I love nothing more than a good potato soup — or, let’s be real, a potato in any form. This soup combines two of my favorites: a loaded baked potato and a potato leek soup. Creamy, warm, filling, and healthy — your family will beg you to make this for them every week!
To a large pot or Dutch oven, add the bacon. Turn the heat to medium and cook, tossing occasionally, until just crisp and the fat has rendered, about 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked bacon to a plate lined with paper towels and set aside, reserving the bacon fat in the pot.
Add the onion, leeks, garlic, salt, and pepper to the pot and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are tender, about 7 minutes.
Add the potatoes, broth, coconut milk, bay leaves, and thyme. Stir to combine. Bring the soup to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a light simmer. Cover and cook until the potatoes are fork tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and discard.
Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until just smooth. Alternatively, you can carefully transfer the soup, in batches, to a blender and blend until smooth. Once blended, stir in the lemon juice. Add salt to taste.
Serve in bowls and top with the reserved bacon bits, green onion, and cheese, if using.
Note: Leeks can be very dirty, so it is important to clean them very well to remove any sediment, so you do not get any grittiness into your soup. I’ve found the best way to clean them is to place the sliced leeks in a colander and run hot water over them until they are well rinsed. Place the leeks on paper towels and pat dry until ready to use.
