructions for making this creamy leek and potato soup on the stovetop, too.
Smooth and creamy, this full-flavoured Potato Leek Soup with Bacon is a family favourite. All made in one pot, it's easy to prepare: minimal chopping, it's quick to cook and there's only one pot to clean. A win-win!
This soup is as hearty as my Creamy Roasted Garlic Irish Potato Soup, but it's flavoured with leeks and bacon. Both make a warm and comforting meal! What could be better than a bowl of creamy hot soup on a chilly day?
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❤️ Why you'll love this creamy soup recipe
It's like a fully-loaded baked potato in a bowl of soup!
I had to laugh the first time I made this soup. I suddenly realized that it was similar to a baked potato with "all the fixin's."
If you're anywhere near my age, you might remember how loaded baked potatoes were popular in restaurants. The server would come to your table with an assortment of toppings, usually sour cream, bacon bits, chives, and grated cheese for you to load up, (or overload) your potato. That was on top of the melted butter that was already oozing its way into the oversized spud.
While loaded baked potatoes are no longer trendy in restaurants, we still love those flavours.
Besides the flavour, there's a lot to love about this pressure-cooker Potato Leek Soup!
I love how easy it is to make! One pot, a quick sauté, then 22 minutes of cooking and steam release time while you make a spinach salad or some baking powder biscuits and clean up the kitchen.
Then all this Instant Pot soup needs is a quick whir in the blender before it's ready to serve, piping hot.
🛒 Ingredients
Ready to make a pot of creamy potato soup? Here are a few notes about the ingredients. You'll find a complete list with quantities in the recipe card below.
- bacon: nitrate-free, hormone-free bacon is readily available in supermarkets.
- leeks: 2 large clean leeks. You'll use the white part of the leeks. Add the green part to your compost. Wash well as leeks sometimes have lots of dirt between their layers.
- garlic: fresh is always best. You'll need 1 clove (or ½ teaspoon garlic powder if you don't have fresh.)
- chicken broth: you'll need 4 cups, either homemade or store-bought. You can use vegetable broth or your homemade vegetable stock if you'd like.
- potatoes: Yukon gold potatoes or another creamy potato variety works well in this soup recipe.
- flour: for thickening the soup. Gluten-free flour works well, too.
- milk: heavy cream, half and half or any plant-based milk. I use almond milk or cashew milk.
- sea salt or Kosher salt and pepper: to taste
- for garnish: bacon bits, snipped chives, and/or a swirl of cream, yogurt or sour cream.
🥄 Instructions
- Begin by using the sauté function on your Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker to fry the bacon pieces. Once crisp, remove a few pieces to save to garnish the soup.
- Next, add the sliced white part of the leeks and sauté until tender but not browned.
- Add the garlic, followed by the flour. Stir until the leeks and bacon are coated with flour before adding the chicken stock, potatoes, paprika, salt and pepper.
- Now it's time to pressure cook! Put the lid on the Instant Pot, set the steam release valve to Seal. Press cancel, then Manual and adjust the time to 7 minutes to cook on high pressure.
- Once the time is up, let the steam naturally release for 15 minutes, then manually release the remaining steam before opening the lid. Be careful not to scald yourself with the hot liquid.
- Stir in the milk or cream, then purée the soup with an immersion blender or stick blender or by transferring to a blender or food processor.
- Divide into bowls, garnish with crisp bacon bits and chopped parsley and serve this comforting soup!
🥄 Stove top instructions
No Instant Pot? No worries!
You can easily make this Potato Leek Soup on the stovetop in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Just follow the simple steps in the recipe card below, but lengthen the cooking time, cooking until the potatoes are very tender before puréeing the soup.
However you decide to cook it, this soup is bound to become a favourite for the whole family!
👍🏼 Helpful tips
- Taste and season! If it needs more salt and pepper, add as much as you need.
- Use sharp cheddar cheese for a deeper flavor.
- If the soup is too thin, you can thicken it with a cornstarch slurry.
- If you think it's too thick, you can thin it out with a little more broth or milk.
- Add more garnishes! Try a swirl of sour cream or a tablespoon or two of grated sharp cheddar cheese.
❓Readers' questions
Yes, you can use Russet potatoes. They're very starchy, so they break down nicely to make a thick and creamy potato soup.
🥶 Can I freeze this Potato Leek Soup?
Absolutely! This soup freezes well. Pour leftover soup into freezer containers, label and freeze, and you'll have lunch for another day. Thaw completely in the refrigerator, then gently reheat on the stovetop or in a microwave.
🍽 Serving suggestions
This comforting soup makes an easy dinner. Try any of the following to round out your meal.
- Super Seedy Snack Crackers--crunchy crackers, packed full of healthy seeds.
