Creamy Potato Leek and Bacon Soup (Suitable for Pressure Canning and Freezing)

January 21, 2026 Master Canner

Here it is – a creamy potato leek and bacon soup built properly: bacon fat for flavor, leeks cooked until sweet (not scorched), potatoes that actually thicken the soup instead of turning it into paste, a splash of wine to make it exciting, and just enough dairy at the end to make it creamy without crossing into cafeteria chowder territory.

Feel free to jump straight to the recipe, or stick around for a few quick tips and flavor ideas that will make this soup truly shine. No long stories – just practical tricks to help you get the best results.

Jump to Recipe

This make-ahead potato and bacon soup is a winter comfort food incarnate. It is freezer-friendly, canning-friendly, and unapologetically practical. You make it once, eat well all week, and preserve some for the days when cooking isn’t on your life’s agenda. Precisely the point in your life when you’ll be very pleased to find a jar or container of a creamy potato, leek and bacon soup waiting.

💰Cost Breakdown: 8 Servings Batch

If your goal is goal is to save time and money, reduce stress, and know that a solid, comforting meal is already handled when you need it, this potato, leek with bacon soup recipe deserves your attention.

Estimated Soup Ingredients Cost (based on average grocery pricing in Canada)

Ingredient	Estimated Cost
Extra-large leek	$2.50
Garlic (6 cloves)	$0.60
Bacon (225 g / ½ lb)	$9.00
Carrots (200 g)	$0.60
Yukon Gold potatoes (900 g / 2 lb)	$2.50
White wine (½ cup portion)	$1.28
Homemade stock (1 L)	$2.00
Milk + cream (total)	$2.05
Dill	$1.25
Oil, salt, water	$0.50

Estimated total cost: $22.28 CAD or $2.79 CAD per serving

$2 Homemade chicken stock recipe – here.

🥓Ingredient Notes

Leeks: Use only the white and pale green parts. Slice it in half lengthwise first, then wash well. Grit shows up fast in soup.
Potatoes: Yukon Golds hold their structure and still break down enough to thicken. Russets can turn gluey.
Bacon: This is a flavor base. Thin, watery bacon won’t pull its weight. You want to have a thick double smoked bacon for this recipe.

❄️Freezing Instructions (Recommended Storage Method)

If you plan to freeze potato leek with bacon soup, do not add milk or cream before freezing. Follow these instructions:

First, cool the finished soup completely.
Next, portion into freezer-safe containers.
Freeze up to 3 months.

⚠️Canning Instructions (Read This Before You Start)

Disclaimer: Always follow tested pressure-canning recipes for soups. According to the National Center for Home Food Preservation, mixed -base soups must be pressure-canned to avoid risk of Clostridium botulinum. If your recipe diverges from NCHFP standard tested formulations, which is the case with this one, freezing is the safest option.

Before Canning

Prepare the soup without milk, cream, or dill.
Keep soup hot.

Jar Filling

Ladle hot soup into clean jars.
Leave 1 inch (2.5 cm) headspace.
Remove air bubbles.
Wipe rims and apply lids.

This potato leeks and bacon soup recipe contains low-acid ingredients. Pressure canning is mandatory. Water-bath canning is unsafe.

Pressure Canning Processing Table

Table 1. Recommended process time for Soups in a dial-gauge pressure canner.
			Canner Pressure (PSI) at Elevations
Style of Pack	Jar Size	Process Time	0 – 2,000 ft	2,001 – 4,000 ft	4,001 – 6,000 ft	6,001 – 8,000 ft
Hot	Pints	60* min	11 lb	12 lb	13 lb	14 lb
Hot	Quarts	75*	11	12	13	14

Table 2. Recommended process time for Soups in a weighted-gauge pressure canner
			Canner Pressure (PSI) at Elevations of
Style of Pack	Jar Size	Process Time	0 – 1,000 ft	Above 1,000 ft
Hot	Pints	60* min	10 lb	15 lb
Hot	Quarts	75*	10	15

These instructions follow standard USDA and National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP) soup guidelines for low-acid, mixed-ingredient soups.

Reference: https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can/canning-vegetables-and-vegetable-products/soups/steps

Before Storing

Let jars sit 12–24 hours after processing before testing lids.
Remember, always store canned soup in a cool, dark place. Soup lasts up to 1 year if canned safely.

🫙To serve potato leek and bacon soup after opening a pressure-canned jar:

Heat soup.
Bring to a boil.
Add milk and cream.
Cook for 3 minutes
Add dill when you are about ready to serve

❄️To serve potato leek and bacon soup after freezing:

For starters, defrost the soup in the fridge fully.
Once defrosted, add milk and cream to the soup and stir to incorporate fully
Next, bring soup to a boil.
Cook for 3 minutes once boiling.
Add dill just as you are ready to remove it from the heat.

This order prevents separation and keeps the texture smooth.

