Cozy and comforting, this slow cooker potato leek soup is easy to prep in under 30 minutes while the slow cooker does the rest of the work! Made with Greek yogurt for an extra nutrition punch!

Bowl of creamy potato leek soup with slice of toasted baguette, sprinkle of chives

Slow cooker soups are my favorite. You spend under 30 minutes prepping ingredients and then you set it and forget it. The slow cooker does the rest of the work for you.

I especially love this potato leek soup because it’s super creamy and comforting. Perfect for a cozy winter night in.

The leeks, lemon, and thyme add a flavor punch and the Greek yogurt and potatoes give the soup a deliciously creamy consistency.

It makes a big batch so you can feed a big fam or save (or freeze!) leftovers. 

Ingredients You’ll Need

Notes on Ingredients:

Potatoes: creamy Yukon Gold is the best variety for soup – with medium-starch content, it lends a creamy, smooth consistency. Yellow or gold potatoes also work well – Yukon Gold is just a specific type of yellow/gold potato.

Leeks: be sure to thoroughly clean these as dirt can get trapped between layers. discard the thick dark green part and only use the white and light green parts.

Broth: I personally liked the soup better when I made it with chicken broth but vegetable broth will work just as well for my vegetarian and vegan friends!

Lemon juice: adds brightness to the overall flavor

Thyme and bay leaf: add another layer of flavor

Chives: optional ingredient but I like to add these as a garnish to bump up the oniony flavor.

How to Make Potato Leek Soup in the Slow Cooker

Step 1: Peel and cut potatoes into 1-inch pieces.

Step 2: Sauté leeks and onion with olive oil over medium heat until leeks have softened and onions are translucent, about 6-8 minutes.  

Step 3: Add leek mixture, potatoes, thyme, bay leaf, and broth to slow cooker.

Step 4: Cook until potatoes are fork-tender, about 4 hours on high and about 8 hours on low.

Step 5: Use an immersion blender or transfer soup to a high-speed blender to blend ingredients until smooth and creamy.

Step 6: Add lemon juice and fold in Greek yogurt. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 7: Garnish with chopped chives (optional).

Cooking process steps 1-7

Expert Tip

Be sure to let Greek yogurt sit out to come to room temperature before folding in to soup to prevent curdling.

Potato Leek Soup FAQs

What are the benefits of potato leek soup?

Leeks are packed with vitamins A, C, K, B-6, iron, copper, folate, and manganese. They belong to the allium family (which also contains onion, garlic, scallions, shallot, chives), which is known for boasting phytochemicals – compounds that are anti-oxidative and inflammatory and may help to protect against certain chronic disease, like cancer.

Can I make this in my Instant Pot?

Yes! I included the instructions in the Notes section in the recipe card. You’ll saute your leeks, onion, and garlic first then add potatoes, thyme, bay leaf and broth. Pressure cook for 8 minutes then quick release. Blend ingredients and add lemon, yogurt, salt and pepper.

Can you put raw potatoes in the slow cooker?

Yes! Potatoes take some time to cook in the slow cooker but with this recipe they are fork-tender in 4 hours on high. 

Why is my potato leek soup gummy?

Chopping the potatoes too small can cause more starch to be released, resulting in a gummy texture. Also, over-blending or pureeing the potatoes can cause this so be sure to blend just until ingredients are pureed and a smooth consistency is reached.

Can I freeze this soup?

Yes! This soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months.Two bowls creamy potato leek soup, spoons dipped in

For more soup inspiration, check out my recipes below!

Close up potato leek soup in a bowl, smooth, creamy, green chives

If you like this recipe, please be sure to give it a 5 star rating below and leave a comment below. If you make it, share it on Instagram and tag me @karalydonrd and I’ll re-share it with my followers! If you want to save this recipe for later, be sure to pin it on Pinterest!

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Slow Cooker Potato Leek Soup


1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (20 votes, average: 3.75 out of 5)
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  • Author: Kara Lydon
  • Total Time: 4 hours 25 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings 1x
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

Cozy and comforting, this slow cooker potato leek soup is easy to prep in 30 minutes while the slow cooker does the rest of the work! Made with Greek yogurt for an extra nutrition punch!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes (45 small to medium potatoes), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 leeks, white and light green parts only, washed and sliced (about 3 cups sliced)
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 5 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • Optional: chopped chives, for garnish

Instructions

  1. In a sauté pan, add olive oil over medium heat. Add leeks and onion and cook until leeks are softened and onion is translucent, about 6-8 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about one minute.
  2. Add leek mixture to slow cooker along with potatoes, bay leaf, thyme, and broth.
  3. Cover and cook until potatoes are fork-tender, about 8 hours on low or about 4 hours on high.
  4. Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Using an immersion blender or transferring soup to a high-speed blender, blend ingredients until smooth and creamy.
  5. Add lemon juice and fold in Greek yogurt. Season with salt and pepper.
  6. Optional: garnish with chives

Notes

  1. Keep yogurt close to room temperature before incorporating into the soup to prevent curdling.
  2. If transferring soup to blender, depending on the size of your blender you may have to work in batches.
  3. Soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To make this in the Instant Pot

  1. Add olive oil and use sauté function to saute leeks and onions for 6-8 minutes. Add garlic and cook for one minute.
  2. Add potatoes, bay leaf, thyme, and broth.
  3. Secure the lid on the Instant Pot. Close the steam vent (should be on sealing). Set to high manual pressure for 8 minutes. Carefully turn quick release valve to venting to release the steam.
  4. Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Using an immersion blender or transferring soup to a high-speed blender, blend ingredients until smooth and creamy. Stir in Greek yogurt and lemon. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 4 hours
  • Category: Soup
  • Method: Slow Cooker

This recipe was originally published January 2015. It’s been retested and reshot to give you the most delicious (and beautiful!) recipe!

