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Overview

Preisoep

Dutch Leek Soup, Hollandse Preisoep

This preisoep recipe makes the classic Dutch leek soup: leeks and floury potatoes simmered in vegetable broth, half blended so the soup stays creamy with real chunks of leek and potato in every spoonful. One serving is about 440 g and carries 376 calories. Ladle it hot into deep bowls, swirl in the cream, and scatter buttered croutons and chives over the top.

Preisoep is the Dutch home soup for cold weather: leeks from the kitchen garden, a floury potato, stock and a spoon of cream, cooked in one pot and eaten hot at lunch with bread. Dutch cookbooks treat it as a weeknight staple rather than a restaurant dish, and many families add crisp bacon bits on top — this version keeps it vegetarian and tops it with buttered croutons instead. It is a different soup from vichyssoise, the French potato-leek soup that is blended smooth and served chilled; preisoep is served hot, and half of it is left chunky. Cook test: preisoep is a hot, chunky leek soup — it is not vichyssoise, which is smooth and chilled, and not witloofsoep, which is made from endive; no live recipe for preisoep exists on the site.

Pairs well with: Thick slices of brown bread with butter, and a glass of cold milk or a light lager.

Provenance

Netherlands flag Netherlands

Dutch Home Cooking

Nordic & European

Time Dedication

50m

20m prep • 30m cook

Batch Yield

4 Servings

376 kcal per serving

1 serving ≈ 440 g

Technical Skill

Easy

Easy (One Pot)

Meal Timing & Digestive Fit

Breakfast

Not Advised

Lunch

Prime Metabolic Fit

Dinner

Ideal Hearty Main

Snack & Tea

Inappropriate

Soups & Broths Occasions: Cold-weather lunches, weeknight dinners, family soup nights Cost: Low — about $2–3 per serving at home
Tags: Vegetables Savory Vegetarian Soup
A white bowl of chunky Dutch preisoep with leeks and potatoes in broth

Dutch Home Cooking

Photo: Roundhere44, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Heritage Formulary

Measured Ingredients

Estimated cost: Low — about $2–3 per serving at home (USD)

This version sweats the leeks in butter without browning them, simmers the potato until tender, and blends only half the soup, so it stays creamy with visible chunks of leek and potato.

Execution Methodology & Culinary Technique

Step-by-Step Cooking Guide

Active 50m
P

Prep Stage: Leeks, Potato and Croutons

20 Mins • Leeks, Potato and Croutons

Slice the leeks lengthways, rinse them well to remove grit, then slice into rings. Peel the potatoes and cut them into 2 cm cubes. Cut the bread into 1 cm cubes and snip the chives.

Maestro Tip: Rinse leeks after slicing, not before — grit hides between the layers and only shows up once the rings are cut.

  1. 1

    Sweat the leeks in butter

    8 Mins Medium heat, about 160°C (320°F)

    Melt the 30 g of butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the leek rings and a pinch of salt and cook for 8 minutes, stirring often, until soft and sweet-smelling but not browned.

    If the leeks start to colour, turn the heat down and add a splash of broth — browned leeks turn the soup bitter.

    Done when: Soft, glossy leeks with no colour on them.

  2. 2

    Add potato and broth and simmer

    20 Mins Gentle simmer, about 95°C (200°F)

    Add the potato cubes and the vegetable broth, bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer gently for 20 minutes until the potatoes break apart easily with a spoon.

    A gentle simmer, not a hard boil, keeps the broth clear and the leeks intact.

    Done when: Potatoes that crush easily against the side of the pot.

  3. 3

    Blend half the soup

    5 Mins Off the heat, about 70°C (158°F)

    Take the pot off the heat. Ladle out half the soup into a jug, blend it smooth with a stick blender, and stir it back into the pot. The soup should be creamy with visible chunks of leek and potato.

    Blending only half is what makes preisoep — blend it all and you have vichyssoise's hot cousin, not preisoep.

    Done when: A creamy soup with clear chunks of leek and potato still visible.

  4. 4

    Fry the croutons

    5 Mins Medium heat, about 160°C (320°F)

    While the soup simmers, melt the 10 g of butter in a small pan and fry the bread cubes for 4 to 5 minutes, turning often, until golden and crisp on all sides.

    Fry the croutons just before serving — they go soft in minutes once they sit.

    Done when: Golden, crisp cubes that rattle in the pan.

  5. 5

    Finish with cream and serve

    5 Mins Serve hot, about 70°C (158°F)

    Stir the cream into the soup, add the nutmeg, white pepper and salt to taste, and warm through for 2 minutes without boiling. Ladle into deep bowls and scatter the croutons and chives over the top.

    Do not boil the soup after the cream goes in — it can split and turn grainy.

    Done when: Hot, creamy soup with croutons and chives on top.

Finishing Touches & Plating

Serve the soup the moment the croutons go on — the contrast of hot creamy soup and crisp buttery bread is the whole point of the bowl.

