A bowl of this creamy fennel and leek soup will warm you from the inside out! With just a handful of ingredients and short cook time, it’s a great vegetarian recipe for fall or winter. Gather some leeks, fennel, potatoes, and garlic, and get cooking!
Today, I present to you: potato leek soup with a twist! That’s right, this creamy dreamy soup has all of the amazing attributes of one of the BEST soups plus some bonus additions.
In keeping with my general goal to highlight as much seasonal produce as possible, I also added fennel to the recipe. This addition really ups the ante when it comes to flavor. It may seem like a risky move, but the reward is certainly worth the risk.
The final product is rich, creamy, savory, and slightly sweet, with just a touch of fennel flavor. Dare I say I quite possibly like fennel and leek soup BETTER than traditional potato leek soup.
Don’t believe me? Well, then, you’re just going to have to give it a try yourself! Drop a comment once you’ve tried it to let me know what you think.
How to Make Fennel and Leek Soup
For the full recipe, scroll down to the card at the bottom of the post. Be sure to read through the steps and expert tips before you do so!
- Prep the vegetables. Slice and wash the leeks, slice the fennel, and chop the potatoes.
- Cook the leeks in olive oil. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Add the other vegetables and broth.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a simmer.
- Cover and cook until the veggies are tender.
- Blend in the pot with an immersion (handheld) blender.
- Ladle into bowls. Top with chives and other desired toppings and finish with heavy cream.
Expert Tips
- Ingredient prep: For tips on how to cut fennel, see my tutorial on How to Prepare Fennel with step-by-step photos and a video. To slice leeks, cut the white and light green parts in half lengthwise (discard the dark green top part). Then, cut each half crosswise into half-moon slices. Place them in a large bowl, add water, swish them around with your hands to remove any dirt, and drain. I’ve found that this is the best way to clean leeks to remove hidden dirt.
- Blending: Here is the immersion (handheld) blender that I use. If you don’t have one, you can also blend this fennel and leek soup in an upright blender in batches. Be very careful and don’t fill the blender all the way to the top. Leave a corner of the lid cracked or remove the circular piece from the center of the lid (if your blender has one) and cover the lid with a dish towel instead. This will let steam escape while blending. After you blend a batch, transfer it to a large bowl, and continue with the rest of the soup until it’s all blended.
- Toppings: I love adding chives and fennel fronds (if your fennel came with them). I also like to finish it with some heavy cream. Other topping ideas include chopped bacon (very good) and croutons.
- Substitutions: To make the soup vegan, omit the heavy cream or substitute a plant-based milk like oat milk.
- Leftovers and freezing: Leftover fennel and leek soup will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a saucepan until warmed through. This soup also freezes beautifully. Let it cool completely then transfer to freezer-safe containers, leaving an inch of headspace to allow the soup to expand. Reheat from frozen or thawed when you want to enjoy it!
Serving Ideas
Fennel and leek soup with potatoes is a wonderful side dish. Serve it with my Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burgers, Spinach Feta Salmon Burgers, a sandwich, baked fish, or pork tenderloin. If you go heavy on the toppings, it’s also suitable as the main course of a light lunch or dinner.
More Healthy Soups
Love this potato, leek, and fennel soup? You should check out these recipes:
📖 Recipe
Fennel and Leek Soup with Potatoes
Equipment
- Soup pot or Dutch oven
- Immersion blender or upright blender
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 leeks - sliced, about 4 cups; white and light green parts only
- 4 cloves garlic - minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 fennel bulbs - sliced; about 3 cups
- 2 Yukon gold potatoes - cubed; about 4 cups
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup sliced chives
Instructions
- Warm the olive oil in a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook for about 5 minutes until tender. Stir in the garlic, salt, and pepper, and cook for an additional minute.
- Add the fennel, potatoes, and vegetable broth to the pot. Increase the heat to bring to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Cover and cook for 20 to 25 minutes until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- Remove the soup from heat. Use an immersion (handheld) blender to puree the soup right in the pot. See notes for instructions on using an upright blender.
- Stir most of the heavy cream into the soup, reserving a few tablespoons to drizzle on each bowl of soup.
- Ladle the soup into bowls, top with a drizzle of cream, and sprinkle with chopped chives. If your fennel bulbs came with their fronds, feel free to use those as a topping too. Enjoy!
- Leave a rating or review by tapping the stars on this recipe card (above) or in the comments section (at the end of the post).
Notes
- Upright blender instructions: Transfer the soup in batches to an upright blender. Do not fill all the way to the top. Leave a corner of the lid cracked to let steam escape. Blend until smooth, transfer the blended soup to a large bowl, and repeat with the rest of the soup until it’s all blended.
- Other toppings: chopped bacon, croutons, scallions.