🥛Why Dairy Is Added Later

It’s worth stating this plainly: milk and cream don’t behave well during long storage or high heat.

Specifically, after freezing, dairy can separate and turn grainy. That said, many dairy-based soups that split after freezing can be fixed. In most cases, gentle reheating, steady whisking, or a quick pass with an immersion blender will bring them back together. However, sometimes none of those tricks work.
When it comes to pressure canning leek, potato, and bacon soup, skipping diary isn’t about a preference any more. It’s how you keep the soup stable, and compliant with tested canning practices.

For both of these reasons, the best approach is to add milk and cream after defrosting or opening a jar. Then, once the soup reaches a boil, simmer it for 3 minutes. By doing this, you restore creaminess without running into texture problems or safety issues.

Potato, Leek and Bacon Soup Serving Suggestions (Fresh or From Storage)

🍲This soup shines when served simply with bread, but it also plays well with a few thoughtful additions.

First, pair it with crusty bread. Go for sourdough, rye, or a seeded loaf. All of these work well and give you something worth dunking into the soup. Next, finish each bowl with a sprinkle of fresh dill or a few crisp bacon pieces for contrast.
For a fuller meal, serve this potato, leek and bacon soup alongside a simple green salad with a sharp vinaigrette to cut through the richness.
Finally, if you want to stretch it further, add a grilled cheese sandwich and call it lunch or even a dinner without overthinking it. This, by far, is our favorite way to eat it.

How to make potato leek soup with bacon – step-by-step

Ingredients used in this soup - potato, leek, bacon, carrots, dill, garlic, white wine, grapeseed oil, chicken stock, milk, cream — potato leek & bacon soup recipe ingredients

onions get stirred as we set them in a large pot — potato leek & bacon soup recipe ingredients

Potato Leek Soup with Bacon

This is a classic potato and leek soup with bacon, adapted for real kitchens and real storage needs. It uses bacon fat on purpose, cooks leeks until sweet instead of bitter, and relies on Yukon Gold potatoes for body. It freezes well. You can pressure-can it safely. And when you open a jar months later, it still tastes like something you made today.

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 50

Total Time: 1

Ingredients

1 extra-large leek - cleaned, sliced ~300 g
6 large garlic cloves - minced ~30 g
½ lb bacon - diced ~225g
2 medium carrots - diced ~200 g
2 lb Yukon Gold potatoes - diced ~900g
1 tbsp neutral oil - ~15 ml
½ cup dry white wine - ~125 ml
1 tsp salt - ~5 g
6 cups vegetable or chicken stock - ~1.5 liter. You can substitute with 4 cups *chicken* stock (1 liter) and 2 cups water (500 ml)
1 cup milk - ~250 ml
½ cup cream - ~125 ml
¼ cup fresh dill loosely packed - chopped ~15 g

Servings: 8

Instructions

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.
Add leeks and cook stirring often, until softened and translucent, about 3 minutes.
Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, just until fragrant.
Add bacon and cook for 5 minutes, until it turns translucent and begins to render.
Add carrots and cook for 3 minutes, stirring to coat.
Deglaze with white wine. Let it almost completely reduce before moving to the next step up to 5 minutes.
Add salt and mix well.
Add potatoes, stir again, then pour in stock or stock and water.
Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 30 minutes, until potatoes are fully tender.
Blend with an immersion blender to a rough texture, or blend fully if you prefer a smooth soup.

❄️🫙Stop here if freezing or pressure canning. Follow the freezing or canning instructions in the post.

🍲To Finish for Immediate Serving:

Add milk and cream. Bring the soup to a boil.
Cook for 3 minutes once boiling.
Add dill, cook 1 more minute, then remove from heat.

Shop for Freezer-Safe Jars and Lids on Amazon

Course Appetizer | Lunch | Soup | Weekday Dinner

Cuisine European

https://cannedexperience.com/potato-leek-bacon-soup-suitable-for-pressure-canning-and-freezing/

Make a batch! Then come back and tell us how this recipe worked out for you. Leave us a comment below, write us, like us on X, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Blue Sky. And remember, sharing is caring!

FAQ

Why does potato texture matter?

The main reason, starchy potatoes can turn gluey once blended or canned. In contrast, Yukon Golds stay tender and thicken naturally.

What can I use instead of dill?

For starters, we advise against substituting dill. It makes a huge and noticeable difference to the final flavor of this soup. But, if you must, chives will work well in this soup. Make sure to add them at serving, not during cooking though.

Can I water-bath potato leek soup?

No. Unfortunately, this soup contains low-acid ingredients. Because of that, water-bath canning is not safe. The only safe option is pressure canning, and you must do it without any dairy added.

What kind of stock is best for potato leek soup?

We usually make it with a vegetable or chicken stock.

Got more questions? Don’t be shy – leave us a comment or send us a message without ever leaving the blog! [Contact us here.]