- Herbed Gluten-Free Baking Powder Biscuits--simple to make with a handful of ingredients and a gluten-free flour mix.
- Low-Carb Keto Mini Buns--These buns are quick and easy. Made with almond flour, they’re nutrient dense and filling but have a traditional bread-like texture.
- Gluten-Free Cheesy Herb Cornbread--an easy recipe for gluten-free cornbread, baked in a skillet.
- Crusty bread (gluten-free if necessary)
When you make this recipe for leek and potato soup, please leave a comment and a rating below. Thanks in advance! Subscribe to my newsletter and have new recipes delivered straight to your inbox once a week.
🗒 More comforting soup recipes
- Butternut Squash Soup with Ginger and Orange
- Instant Pot Broccoli White Cheddar Soup
- Easy One-Pot Thai Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
- Slow Cooker Vegan Black Bean Soup
📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Potato Leek Soup with Bacon
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon, nitrate-free, cut in 1-inch pieces
- 2 large leeks, white and light green parts only
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 lb (2 large) potatoes, Yukon Gold or yellow potatoes, diced
- 2 tablespoon gluten-free flour
- 1 teaspoon paprika or ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, optional, but delicious!
- salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup unsweetened plant-based milk, or heavy cream or half and half
- garnish options: crisp bacon bits, snipped chives, yogurt or sour cream drizzle
Instructions
- Press the Sauté button on the Instant Pot. When it is hot, add the bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally until crisp. Once the bacon is crispy, remove a few pieces, drain on paper towel, and set aside for a garnish.
- Meanwhile, wash and slice the leeks into thin rounds. Add to the pot once the bacon is crisp. Cook until soft.
- Add garlic and cook for about a minute.
- Add the flour and stir until it is well mixed with the leeks and bacon.
- Stir in the chicken broth, salt, pepper, paprika and potatoes.
- Put the lid on. Set the steam release button to Seal. Press the Manual button and reduce (or increase) the time to 7 minutes by pressing the - or + key.
- Once the cooking cycle has finished, let the steam naturally release for 15 minutes. Manually release the remaining steam.
- Open the lid. Stir in the cream, milk or plant-based milk. Either use an immersion blender to blend the soup, or transfer it to a blender. I like it left with a few small chunks instead of completely puréeing it.
- Transfer to serving bowls and garnish with a drizzle of sour cream or yogurt, fresh chives or green onions, and bacon bits.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published in 2017. It has been updated with new information and photos.
Leah
Delicously creamy! This soup was velvety smooth, even when using plant-based milk. Yum!
Elaine
Happy to hear that, Leah! Thanks so much for sharing your adaptations!
Bec
Why on earth would you add flour to thicken a potato based soup? Don’t use creamy potatoes, for a start. Use what they literally call ‘floury’ potatoes, any large whiter flesh kind that tends to crumble when boiled.
If your soup is too runny after that, your ingredient list just needed more potatoes in the first place!
Elaine
Thanks for sharing your suggestion!
Darcy
So much flavor! A family fave.
Elaine
Always a favourite in our house, too!
Angela Rochester
If you double the recipe is it same cooking time?
Flavour & Savour
Hi Angela,
Yes, it should cook in the same amount of time. Just don't fill your pot past the Maximum line. Enjoy!
Kara
Delicious - thanks for sharing!
Flavour & Savour
You're welcome! Happy that you liked it!
Theresa Springer
This is amazing. I did leave out the cream (or alternative) entirely and did use my immersion blender leaving some chunks and it is terrific. Using the immersion blender did create the creaminess. We are dairy sensitive in our fam so this recipe is one that can leave it out and still be great. Super easy in my IP and I shared with my daughter so she can try it.
Flavour & Savour
This makes me so happy! Thanks for sharing your ideas with my other readers, too! So glad you liked this recipe.
Alison
Made this tonight, it was amazing!
Flavour & Savour
So glad you liked it!
Karen Lee
The first thing I cooked in my brand new Instant Pot. It was awesome!
Flavour & Savour
Thanks for letting me know! Here’s to lots more successful meals with your Instant Pot!
Dee
My family really liked this soup. I made it in my new Instant pot and it was super easy. I didn't have any cream so I just used milk but it was still thick and creamy.
Lorraine
Yes I added the milk before I blended it and it tasted great. Also added 1/4 tsp thyme and served the soup with sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese.
Flavour & Savour
That sounds so good! Thanks for sharing your ideas. Love the idea of cheddar on top!
Lorraine Mazza
When do I add the 1/2 cup of milk/cream?
Flavour & Savour
Hi Lorraine,
Add it after cooking, just before you blend the soup. Enjoy!