Sep 07 2026
Restaurants›Molly's Irish Pub›Soup & Toastie Recipe

Soup & Toastie Recipe

Inspired by Molly's Irish Pub
Time50m
Serves4

Our Irish potato leek soup paired with a grilled cheese on choice of bread

Jump to Recipe

Was this page helpful?

Help improve this recipe for others.

Send this recipe to your inbox.

We'll email it straight to you - plus weekly cooking inspiration.

Ingredients

Some product links may be affiliates. If you buy through them, you're supporting the site and Pekin may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Irish Potato Leek Soup

Grilled Cheese Toastie (per 4 sandwiches)

Method

Irish Potato Leek Soup

  1. 1

    Prepare vegetables

    Peel the potatoes and cut into roughly 2 cm (3/4 inch) cubes so they cook evenly. Rinse the leeks well to remove grit, then thinly slice the white and light green parts. Dice the onion and mince the garlic.

  2. 2

    Sweat aromatics

    In a large heavy pot over medium heat, melt 3 tbs butter with 1 tbs olive oil. Add the sliced leeks and diced onion with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 6–8 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook 30–60 seconds until fragrant.

  3. 3

    Simmer soup

    Add the cubed potatoes to the pot, stir to coat with fat and aromatics for 1–2 minutes. Pour in 1.25 liters of stock, add the bay leaf and thyme sprigs, then bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover partially, and cook until potatoes are very tender, about 15–20 minutes.

  4. 4

    Blend to finish

    Remove and discard the bay leaf and thyme stems (if using sprigs). Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth and velvety. Alternatively, transfer the soup in batches to a blender and carefully purée, then return to the pot.

  5. 5

    Enrich and season

    Stir in 250 ml whole milk or light cream and heat gently—do not boil—until warmed through, about 3–4 minutes. Season with 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, taste and adjust. If the soup seems too heavy, add up to 2 tbs additional stock or water. Finish with 1 tsp lemon juice if desired and fold in half of the sliced chives (reserve the rest for garnish).

  6. 6

    Serve

    Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with remaining chives and a grind of black pepper. Keep warm while you make the toasties.

Grilled Cheese Toastie (per 4 sandwiches)

  1. 7

    Assemble sandwiches

    Lay out 8 slices of bread. Spread softened butter on one side of each slice. On the unbuttered side of four slices, thinly spread Dijon mustard if using. Divide the grated cheddar and melting cheese evenly among the four slices with mustard, sprinkling a little black pepper over each. Top with the remaining bread slices, buttered side out.

  2. 8

    Cook toasties

    Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium-low to medium heat. Place sandwiches in the skillet (do not overcrowd; work in two batches if necessary). Cook 3–4 minutes per side, pressing gently with a spatula, until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is fully melted. If the bread is browning before the cheese melts, lower the heat and cover the pan for 1–2 minutes to trap heat.

  3. 9

    Finish and rest

    Transfer cooked toasties to a cutting board and let rest 1 minute, then cut each sandwich in half diagonally. Keep warm and serve immediately alongside the potato leek soup.

More from Molly's Irish Pub