Creamy cheese soup with leeks, bacon, and dumplings is a breathtakingly delicious, tender, and aromatic dish that will nourish and warm you on a cold winter's day. This bowl brings together the very best traditions of European comfort food: the velvety texture of heavy cream, the subtle sweetness of sweated leeks, and the smoky notes of golden bacon. Jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes) add a special touch—this 'sun root' is not only nutritious but gives the soup a faintly perceptible nutty undertone. If you can't find Jerusalem artichokes in season, feel free to substitute them with celery root (celeriac) or sweet potatoes; they require about the same cooking time and harmonize beautifully with the rest of the ingredients to build a rich, complex flavor profile.
A tender and hearty creamy soup with the unique flavor of Jerusalem artichoke and the aroma of smoked bacon.
Soup Ingredients
- 250 g (8.8 oz) leeks (pale parts only, no green leaves)
- 300 g (10.5 oz) Jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes)
- 100 g (3.5 oz) smoked bacon
- 1 yellow onion
- 1 carrot
- 3 celery stalks
- 35 g (1.2 oz) butter
- 1 L (about 4 cups) chicken broth
- 250 ml (1 cup) heavy cream
- 150 g (5.3 oz) processed cheese (spreadable foil-wrapped wedges work well)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Dumpling Dough Ingredients
- 1 egg
- 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon milk
- Pinch of salt
How to Make Creamy Cheese Soup With Leeks, Bacon, and Dumplings
Finely chop the bacon and sauté it until perfectly golden. Dice the onion and celery, and coarsely grate the carrot. Add these prepped vegetables to the crisped bacon and cook for about 15 minutes until they become completely soft and tender.
Sauté the vegetables until tender to create a fantastic flavor base for our upcoming soup.
Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed pot. Slice the pale part of the leeks into thin rings. Keep in mind that leeks often hide sand between their layers, so inspect and wash them thoroughly. Place the sliced leeks into the melted butter and gently sweat over low heat for 7-8 minutes. The goal isn’t to brown them, but simply to soften them up.
Gently sweat the leeks over low heat so they soften without browning.
Once the leeks are soft, fold in the sautéed vegetable and bacon mixture.
Fold the prepared bacon and vegetable mixture into the softened leeks.
Peel the Jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes) and cut them into small cubes. Jerusalem artichokes can be somewhat exotic and hard to find out of season. You can easily substitute them with celery root (celeriac) or sweet potatoes, and in a pinch, regular potatoes will also yield a delicious result.
Jerusalem artichokes lend the soup a subtle nutty hint. If unavailable, use celery root instead.
Pour the hot chicken broth into the pot and bring the mixture to a rolling boil. Reduce the heat and let it simmer gently for 30 minutes.
Pour the hot chicken broth over the vegetables and let simmer for half an hour.
Prepare the dough for the soft dumplings (quenelles). Whisk an egg with a pinch of salt, then pour in the milk. Gradually fold in the all-purpose flour in small batches, mixing until you get a thick, tacky batter.
Mix the dumpling dough to the consistency of thick sour cream, making it easy to shape with a spoon.
Drop small pieces of processed cheese into the gently boiling soup. Using a teaspoon, scoop up a bit of the dumpling batter, and use a second teaspoon to gently slide the dough straight into the boiling broth. Repeat this process until all the dumplings are in the pot.
Shape the dumplings using two teaspoons and drop them into the boiling soup along with the cheese.
Cook the soup with the cheese and dumplings for 5-7 minutes after it returns to a boil, then pour in the heavy cream. It’s best to warm the cream slightly before adding it. Bring the creamy soup just up to a boil, season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste, and immediately remove it from the heat.
After adding the heavy cream, heat the soup just to a boil so all the flavors meld together.
Serve this creamy cheese soup piping hot. It pairs beautifully with a fresh, crusty baguette. Bon appétit!
Serve the soup piping hot, garnishing with fresh herbs or extra leek rings if desired.
Sometimes, the most ordinary ingredients can transform into an incredibly delicious dish. For instance, basic processed cheese works perfectly here; when properly melted, it gives the broth that much-desired silky viscosity. This creamy cheese soup with leeks, bacon, and dumplings is best served immediately, while the dumplings are at their most tender and airy. Garnish each bowl with a handful of finely chopped fresh chives or a sprig of parsley, and serve alongside a slice of toasted baguette—this creates the perfect textural contrast between the smooth soup and the crunchy bread. If you're in the mood to experiment, try swapping the bacon for sautéed wild mushrooms to introduce a deeper forest aroma, or add a pinch of nutmeg at the very end of cooking to elevate the creamy notes. You can store the leftover creamy cheese soup in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours, but keep in mind that the dumplings will absorb extra moisture over time and may lose their shape. When reheating, do so gently over low heat, stirring constantly to ensure the cream base doesn't separate and maintains its wonderfully smooth texture.
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