Ingredients
Soup Base
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 4 large leeks, white and light green sections thinly sliced (discard dark green parts)
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 pounds white potatoes, peeled and chopped into ½ inch cubes
- 3 pints chicken stock
- 2 bay leaves (dried)
- 1-2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
Finishing
- 2 cups heavy cream
- Fresh chives or green onions, thinly sliced (for garnish)
Instructions
- Prepare the Instant Pot: Add the butter to your Instant Pot and turn on the Saute function. Allow the butter to melt completely to create a base for sautéing.
- Sauté leeks and garlic: Add the chopped leeks and minced garlic to the melted butter in the Instant Pot. Sauté while stirring frequently for about 8-10 minutes, until the leeks are soft and fragrant.
- Add remaining soup ingredients: Add the chopped potatoes, chicken stock, bay leaves, fresh thyme sprigs, sea salt, black pepper, and garlic powder to the Instant Pot. Stir well to combine all ingredients evenly.
- Pressure cook the soup: Close and lock the lid of the Instant Pot. Set it to Soup mode on High Pressure for 15 minutes. After cooking, allow the pressure to release naturally for 15-20 minutes, then perform a quick release to remove any remaining pressure. Open the lid, remove, and discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Press Cancel to turn off the Instant Pot.
- Blend the soup: Use an immersion blender to puree the soup directly in the pot until smooth and creamy.
- Finish with cream and simmer: Stir in the heavy cream. Turn the Instant Pot back on to Saute mode and bring the soup to a gentle simmer, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Adjust the soup thickness by simmering longer to thicken or adding more stock or cream to thin it out as desired.
- Season and serve: Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve hot, garnished with finely sliced fresh chives or green onions for added flavor and color.
Notes
- Discard the dark green parts of the leeks as they can be tough and bitter.
- For a vegetarian version, substitute chicken stock with vegetable stock and omit the butter or replace with olive oil.
- You can use a regular blender to puree the soup in batches if you don’t have an immersion blender.
- Heavy cream can be substituted with half-and-half for a lighter soup.
- To thicken the soup further, cook it longer on Saute mode to reduce the liquid.
- This soup can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
