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This Crockpot Potato Leek Soup is creamy, comforting, and incredibly easy to make—just toss everything in the crockpot for a rich, velvety soup that’s perfect for cozy evenings.
Updated in October 2024: This recipe was originally published in 2019 and has been improved and simplified to be an easy crockpot recipe.
Potatoes for dinner is a lifestyle staple if you're frugal. We almost always have at least one type of potatoes on hand — and tonight, it's russet potatoes.
My Vegan Potato Soup is one of our all-time favorite fall recipes. It's the ultimate comfort food and so easy to make with pantry staples and a couple pounds of russet potatoes.
This potato leek soup is a riff on that recipe. All the comfort, all the flavor, but made entirely in the crockpot. It's my go-to when I want something ultra cozy, but also need a sneaky serving of veggies.
If your kids like mashed potatoes, this cheap slow cooker recipe might pass as a Vegetarian Meal Your Kids Will Actually Eat!
Ingredient Notes
- Potatoes: The best potatoes for potato leek soup are russet potatoes. Aside from being incredibly affordable, russet potatoes have high starch content that yields a beautifully thick, creamy soup!
- Leeks: You'll need the white and light green parts, as they are most tender and flavorful. Leeks can be quite dirty, so to wash thoroughly, I like to slice them then swish them around in a large bowl of water before rinsing!
- Cauliflower: My secret to a creamy soup! When pureed, cauliflowers have a really smooth, dreamy texture that contributes to the velvety texture and thickness.
- Coconut milk: Adds additional rich creaminess. I used full-fat coconut milk, but if you'd like a less rich soup, opt for a low-fat canned coconut milk.
- Nutritional yeast: Adds a deep umami flavor and natural cheesiness without any dairy.
- Aromatics: We're keeping it simple with a sprig of fresh thyme, salt, and garlic. Fresh cloves and thyme is best.
- Broth: Either vegetable broth or chicken broth works well here. Avoid beef broth – it is too dark and rich.
How to Make Crockpot Potato Leek Soup
Step 1: Add all ingredients to Crockpot
Add the leeks, garlic, cauliflower, potatoes, broth, coconut milk, nutritional yeast, thyme, and salt to the slow cooker. No need to stir!
Step 2: Slow Cook for 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high
I really like to do 8 hours. I find the flavor so much deeper!
Step 3: Remove sprigs of fresh thyme
You can either remove the sprig entirely, or de-stem and add the leaves back to the pot. I personally like to add the leaves back for their lovely aroma.
Step 4: Add cream cheese
Add the cream cheese and 1 cup of milk. Since we are dairy-free, I used Kite Hill's dairy-free cream cheese and unsweetened soy milk. Regular cream cheese and plain milk works great, too. Use what you like.
Step 5: Blend until smooth. Enjoy!
This is easiest to do using an immersion blender since you can blend it smooth directly in the pot. If you do not own an immersion blender, transfer the soup in batches to a high-powered blender like a Vitamix and blend smooth.
If using a blender, be careful to allow the steam to vent.
Topping Suggestions
Keep it simple with black pepper and additional fresh thyme, or load it up, like a Loaded Baked Potato soup. Here are a few of our favorite topping ideas:
- croutons
- fresh chives
- sour cream (try cashew sour cream if dairy-free!)
- shredded cheese
- bacon bits (I like my coconut bacon bits here)
- drizzle of quality olive oil
Recipe FAQs
Can I make this potato leek soup into a freezer meal?
This potato leek soup freezes well after cooking, but does not do well as a dump freezer meal.
This is because raw potatoes don't tend to fare well in the freezer. Instead of being creamy, freezing causes the texture to change and leads to a grainy texture.
If you'd like to freeze this soup, I recommend freezing it in either 1-cup or 2-cup portions using Souper Cubes. Then, defrost from frozen in the microwave or on the stovetop over low heat until creamy again.
Can I make this soup in advance?
Certainly! One of my favorite part of crockpot soups is that they tend to get better with age. Feel free to make this crockpot soup 1-2 days in advance, then either reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Crockpot Potato Leek Soup Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 large leeks cleaned and sliced ($1.98)
- 4 cloves garlic minced ($0.24)
- 8 cups cauliflower florets about 1 medium cauliflower ($3.84)
- 2 lbs russet potatoes peeled and cut into 1” cubes ($0.78)
- 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth ($0.36)
- 1 (14 ounce) can full-fat coconut milk ($1.44)
- ½ cup nutritional yeast ($0.92)
- 3 sprigs thyme ($0.44)
- 1 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1 cup plain milk (I used dairy-free) ($0.60)
- 8 ounces cream cheese (I used dairy-free) ($1.54)
For serving
- black pepper to taste ($0.02)
- chives for garnish ($0.44)
- bacon bits for garnish (vegan bacon bits are great here!)
Instructions
- Add the leeks, garlic, cauliflower, potatoes, broth, coconut milk, nutritional yeast, thyme, and salt to the slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.
- Open the slow cooker and remove the thyme sprigs. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth or your desired consistency. Alternatively, you can transfer the contents to a high speed blender.
- Add the cream cheese and 1 cup of plain milk and stir until melted and combined. Add black pepper and additional salt to taste. Serve immediately, and top with chopped chives, thyme, and bacon bits, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Storage Instructions: Leftover potato leek soup will keep in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Before storing, allow the soup to cool to room temperature.
- Freezing instructions: This soup can be frozen after cooking and will keep for up to 3 months. I like to freeze it in 1-cup or 2-cup portions using my Souper Cubes. Then defrost from frozen on the stovetop over low heat until thawed and creamy again.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: The Nutritional Information provided for this recipe is only an estimate. The accuracy of the facts listed is not and cannot be guaranteed.
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