A classic French potato and leek soup made with a twist. This soup is not creamed like the classic version, but instead has smoky bacon bits, sliced sautéed leeks, chunks of tender-crisp potatoes and rice floating in a golden chicken broth.

This simple soup can be served in the winter months and right into spring. It’s bright, fresh and light making it perfect for an everyday meal or for entertaining.

Leeks and bacon contribute to the savoury goodness in this soup and the potatoes provide heartiness. Delicate morsels of rice float in the chicken broth and absorb all the flavours. Fresh thyme rounds it all off.

I rank this soup as one of my favourites. I love that it’s super easy to make in one pot with only a few ingredients, has lots of texture and is loaded with flavour.

Ingredients needed

Leeks
Oil
Bacon
Gold fleshed potatoes
Chicken broth
Rice
Thyme, bay leaf, salt and pepper

How to make Potato, Leek & Bacon Soup

Prepare all the ingredients
Crisp the bacon in a Dutch oven
Add the leeks and sauté until tender
Add the potatoes, rice and seasonings
Add the chicken broth
Simmer until the potatoes and rice are tender

Leeks

Leeks are a vegetable from the allium (onion) family and look like large green onions. They have a mild, onion-y flavour which makes them a great addition to soups and casseroles. Use the white and light green parts of the leeks and cut them in half lengthwise. Remove one or two layers of the outer skin and thinly slice them. Since leeks often hold a lot of debris within their layers, place them in a colander and rinse well to remove any debris. Great tip: don’t discard the dark green parts of the leeks, save them for making soup stock.

What kind of potatoes to use

The recipe asks for gold fleshed potatoes (also known in Canada as Yukon Gold potatoes). Ideally they are the preferred type for this recipe because of their creamy firm texture that holds up in soups. If you don’t have yellow fleshed potatoes, then feel free to use other types of potatoes. That won’t affect the great taste!

How to store this soup

Serve the soup immediately or make ahead and refrigerate and reheat when needed. Soup can be frozen, but note the tender chunks of potatoes may become soft and break down once the soup is thawed and reheated.

What to serve with this soup

Serve the soup with seeded flatbread crackers or crusty bread and chunks of cheese or even grilled cheese sandwiches.

Don’t miss out! This soup is a must try! Do put it on your springtime menu plan!

Recipe

Potato, Leek & Bacon Soup

A textured potato and leek soup full of smoky bacon bits, sliced sautéed leeks, chunks of tender-crisp potatoes and rice floating in a golden chicken broth.

Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

2-3 medium leeks white and light green parts only, sliced thinly (about 3 cups)
½ teaspoon canola or vegetable oil
6 slices bacon chopped into small bits
2 medium gold fleshed potatoes peeled and diced into ½” pieces (about 1 ½ - 2 cups)
½ cup long grain rice
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1.8 L chicken broth (two 900mL tetra packs)

Instructions

Slice off the dark green tops and root ends of the leeks. Cut each leek in half lengthwise and remove and discard one or two layers of outer skin. Thinly slice each half and place in a colander. Rinse the leeks to remove any dirt and drain well.
In a 5 or 6 qt Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium
heat. Add bacon pieces and cook while stirring occasionally, until completely
browned and crisp. Push the bacon to one side of the pot, tip the pot, spoon
out and discard excess fat, leaving about 1 teaspoon of fat in the pot.
Add leeks and sauté, while stirring, for 2 minutes or just until tender.
Add potatoes, rice, thyme, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Pour in chicken broth and bring the soup to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Let boil for 2 minutes then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 20 - 25 minutes until the potatoes are tender and the rice is cooked. Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf before serving. Garnish with fresh thyme sprigs.