Potato Soup: compare the 2 variations
Time, effort, key ingredients, diets, nutrition and cleanup side by side, so you can pick the one that fits tonight.
Which should I make?
- Lightest Potato LeekAbout 270 calories a serving, against 520 calories for the other (an estimate).
- Least cleanup Loaded Baked PotatoOne thing to wash: Dutch oven.
- Make it ahead Potato LeekMake the soup through blending up to 3 days ahead.
- Vegetarian Potato LeekThe only one that fits vegetarian, going by the ingredient lines.
Side by side
| Loaded Baked Potato | Potato Leek | |
|---|---|---|
| Total time | 55 min | 1 hr |
| Prep | 15 min | 20 min |
| Level | Easy | Easy |
| Steps | 10 | 11 |
| Serves | 6 | 6 |
| Key ingredients | russet potatoes, chicken broth and whole milk | leeks, Yukon gold potatoes and vegetable broth |
| Only in this one | bacon, onion, chicken broth and whole milk | leeks, vegetable broth, bay leaf and dried thyme |
| Dietary | ||
| Calories | 520 | 270 |
| Protein | 19 g | 5 g |
| Carbs | 49 g | 36 g |
| Fat | 28 g | 13 g |
| Cleanup | 5/5 1 thing to wash | 2/5 4 things to wash |
| Kid helper | No | No |
Nutrition is per serving. Estimate from USDA FoodData Central; not medical or dietary advice. Dietary: Based on the ingredient list and estimated nutrition; check labels; not medical advice. Cleanup score: 5 means one thing to wash, 1 means six or more. We count pots, pans, bowls and appliances, not the knife, board and spoons.
How we pick
- Fastest: the shortest total time, at least 10 minutes ahead of the next.
- Easiest: the lowest level (easy, medium, hard), then at least 2 fewer steps.
- Lightest: the fewest estimated calories a serving, at least 15% and 40 calories under the next (only when two or more have an estimate).
- Kid helper: the variation where a child can do the biggest share of the steps (no knife, no heat), when that's not all of them equally.
- Least cleanup: the best cleanup score, a point ahead of the next.
- Make it ahead: the only variation whose notes say how to make it ahead.
- Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free or dairy-free: the variation that fits a diet the others don't, from the ingredient lines.
A pick needs a clear winner; close calls are left out.