Easy Creamy Chicken and Leek Soup

This easy chicken and leek soup is thick, creamy and packed with tender shredded chicken, leeks and potatoes, with a little curry powder and turmeric for extra warmth and flavour. The potatoes are blended into the soup to create a naturally creamy texture, and it’s ready in about 30 minutes for a quick and easy dinner

The chicken cooks right in the soup before being shredded and stirred back through the creamy leek and potato base, so everything comes together with very little fuss. A squeeze of lemon at the end lifts all those savoury flavours and keeps the soup from tasting heavy.

If you love warming homemade soups, try my broccoli and Stilton soup, Thai chicken noodle soup or sweet potato and carrot soup next.

Ingredients required

• Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts cook directly in the soup before being shredded and stirred back through. Cooking them in the stock also adds flavour to the broth.
• Leeks: The main flavour of the soup. Cook them gently with the onion until soft and sweet rather than letting them brown.
• Potatoes: These give the soup its thick, creamy texture once blended. Floury potatoes such as Maris Piper or King Edward work particularly well because they break down easily.
• Onion and garlic: Create the savoury flavour base and complement the sweetness of the softened leeks.
• Chicken stock: Forms the base of the soup and adds much more flavour than using water. A good-quality stock cube is absolutely fine here.
• Curry powder and turmeric: Add gentle warmth, colour and a little complexity to the creamy chicken and leek soup without making it taste strongly of curry.
• Lemon: A squeeze of fresh lemon juice at the end brightens the soup and balances the rich, savoury flavours.
• Olive oil: Used for gently cooking the leeks, onion and garlic at the beginning of the recipe.

How to Make Chicken and Leek Soup

1. Soften the leeks and onion: Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the sliced leeks and diced onion and cook gently until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
2. Add the seasoning: Stir in the curry powder and turmeric and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Briefly cooking the spices in the oil helps release their flavour before you add the liquid.

3. Add the potatoes and stock: Add the diced potatoes and pour in the chicken stock. Stir well and bring everything to a gentle simmer.
4. Cook the chicken: Add the chicken breasts to the soup, making sure they’re mostly submerged in the stock. Cover and simmer gently until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are completely tender.

5. Shred the chicken: Remove the cooked chicken from the pan and place it on a board or plate. Shred it into bite-sized pieces using two forks and set aside while you blend the soup.
6. Blend until creamy: Use a stick blender to blend the leek and potato mixture until smooth and creamy. If you prefer some texture, you can leave it slightly chunky rather than blending completely smooth.

7. Finish the soup: Return the shredded chicken to the pan and stir well. Add the fresh lemon juice, taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Warm gently for another minute or two before serving.

What to do with leftovers

• Fridge: Allow the soup to cool completely, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Freezer: Freeze the cooled soup in airtight containers for up to 3 months. Leave a little room at the top of the container for expansion.
• Defrosting: Defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating. You can also reheat gently from frozen in a saucepan, stirring frequently as it thaws.
• Reheating: Warm gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat until piping hot throughout. The soup will thicken as it sits, so add a splash of water or stock to loosen it if needed.
  

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