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Ingredients
Method
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Melt the butter in a large, heavy-based saucepan over a medium-low heat. When it foams, add the onion and celery with a pinch of salt. Cook gently for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until both are soft and translucent but not coloured. The onion should give off a sweet smell and press easily with a spoon.
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Add the leeks and garlic. Stir to combine, then cook for a further 4 to 5 minutes until the leeks have wilted and their raw edge has gone. Keep the heat moderate , you want no browning at any stage.
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Add the potato chunks and stir them through the softened vegetables. Pour in the hot stock. Bring to a steady simmer over a medium heat, then reduce the heat slightly and cook uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, until the potatoes are completely tender when pressed against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon. There should be no resistance at all.
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Remove the pot from the heat. Use a potato masher to crush roughly two-thirds of the soup directly in the pot. You are not aiming for a smooth blended texture , the goal is a thick, spoonable body with visible chunks remaining. If you prefer it smoother, use a stick blender briefly, but no more than 5 seconds or the starch in the potatoes will turn it gluey.
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Return the pot to a low heat. Stir in the milk and bring the soup back up to a gentle simmer, about 3 to 4 minutes. Do not boil it at this stage or the milk will separate and the surface will look greasy. Taste carefully and adjust salt. Add the white pepper.
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Ladle into warmed bowls. Scatter parsley over each serving and offer good bread alongside. The soup holds well in the fridge for up to 3 days and thickens considerably on standing , loosen it with a splash of stock or milk when reheating, over a low heat, stirring to prevent it catching on the base.
Irish Context
Potato soup is a practical dish that appears in home kitchens across the country precisely because the ingredients are almost always to hand. Roosters are the potato most Irish households default to, and for soup they are the right choice , they are starchy, they break down cleanly, and they absorb the stock without going watery.
Leeks appear in this soup rather than spring onions because they soften more slowly and contribute a mild, slightly sweet base note that suits the long cook. The combination of potato, leek, and onion is common in Irish home cooking, with proportions varying household to household.
Tips
Variety of potato matters here more than in most dishes. Rooster potatoes break down properly and give the soup its body.
Waxy potatoes like Charlotte will hold their shape and leave you with thin broth and floating cubes , not what you want. Leeks need proper washing.
Slice them first, then submerge in a bowl of cold water, swish well, and lift them out rather than draining , any grit sinks to the bottom and you leave it behind. If your stock is salted (most shop-bought stock is), hold back on seasoning until the end.
Taste after the milk goes in, not before. White pepper rather than black keeps the colour clean and adds a slightly different warmth that suits this soup better.
Use black if that is all you have, but add it sparingly. The soup thickens significantly as it cools.
If you are making it ahead, pull it off the heat slightly thinner than you want and let the resting time do the rest.
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