Last Updated: by Angela G.
A hearty soup with Irish roots. A few simple ingredients produce rich flavor. Made with fresh leeks, crispy bacon, cheddar cheese and a heavy splash of Smithwick's Irish Ale. Sour cream and chives layer in for amazing flavor and rich creaminess.
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Bacon Potato Leek Soup. Now, here's a hearty soup with Irish roots. You just need a few simple ingredients to produce a velvety smooth soup, rich with flavor.
★ Why You'll Love this Recipe ★
This soup is layered with flavor yet is simple to prep. Chive, bacon, leeks, cheese, and sour cream all combine with a finishing touch of Irish ale for a pub-style taste that will have you making this soup again and again.
It's hearty enough for dinner, leftovers make a great to-go lunch or make it for football Sundays to feed a crowd.
Serve with crusty bread and a side salad for a complete meal.
★ Tips & FAQs ★
This simple potato leek soup can be made in the crockpot or on the stovetop.
To make this in your slow cooker, just prep the bacon and leeks and add them to the remaining ingredients in a large Crockpot, and cook on low for 2 hours or high on 4 hours, or until potatoes are tender.
Storage
Refrigerator
This soup stores well in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Freezer
This soup can also be frozen for up to 6 months. To defrost, let thaw to room temperature then reheat in the microwave, stopping to stir as needed.
Purée or leave chunky.
The soup is good chunky, but if you prefer it pureed you can use an immersion blender, hand mixer, or a blender to get the consistency you like.
Note: If using a blender, be careful handling the soup when hot. I find it works best to blend 2 cups at a time or the heat can build up and make the top fly off, splattering hot soup everywhere which isn't very fun!
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Bacon Potato Leek Soup
Author: Angela G.
A hearty soup with Irish roots. A few simple ingredients produce rich flavor. Made with fresh leeks, crispy bacon, cheddar cheese and a heavy splash of Smithwick's Irish Ale. Sour cream and chives layer in for amazing flavor and rich creaminess.
5 from 2 reviews
Read Comments
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: American, Irish
Skill Level: Easy
Recipe Type: Bacon, Crockpot, Fall, Meal Prep, Potatoes, Soups
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes minutes
Servings: 8 Servings
Yield: 8 cups
Ingredients
- 8 white potatoes
- 4 cups chicken broth
- ½ lb thick-cut bacon
- 3 leeks sliced, tops of stems discarded
- ½ cup half and half
- ½ cup sour cream
- Hearty splash of Smithwick's Irish ale more or less to taste - optional but adds amazing flavor
- salt & pepper to taste
Garnish
- fresh chives chopped
- ½ cup cheddar cheese shredded
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Instructions
Peel and cube potatoes and place in a large stockpot with chicken broth over medium-high heat.
Boil about 25-30 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Reduce heat as needed to prevent potatoes from boiling over.
Cut bacon into small chunks and fry in a skillet over medium-high heat until crispy. About 10 minutes, stirring to evenly cook.
Drain and reserve 3-4 tablespoon of gristle. Remove bacon bits as set aside.
Sauté sliced leeks in the skillet with reserved bacon gristle for 8 - 10 minutes or until translucent.
When potatoes are ready, stir in leeks, half and half, sour cream, ale and bacon. Use a hand mixer on low to puree slightly.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve hot topped with cheddar cheese and fresh chives.
Notes
If you don't have Smithwick's Irish ale, you can substitute with a pale ale, malt vinegar or skip this all together.
If you don't have an immersion blender, you can use an electric hand mixer or a whisk.
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 351kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 39mg | Sodium: 696mg | Potassium: 973mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 786IU | Vitamin C: 46mg | Calcium: 131mg | Iron: 2mg
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Reader Interactions
Comments
Kristin Mortensen says
Angela, you made this soup for a group meeting and ever since its my favorite potato soup recipe. It's perfect for fall! I just made it for my parents and everyone who had it, loved it, including my dad who doesn't like other potato soups. Next time we will have to make a double batch because this time there were no leftovers since it was a huge hit!Reply
- Angela G. says
Hey Kristin! Thank so much for taking the time to leave a comment. It makes me happy to hear that this is a family favorite of yours. 🙂 - Angela
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