Potato Leek Soup - The Comfort Dish I Grew Up With

kerstin Decook
7 days ago
3 min read

Some recipes don’t come from cookbooks — they come from circumstances.

Growing up in East Germany, meal planning wasn’t really a thing. You couldn’t just decide what you wanted to cook and then head to the store to buy the ingredients. Many things simply weren’t available. So my mom cooked with what she could get — humble, everyday vegetables that showed up reliably: potatoes, leeks, carrots, onions, and celery root.

And somehow, she turned those basics into meals that were comforting, filling, and deeply satisfying.

One of those meals was Potato Leek Soup — a simple, hearty soup she made often. No fuss. No fancy ingredients. Just real food, cooked with care.

Fast forward to now: after a few surprisingly cold days here in Florida, I found myself craving that same kind of warmth and comfort. So I pulled out this old favorite from my childhood kitchen and made a big pot.

It tasted exactly like I remembered.

This soup is easy, flexible, and endlessly forgiving — very much in the spirit of how my mom cooked back then. You can keep it vegetarian, or add sausage if you like. You can top it with sour cream, chives, crispy bits, or whatever your heart desires. It’s the kind of soup that welcomes creativity without losing its soul.

So today, I want to share this simple German classic with you — a bowl of warmth, history, and comfort that proves you don’t need fancy ingredients to cook something truly delicious.

Let’s get cooking.

What You’ll Need

This is one of those soups that doesn’t need precision — just a good pot and a little trust in the process.

Veggies (the heart of the soup):

Potatoes (Yukon Gold or yellow work best)
Leek
Carrots
Celery root or celery sticks
Onion
Garlic

Liquid:

Broth (vegetable or chicken) — or water if that’s what you have

Seasoning:

Salt & pepper
Dried oregano
Thyme
Bay Leave
Garlic (fresh or powder — no judgment)

Optional but delicious:

Sausage of your choice — kielbasa, chorizo, or anything you love
A little oil for sautéing the onion (and sausage, if using)

How I Think About the Quantities

Since I cook without recipes or measurements, here’s the simple way I approach this soup:

Use about twice as many potatoes as leeks, carrots, and celery.
Add one large onion.
Garlic? A few cloves — depending on how garlicky you like things and how big your pot is.

No leeks? No problem. No carrots? Totally fine. Missing celery root? Use celery sticks — or skip it altogether.

This soup is forgiving. Use what you like. Leave out what you don’t. It’ll still be delicious.

For the liquid, add enough broth (or water) to just cover the vegetables, then add about ⅓ more. You want everything submerged with a little extra room to simmer into something cozy and comforting.

How It’s Gonna Go Down

First things first: cut everything to a similar size. Here’s a little kitchen wisdom straight from culinary school: consistent cuts lead to consistent cooking. When your veggies are cut evenly, they cook evenly — simple as that.

Start by heating a bit of oil in a pan and sauté your onions until they’re soft and slightly translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute, just until fragrant. Set this aside.

If you’re using sausage, add it to the same pan and brown it until cooked through. Set that aside as well.

Now grab a big pot. Add all your chopped veggies, the sautéed onions and garlic, your broth (or water), and the spices. Bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer gently for about 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are nice and tender. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking.

From here, you’ve got options — and this is where the fun begins:

Leave it chunky: Add the sausage back in, taste, adjust seasoning, and serve as is.
Go silky smooth: Blend the entire pot for a creamy, velvety soup.
My familie's favorite : Blend about half of the soup, then stir it back into the pot. You get creaminess and satisfying bites — best of both worlds.