Celery-Leek Soup With Potato and Parsley Recipe (2024)

By Alexa Weibel

Celery-Leek Soup With Potato and Parsley Recipe (1)

Total Time
45 minutes
Rating
4(1,405)
Notes
Read community notes

This celery-forward soup is in essence a potato-leek soup that substitutes most of the potatoes with brighter celery, and skips the vast quantities of cream in the original, resulting in a lighter flavor and texture. Woodsy herbs like thyme and bay leaves, and fresh, raw parsley give the soup its intensely green, almost grassy taste. It’s worth trying the soup without dairy, then admiring the transformative effect of a splash of crème fraîche or cream, which subdues the louder celery notes.

Featured in: The Heart of Thanksgiving

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Ingredients

Yield:6 to 8 servings (about 9½ cups)

  • ¼cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 2large leeks (about 10 ounces each), halved lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise and cleaned (about 3 cups)
  • 3garlic cloves, sliced
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1pound celery (about 1 large bunch), leaves reserved, stalks trimmed, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1large russet potato (about 12 ounces), peeled and roughly chopped
  • 3fresh bay leaves
  • teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
  • ¼cup dry white wine
  • 7cups chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1cup chopped fresh parsley leaves, plus more for garnish
  • Crème fraîche or heavy cream, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

204 calories; 10 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 20 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 7 grams protein; 875 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Celery-Leek Soup With Potato and Parsley Recipe (2)

Preparation

  1. Step

    1

    In a large pot, heat the ¼ cup oil over medium. Add the leeks and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until meltingly tender, about 7 minutes.

  2. Step

    2

    Add the celery, potato, bay leaves and thyme, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the wine to deglaze, then cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is almost dry, about 3 minutes.

  3. Add the stock and bring to boil over high. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until all the vegetables are fully tender and soft, about 20 minutes. Discard the bay leaves, then stir in 1 cup parsley leaves.

  4. Step

    4

    Working in two or three batches, transfer the soup to a blender and purée until smooth. (It’s almost always beneficial to let the soup blend for another minute or two past what seems necessary to emulsify as much as possible.) Season generously with salt and pepper.

  5. Step

    5

    Transfer to bowls. Drizzle with olive oil; garnish with reserved celery leaves and parsley, and sprinkle with pepper. Serve with a dollop of crème fraîche or a drizzle of heavy cream.

Ratings

4

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1,405

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

kate m

I give up - who is Zack and what did he say?

Barbara

This is a most forgiving recipe. I used leeks, hearts of celery, and parsley all well past their prime. I had no wine, used dried thyme, and peeled only half the celery. I had 2 Yukon gold potatoes rather than one russet. After Chopping one potato, I realized that I had no use for the remaining single potato and I added that one also. I had no stock, so I used artificially chicken flavored soup and seasoning mix. I puréed it in my 40 year old oster blender. It was smooth and delicious.

Stu

Zack.... does that imply that you hated the recipe? I just bought celery, leeks, potatoes, white wine, vegetable stock, parsley, garlic, and cream. Should I just throw everything in the garbage, and forget the whole idea? I suppose I could just buy a can of Campbell's Cream of Celery concentrated soup and be done with it.

Mari

Glad to see somebody else got Zack's joke - which was a riff on many 'cooking notes' we see below recipes - one common theme is when the writer changes all the ingredients and another is when the writer comments on the amount/type/quality of the salt specified and disagrees with it.

UWSGrrl

Lovely soup both pureed or not although it has a rustic brownish olive green color before pureeing. First batch was eaten before it went in the blender. I added some leftover cooked chicken and bacon to the bowls and it made a fine weekday meal plus more space in the fridge. After the blender the soup turned a lovely shade of green and will be a great start to our Thanksgiving meal.

Peggy Sim

Why not use an emulsion blender?

Gabie

Zack, I love your sense of humor!

Joseph Wu

Not bad. I added a teaspoon each of cumin and paprika in step 2. Might add some lemon juice or lemon zest next time at the end to brighten it up. Great way to use some extra celery I had lying around.

PS

I subbed in peeled, chopped celery root for the potato (and did not use cream or creme fraiche since it was quite creamy once puréed). Delicious - even better when made ahead and reheated!

j

brighten w/ lemon juice

Texanne

Tastes like vichyssoise plus a little somethin’-somethin’. I cut the olive oil waaaaay back to a tablespoon or so and was perfectly satisfied.