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49 Comments

  1. Lauren

    Tried this recipe in the instant pot tonight! I really liked it. My children liked it too.

    My modifications to the recipe were the following: Used 7 sprigs of thyme not 3, forgot to add the bay leaf, added a couple tbsp of worcestershire sauce as well as a pinch of white pepper powder.

    Definitely get that yogurt up to room temp before adding to the soup, I did get a bit of curdling because it was still too cool to add to the hot soup. The soup was still tasty however, just the texture would have been better if I’d waited a bit more before adding the greek yogurt.

    • Hey Lauren, so glad you and your kiddos enjoyed the soup!! Thanks for sharing your modifications too 🙂

  2. Laura

    The soup turned out delicious. Creamy texture, and a pleasant blend of leeks and seasonings. I added some sliced cheesy bavarian sausages at the end, only because my husband I love these sausages! I would definitely make it again!

  3. Leeks are delicious and so underrated, what a great recipe to make for all the snow we are about to get this weekend!

  4. I forget about leeks sometimes, but I do like them. This looks like the perfect recipe to bring them back into my kitchen!

  5. I actually just bought leeks and was looking for a way to use them..perfect!

  6. Marie

    This recipe sounds wonderful. Can you provide the nutritional information per serving? Some of us need low sodium recipes.

  7. Delicious. Since only “1 tablespoon lemon,” we guessed lemon juice (needed rind for chicken dish same meal) and it was perfect! Also tasty without yogurt though stirred some in second time around.

  8. Randy

    Just made this today and it was absolutely tasteless. Bland beyond belief and I am throwing it away. No body to this, awful color and I would hate for another Person to waste their money on these ingredients . Incredibly disappointing and I changed nothing in the recipe

  9. Dee

    Can this soup be frozen with the Greek yoghurt added?

  10. Robert

    Whipped this recipe up yesterday in anticipation of a much liked soup but was disappointed. The flavor was something different than expected. I’ll finish it but won’t prepare this recipe again. I have no idea if it was something I did or didn’t do.

    It may have been I over cooked it. Instead of using timed cooking I inadvertently used the manual function and cooked it for over eight hours (Low). This is the first time I’ve ever used a slow cooker.

    I have a Hamilton Beach 6qt cooker which has nothing to do with the outcome of this recipe, just thought I’d throw it in.

    Well on to bigger and better things

    • Hi Robert, I’m so sorry to hear this recipe was disappointing for you. Can you describe what the flavor was like and what you expected the flavor to be like? This can help me figure out what might have went wrong!

  11. Paul Lee

    Made this last weekend for my partner who loves Leek and Potato soup – Id never made it before. She loved it, and so did I – I found the greek yoghurt with the rind of 1 large lemon mixed through it made the flavour beautiful.

    Question: Other LnP soup recipes suggest you should only use the white part of the leek? – Im interested in your thoughts on this. I used 2 leeks with mainly the white parts, but snuck in some of the green also.

    Thanks for another yummy meal into my repertoire.

  12. Colleen

    Trader Joes now carries frozen chopped leeks! For a vegan version, “Coconut Creamer,” also from Trader Joes, makes a very creamy soup. I love your recipe!

  13. Sara @sarahaasrdn.com

    Oh, I just love leeks and this soup looks so yummy!

  14. Cecile Nguyen

    I made this and it tasted amazing. It was my first time using a crock pot and it was successful! I was just looking for an easy recipe to cook and meal prep for work. This turned out perfect! Mine was more liquid/thin than creamy, but I enjoyed it just the same. I enjoyed dipping my bread into it. I think I probably needed more potatoes. I accidentally put the lemon in the crock pot than afterwards, but it was still really good. My entire apartment smells so good with this recipe. Great comfort food indeed! The Greek yogurt was a nice touch to it too! I’m new with the crock pot so I didn’t know if I could just leave this on “warm” (not low) for 3 days max, but after googling I decided to refrigerate my leftovers so I wouldn’t have to dilute the broth with more water or worrying about my leeks being burnt.

  15. Sarah

    I tried this and it came out very bland and sour. I was so disappointed. Had to throw it out, ended up eating leftovers. Followed all directions completely. My soup was a yucky mustard green color.

  16. Hi Kara!
    I was wondering what size crock pot to use? I have one of the larger ones (I think 6-8qt, which ever holds a whole chicken?) And I’d like to use that large one for an event in a few weekends. Just wanna make sure this is the right set of proportions!

  17. Gary

    Looks good. I love this type of soup.

  18. This looks delish! I love finding every way possible to use Greek yogurt and this fits the bill 🙂

  19. This one soup I’ve yet to make! Love the tip to leave the Greek yogurt out at room temp. Never thought of that!

  20. Nancy Roberts

    Can you use heavy cream in place of the yogurt?

  21. Linda

    Tried it, was nice . Considering that I am not a fan of soups at all! 🙂 I thought 2 leeks would be enough for it though (mine were rather large). Greek yogurt really makes it even better. I am tempted to ad some smoked meat to it the time, since I am more of a clean eater than vegetarian.

  22. I love potato leek soup, but it is typically too starchy to call a meal. Your addition of greek yogurt balances it out very nicely so it has some staying power- I want to make this asap!

  23. Rachel

    This recipe looks delicious. Is the Greek Yogurt full fat, low fat…?

  24. Hi Kara! I left 75° and beautiful Savannah, GA to come home to this yesterday, so nope, I’m not at all excited for this cold snap. Having said that, your soup would probably make it a little more tolerable. It’s similar to one I make, sans the yogurt. Oh yeah, I love leeks!

    Gorgeous photos!