Leek soup is found in many cuisines. It is made from leeks and other vegetables simmered in water, stock, or broth. It often includes potatoes, in which case it may be called leek and potato soup. It may be thickened or enriched with milk, cream, butter, roux, egg-lemon, egg yolks, oatmeal, cheese, and so on.
It is usually served hot; chilled, it is the basis of vichyssoise.
Background Leek soup is documented across Europe and beyond. A 1771 reference book lists the Italian , "a leek-soup or pottage". A Scottish cook, Susanna MacIver, included leek soup in her 1782 Cookery and Pastry; a Welsh version, – "leek pottage or porridge" – is recorded in 1794;Walters, p. 874 a German-English dictionary from 1796 refers to , "leek pottage".Bailey, p. 422 Maria Rundell's Domestic Cookery (1808) gives a recipe for "Scotch Leek Soup", thickened with oatmeal.Rundell, p. 104
French leek and potato soup is called (in honour of Antoine-Augustin Parmentier, who popularised potatoes in France) and ."Potage Parmentier", Le Journal des Femmes. Retrieved 21 June 2025; and Escoffier, p. 259 Elizabeth David (1984) talks of "every French housewife's potato and leek soup".David, p. 40 is a Basque leek soup, typically using the same ingredients as the versions from elsewhere.Koehler, p. 26 In Spain it is .Ortega, recipe no. 125
In Greek and Turkish cuisine, it is often thickened with an egg-lemon mixture (avgolomono or terbiye).
Contents Leeks are common to all recipes. Some recipes use only the white part; others, both the white and the green. Potatoes are nearly ubiquitous. Other ingredients vary.
WriterCooking liquidOther ingredientsEnrichmentGarnishRef James Beard chicken stock potato butter nutmeg, cayenne Beard, p. 368 Simone Beck et al water potato, onion cream parsley or chives Beck et al, p. 36 Mary Berry chicken or vegetable stock potato, onion cream chives or parsley "Mary Berry Leek and Potato Soup Recipe", Mary Berry Recipes. Retrieved 21 June 2025 Robert Carrier chicken stock potato cream chives Carrier, p. 57Julia Childwaterpotatocreamchives Craig Claiborne chicken stock potato, onion cream chives Claiborne, p. 102 Auguste Escoffier white stock potato milk and butter croutons Escoffier, p. 259 Jane Grigson water potato, onion, garlic Grigson, p. 302 Jeff Koehler chicken stock or water potato, carrot olive oil Koehler, p. 26 Prosper Montagné stock potato butter chervil Montagné, p. 915 Simone Ortega water potato stock Jacques Pépinchicken stock and waterpotatobutterparsey or chervil, gruyère Maria Rundell water oatmeal Rundell, p. 104 Delia Smith milk and chicken stock or water potato, onion cream chives Smith, pp. 97–98
References
Sources
, Publication date Publisher:
Pépin, Jacques (2015). Jacques Pépin Heart & Soul in the Kitchen. New York: Harper Collins. .
See also Cawl List of soups List of vegetable soups