Potato and Leek Soup with Dill Recipe
Potato and leek soup with dill is a simple Polish dinner, something between a potato soup and a delicate vegetable cream. It’s thick and velvety, with soft chunks of potato, sweet leek and plenty of fresh dill. Sautéing the vegetables in butter with oil and adding cream at the end gives deep flavor without heaviness.
Potato and leek soup with dill is a kind of Polish comfort food – something between the childhood potato soup and a delicate restaurant‑style cream. Simple ingredients meet a thick, velvety texture, and fresh dill gives it the feel of a homely, “two‑day pot” dinner.
Potato and leek soup with dill is Polish comfort food at its best – halfway between the potato soup from childhood and a delicate cream you might get in a restaurant. The simplicity of the ingredients combines with a thick, velvety consistency, and fresh dill gives it the character of a homely, big‑pot dinner that lasts for two days.
Why this version works
- Sautéing the leek and carrot in butter with oil brings out the vegetables’ sweetness and deepens the flavor.
- Cooking the potatoes until they just start to fall apart naturally thickens the soup without flour.
- Adding dill and cream at the end preserves a fresh aroma and light creaminess.
Chef's tips
If you’re planning soup “for two days”, cook it without dill and cream and add them only when reheating portions – the flavor will stay fresh and green. When the stock is very salty, season with salt only after adding the cream, as it’s easy to oversalt the soup. The ideal consistency is when the spoon stands in the soup slightly tilted, but the liquid still flows freely around the potatoes.
How to serve
Serve the soup with a thick slice of rye bread with butter, simple garlic croutons or puffed croutons. It’s perfect as a quick, warming dinner after work or in a thermos for a winter walk. For a heartier version, add a spoonful of sour cream to each bowl or sprinkle the soup with grated cheese and briefly bake in ovenproof bowls.
Watch out for
- If the leek isn’t washed thoroughly, sand can remain in the soup – separate all the layers when rinsing.
- Don’t let the soup boil hard after adding the cream, or it may curdle.
- Don’t blend the whole soup smooth if you like noticeable chunks of potato – it’s better to just mash some of them lightly.
Substitutions
- Use clarified butter instead of regular butter if you want a more intense buttery flavor and higher heat tolerance.
- Replace cream with full‑fat milk or plant cream for a lighter version.
- Use frozen dill when fresh isn’t available, adding it at the very end of cooking.
Ingredients
- potatoes - 600 g
- leek (white and light green part) - 1 piece
- carrot - 1 piece
- butter - 1 tablespoon
- oil vegetable - 1 tablespoon
- vegetable or chicken stock - 1.2 l
- 18% cooking cream - 100 ml
- fresh dill - 3 tablespoons
- bay leaf - 1 piece
- allspice berries - 3 piece
- salt
- pepper ground black
Preparation
- Peel the potatoes and cut into medium cubes so they cook evenly. Peel the carrot and slice into thin half‑rounds so it softens faster and doesn’t stay hard in the finished soup.
- Wash the leek thoroughly, separating all the layers under running water to rinse out any sand. Dry and slice into thin rounds, using the white and light green parts – you can save the dark green leaves for stock.
- In a large pot, heat the butter with the oil over medium heat. Add the leek and carrot and sauté for 5–7 minutes, stirring often, until the leek softens, turns translucent and very fragrant but does not brown.
- Add the potatoes, bay leaf and allspice berries. Stir and cook for about 2 more minutes until the potatoes warm slightly and the spices become noticeably aromatic – this will boost the flavor of the stock.
- Pour in enough stock to completely cover the vegetables. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cook for 15–18 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and start to break apart slightly when pierced with a fork.
- Remove the bay leaf and allspice. Reduce the heat to minimum. Pour in the cream in a thin stream, stirring constantly; the soup should become uniform and slightly lighter in color, without lumps or signs of curdling.
- Cook for another 2–3 minutes over very low heat, without letting it boil vigorously – the surface should only tremble slightly. If you want a thicker consistency, gently mash some of the potatoes in the pot with a masher.
- Add the finely chopped dill, season with salt and freshly ground pepper. The soup should have a distinct dill flavor yet remain delicate; serve it immediately, hot, with a chunk of bread or croutons.
Storage
After cooling, the soup thickens slightly and the potatoes become creamier. Reheat it over low heat, without bringing it to a vigorous boil, so the cream doesn’t split and the dill doesn’t lose its color.
I always cook this soup when I need to “clean out the fridge” of potatoes and leek before a trip – in half an hour I have a pot of warm dinner and zero guilt about anything going to waste.