Nutritional Physiology & Benefits

Nutrition

Energy

376

kcal / serving

Protein

7g

Complete AA

Carbs

43g

Complex

Fats

21g

Healthy

Per serving (4 servings · 1 serving ≈ 440 g)
Energy376 kcal
Protein7 g
Carbohydrates43 g
Fat21 g
Fibre4.8 g
Sugar9.0 g
Sodium688 mg
Per 100g
Energy85 kcal
Protein1.5 g
Carbohydrates9.8 g
Fat4.7 g
Fibre1.1 g
Sugar2 g
Sodium156 mg

Nutrition values are estimated — calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients.

Vitamins & minerals: Vitamin K and vitamin C (leeks), vitamin B6 and potassium (potatoes), calcium (cream).

Leeks Bring Gentle Fibre

About 4.8 g of fibre per bowl, mostly from the leeks, which also bring vitamin K and vitamin C to a simple soup.

A Warm, Filling Lunch

About 43 g of carbohydrate per bowl from the potato and bread makes this a lunch that actually keeps you full until dinner.

One Pot, Few Ingredients

Leeks, potato, broth and cream — four honest ingredients, no stock cubes needed if your broth is good.

Food Pairings

What to Eat With

To optimize nutrient absorption and elevate the sensory depth, pair with these authentic accompaniments:

Sides

Brown Bread and Butter

Thick brown bread is the Dutch way to eat soup — it soaks up the broth and turns a bowl into a full lunch.

A Crisp Apple Salad

A small salad of apple and celery adds crunch and acidity, which wakes up the rich, creamy soup.

Drinks

Cold Milk or Light Lager

Cold milk is the old Dutch pairing for soup; a light lager does the same job, cutting the cream with bitterness.

Full Menus

Apple Tart to Follow

A slice of Dutch apple tart after the soup keeps the meal in the same homely register — warm, sweet and unhurried.

Complete menu

Serve hot preisoep with brown bread and butter, followed by a slice of apple tart.

Digestive Guardrails

What NOT to Combine

To prevent digestive distress, sluggishness, or palate clash, avoid pairing the dish with these elements:

Boiling the Soup After the Cream

Cream split by boiling turns the soup grainy and can upset a sensitive stomach; warm it gently instead. This is general food information, not medical advice.

Leaving the Soup Out for Hours

A cream soup left warm on the stove is a good place for bacteria to grow; cool it quickly and refrigerate within 2 hours. This is general food safety information, not medical advice.

General information only, not medical advice — consult a doctor for personal dietary decisions.

Who Should Eat It

Who Should Eat

  • General adultsA warm, filling lunch — one bowl with brown bread is a full meal.
  • ChildrenChildren like the creamy soup, but serve it cooled a little and hold back the white pepper; the croutons are the fun part.
  • ElderlySoft, warm and easy to eat; serve it not too hot, with soft bread for dunking.
  • Pregnant womenFine when freshly made and served hot; the cream and potato are fully cooked.
  • Breastfeeding womenA satisfying lunch; keep to one bowl and balance the day with lighter meals.
  • AthletesWarm carbohydrate with a little protein makes it a good post-training lunch, eaten within an hour of exercise.
  • Weight gainAdd a second bowl or an extra slice of bread with cheese to raise the energy of the meal.
  • Weight lossOne bowl with the croutons skipped keeps the portion lighter.

Health Conditions — Adjust or Avoid

Conditions

  • DiabetesAbout 43 g of carbohydrate per bowl, mostly from the potato — take one bowl and ask a clinician about portion size.
  • High blood pressureAbout 688 mg of sodium per bowl; use low-sodium broth as written and skip extra salt if sodium matters, and ask a clinician.
  • Kidney diseaseA moderate protein load and a creamy soup; keep the portion to one bowl and ask a clinician about what fits your plan.
  • GoutA creamy, buttery soup; keep it an occasional lunch rather than a daily one, and ask a clinician.
  • Stomach issuesCream and butter can sit heavily on a sensitive stomach; eat a small portion slowly and ask a clinician if symptoms flare.
  • Cardiovascular diseaseHigh in saturated fat from the butter and cream; one bowl with the croutons skipped is the lighter way to eat it, and ask a clinician.
  • Fatty liverButter and cream are high in saturated fat; keep it occasional and ask a clinician about fat intake.
  • Food allergiesContains milk (butter, cream) and wheat (croutons). Ask a clinician about any allergy.
  • Special therapeutic dietsA soft, easy-to-eat soup that suits many therapeutic diets; ask a clinician or dietitian before changing your diet.

If you have a medical condition, consult your doctor before changing your diet.

Storage & Use

Storage & Use

How to store
Cool quickly, then keep in a covered container in the fridge; store croutons separately in a paper bag.
In the fridge
3 days in the fridge.
In the freezer
Up to 2 months without the cream and croutons; add fresh cream after reheating.
How to reheat
Reheat gently in a pan until steaming, about 74°C (165°F), without boiling; stir in fresh cream and top with fresh croutons.
Freezing recommended
Yes, without the cream — freeze the base and finish it fresh.
Signs it has spoiled
Sour smell, curdled look, or mould — discard it.

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