- Storage and freezing: Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 5 days. To freeze the soup, let it cool completely before transferring to containers. Leave about an inch of headspace to accommodate the soup expanding while freezing. You can reheat the soup directly from frozen in a saucepan with a lid, stirring frequently to prevent scorching. Or you can thaw it overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Kim G
I want to make this soup but have one question. I like to get the ratios right when I try a new recipe and I am confused about the potatoes. I can’t imagine 2 Yukon Gold potatoes giving me 4 cups of cubed potato, is that correct? Even a very large Yukon Gold doesn’t feel like it will give me 2 cups, am I wrong in my thinking? Should I use 2 potatoes or buy enough to yield 4 cups?
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Hi Kim, I was able to get 4 cups out my 2 Yukon gold potatoes (they were pretty big), but I know that they vary in size and therefore may not always yield 4 cups. So I suggest getting however many you think will yield 4 cups for you. I hope this is helpful! I am working on updating my recipes to also include weight measurements so that the ingredients list is more precise for readers. Thanks for your feedback!
Maria
Lovely, savory soup! I used chicken broth as I did not have vegetable broth and it was delicious. Came together quickly and very simple to make. Will be making this often! Thank you!
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Hi Maria, I’m thrilled you enjoyed this soup so much!
KathrynA
Fantastic just as it is! I subsequently tried the same method adding carrots, turnips and sweet onion to the mix above, also wonderful, a bit less subtle, and added more nutrients.! Many Thanks for this keeper!
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
So glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe and even made a different rendition! Sounds delicious!
Christy Novasio
I thought this was lovely. I only had one fennel and not enough leeks so made a smaller batch. Next time I want to get the ratios correct per the recipe. The flavor was very delicate. I served with a beet and pear salad with gorgonzola and candied walnuts. I would make this again. Thank you for sharing.
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
So glad you enjoyed the soup, Christy! That salad sounds delicious!!
Sue Patel
We substituted lite coconut milk (1/4 cup) in place of the heavy cream to have a vegan version, and the results were great. Leeks and fennel can be hard to find, but Trader Joes has them in containers in the refrigerator section, and the tops are already cut off and cleaned, making it easier to use.
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Hi Sue, I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the soup! It’s great that Trader Joe’s has those options. Thanks for letting me know that lite coconut milk worked well as a cream substitution!
Sue
Delicious soup! Very subtle flavours, healthy and comforting. Thank you:)
Sue from Malta
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
So glad you enjoyed the soup, Sue! Thanks for leaving a review.
Nina
Okay, I rarely write reviews…to be more accurate I never do, but I find I must for this soup. I am making it tonight for the second time in a week. I served it, first, to my family. Everyone agreed, the flavors, though subtle, are magnificent. I was a little miffed by this recipe’s lack of spices, but now, having experienced it, as a result you really taste every single lovely vegetable in this soup – many of my faves in here – and it is heavenly. It’s a delightful, delicate soup, rich in taste sensations. It’s likely the easiest soup I’ve ever made and, best of all, the simplest, minimal clean-up in the world. A nice crusty bread to accompany and you’re done. Divine!!!
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Hi Nina, this comment totally made my day! Thank you so much for leaving such a thoughtful review. I am thrilled you (and your family) loved it! I agree that the veggies add great flavor! Love it with crusty bread…yum :-).
Melodie
My daughter made this and it was so delicious! We discovered that fennel is very tasty. We added a bit more salt and pepper, and it was even better. It is rich and creamy. We wanted to eat the entire dutch ovens worth!!
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Hi Melodie, I’m so glad you and your daughter liked this soup so much!!
Linda
Made this exactly as written and it’s delicious! The fennel adds a note of freshness that’s delightful. It’s a company-worthy dish that is quick and filling enough for a weekday dinner. I think it could easily be made in a crockpot and blended right before serving.
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Hi Linda, I’m thrilled to hear you enjoyed the recipe so much! Thanks for leaving a 5-star review with your feedback!
KDinBK
Excellent soup – loved the flavors together.
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
So glad to hear you enjoyed it!
Christian B
Absolutely delicious. I used russet potatoes and it worked fine. I had fennel seeds but not bulbs. Top 3 soups of all time!!
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Hi Christian, I’m so glad to hear you loved this soup! Thanks for your review!
Laurie
Awesome! I added buttered beans! Came out great, will use this again😊
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
YUM! What a great addition. I’m so glad you enjoyed the soup!
Vanessa
Lovely flavors, perfectly balanced comfort food
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Hi Vanessa, that’s great to hear! I’m so glad you enjoyed this soup. Thanks for leaving a review!
Jay
Perfect soup!
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Trina
This was lovely soup and very easy to make. This is high praise from a person who does not love to cook.
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Hi Trina, that’s wonderful to hear! Thank you so much for leaving a rating and review!
Jeanne
AWESOME!!! FLAVOR OUT OF THIS WORLD!! SOEASY TO MAKE!
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Thanks for your review, Jeanne! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it!!