Tom Kulaga

All hail King Celery! This really resonated with that distinctive flavor from the first spoonful. I added a ripe pear for even more creamy lusciousness. Wonder what it would be like with celery salt to season it? Probably make your head explode!

Steve

1/4 cup oil, but hold the cream to make "light" version???Oil -- 1 tbl = 14g fat/120 calCream -- 1 tbl = 2.9 g fat/ 29 cal.1/4 cup oil = 56 g fat/ 480 cal1/4 cup cream = 11.6 g fat/ 116 calAdd the cream!

Chris

Since I grow all the veggies in this recipe, and more, I used equal parts potatoes, celery root (celeriac), and celery and followed the rest of the recipe as written. Very smooth and delicious. Celeriac is a little gnarly to deal with but I recommend that you try it!

Lorene

I had to substitute the potato with cauliflower as I'm allergic to potatoes, but it worked quite well.

S. Parker

I like celery - it's underrated. And I love leek and potato soup. But I just didn't like this soup. Full disclosure, I followed it to a T except for including some celeriac (decreased amts of potato and celery proportionately). Just don't like the flavor - it's soapy (too much of a good thing, celery?), and lacking something. No idea what would perk it up. Might try lemon? But that just seems like it would exacerbate the soapiness.

MB

Amazing. Fairly basic potatoes, celery and leeks are transform into an amazing winter potage. Don't skimp on the olive oil, and deglaze with 1/2 c. prosecco.

Martha McCully

Love this soup. I really didn’t measure much (or peel the celery thoroughly) I used approximately 5 small potatoes 9 cups broth 6 leeks 2 heads parsley no dairy. I added chile oil and homemade olive bread croutons at the end. Delicious.

steve

Could use an extra potato and/or a little less broth.

Chin

I didn’t have any fresh thyme or parsley so just put in dry thyme but still turned out great! Perfect way to use up a whole thing of celery when you only used up two stalks for something else

Jill

I never have wine, but use a bit of vermouth instead. It's hard to get through an entire bottle of vermouth with martinis :)

annieurban

Delicious, easy weeknight winter meal. Puréed three cups, left the rest chunky. Added juice of one lemon at end, as per others’ notes. No cream, as I’m vegan. A keeper.

Stephanie

I made this per the recipe here and it was very awesome.

janet

Hmm 20ounces of leeks is much more than 3 cups.

S. Parker

Maybe they start out as 10 oz each, but after trimming produce the correct yield.

alex

Made this tonight and it was delicious, despite needing to make a substitution. The grocery store didn’t have leeks so I subbed sweet onion, I didn’t have wine so I skipped that step and went straight to broth (better than bouillon), and I also added a can of white beans (rinsed) for extra creaminess and protein. It makes 6 extremely generous portions and I froze some. We had it tonight with crusty sourdough toast and it was divine filling!

Alice

Delicious -- did not add any salt due to dietary concerns and used home-made veg stock also no salt. Still great.

Diane Moore

This might have made a celery lover out of me. I didn’t think I’d care for it but had an abundance of celery to use up and people to cook for. Delicious - light and filling at the same time. I used an immersion blender and the texture was perfect. The parsley and celery leaves as garnish were pretty but not my fav texture. The crème fraiche was a nice bit of acidity. Perhaps croutons next time instead of the chopped leaves.

Gabriella

Delicious!

Sarah

Delicious! My husband keeps asking me when I’m going to make it again.

bossyfemme

Have had better, lighter, fresher tasting soups. This seemed pasty and heavy and not all that pleasant.

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Celery-Leek Soup With Potato and Parsley Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why does my leek and potato soup taste bland? ›

The reasons are usually two: you didn't season your soup at all, worrying it might be too salty because of the leeks; or you added to much water for the stock.

How to stop leek and potato soup from going gloopy? ›

Potatoes – use starchy or all rounders, they fall apart when simmered which means less blending for creamy soup = less risk of gluey soup*.

Why is my potato leek soup gummy? ›

Why is my potato leek soup gummy? Potatoes should be diced in similar size so they cook evenly, but don't drive yourself crazy getting them teeny-tiny. If they're too small, you risk the potatoes releasing too much starch, which can make the soup gummy when pureed.

What does celery do to soups? ›

Celery stalks often play a supporting (albeit crucial) role in comforting soups and holiday sides, but their sharp herbal flavor takes center stage in this cream of celery soup recipe. To coax the most flavor out of the veg, sauté the chopped celery with a potato and onion in plenty of butter until soft and tender.

How do I increase the depth of flavor in soup? ›

Perk up a Bland Soup With Simple Pantry Staples

Add a splash of vinegar (any kind!), or a squeeze of citrus. Chances are, you could use a little more salt. Go ahead—it's ok. Salt perks up flat flavors and helps balance out bitter-tasting ingredients.

What gives vegetable soup that depth of flavor? ›

Dried herbs and seasonings: homemade seasoned salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, and dried bay leaves lend flavor to the soup.

How can I thicken my leek and potato soup? ›

Add flour or cornflour

Put a tablespoon of either into a small bowl and stir in 2-3 tbsp of the soup until you have a smooth mixture. Stir this back into the soup and bring it to a simmer. Cook for a few minutes to allow the starch granules to burst to thicken, and to cook out any flour flavour.

What is the best thickening agent for potato soup? ›

Cornstarch is a very effective thickener, and a little bit can go a long way. Add cornstarch to a small amount of cold water or other liquid (wine or stock) and whisk into a thick slurry.

Why has my leek and potato soup gone brown? ›

It looks as though some of your potatoes might have got a bit scorched. Did you fry them off before adding the liquid? The colour from the browned potatoes could be what is turning it brown.

What to pair with potato leek soup? ›

What can I eat with potato leek soup?
  1. Grilled Little Gem Caesar Salad.
  2. Caprese Salad with a Honey Cilantro Lime Dressing.
  3. Steamed Artichokes with Lemon Herb Breadcrumbs.
  4. Parmesan Sweet Potato Fries.
Jul 24, 2023

Can I fix gluey potato soup? ›

It turns out, then, that contrary to internet opinion, it is possible to redeem your potato leek soup if somehow it becomes gluey. Ladle some into a freezer bag, freeze it flat, thaw it, and pour off the water.

How do you blend potato soup without it being gummy? ›

Just err on the side of caution and use a light hand when you're blending your spuds into the broth, only mixing just until combined, and you'll end up with a silky-smooth pot of soup. You can ensure even better results by using the right kind of potato.

What herb goes with celery? ›

Herbs: Celery can be seasoned with a variety of herbs such as parsley, thyme, rosemary, and dill. Spices: Celery can be paired with spices such as black pepper, paprika, and celery seed. Nuts: Celery can be paired with nuts such as almonds, cashews, and walnuts for added texture and flavour.

Should celery be sauteed before adding to soup? ›

While certain vegetables can work just fine added directly to simmering soups and stews (say, carrots and celery), other vegetables (onions, garlic, and the like) will almost always need at least a brief sweat in a fat-based liquid before adding the remaining ingredients.

What makes celery taste better? ›

Use Inner Stalks and Leaves

The most tender and mild-tasting parts of celery are the inner stalks and leaves. The outer stalks and base tend to be tougher and more bitter. For a sweeter flavor, juice the inner 4-5 stalks and leaves of bunched celery.

Why does my potato soup have no flavor? ›

Perhaps the simplest approach is to flavor your soup with salt throughout the cooking process. Instead of waiting until the end of cooking to realize your soup lacks taste, you can add a bit of salt during each phase of cooking. Doing so will help bring out the flavors of each of the ingredients.

Why does my soup taste flavorless? ›

Let it evaporate and cook longer.

If you find that your homemade or store-bought broth is thin and bland, you can concentrate its flavors by cooking it a little bit longer." Make sure to remove the lid or tilt it slightly to let the steam escape.

How do you salvage bland soup? ›

If a soup is tasting bland in the bowl, consider adding acid rather than salt. A squeeze of lemon or lime, or a dash of yogurt or sour cream can add brightness to the bowl. Our Lemony Chicken Soup will make your mouth water.

Why does my potato soup taste gritty? ›

Russet potatoes, as a member of the starchy/floury potato family, are inherently grainy. Using them in soup will result in an unpleasant gritty texture. When making potato soup, be sure to reach for a waxy variety such as fingerling potatoes, red potatoes, or baby potatoesto get a smoother texture.

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