This simple celery leek soup is a variation of the classic potato leek soup. Topped with quick homemade Parmesan croutons, it makes a great weeknight meal.
This soup reflects a few of the lessons I’ve learned over the past year. For starters, it reminds me to appreciate simplicity. Humans have a knack for overcomplicating things, and for better or worse, we’ve had to learn to simplify our lives in some ways lately. A soup made of mostly celery, potatoes, and leeks is a good example of keeping things simple.
At the same time, it reminds me not to take anything for granted. You don’t know what you have until it’s no longer an option – whether that’s the opportunity to catch up with a friend over coffee or having your family over for dinner. That wilted bunch of celery in the back of my vegetable drawer? Those potatoes covered with eyes in my pantry? Yeah, I didn’t always appreciate them, either.
When I stare real deep into a bowl of this inviting spring-hued soup, I can see that it’s telling us that we don’t have to go back to normal. Leek and potato soup is an old classic, yet this soup adds celery for unexpected earthy freshness. It turns out that we can change our old ways to make something better.
Who knew soup had so much wisdom to impart? Unfortunately, the realist in me now has to share some hard truths.
A not so new, not so spring soup
There’s nothing particularly spring-like about this soup. Why? Because while everyone else seems to be embarking on their annual asparagus obsession, the snow has barely melted in Vermont. A few days of sun and above freezing temperatures, and everyone thinks it's summer. We know better. We know to keep cooking with the more reliable and practical vegetable, the potato. It never seems to go out of season.
The other thing to understand about this soup is that it is not new. It’s old. I adapted the recipe from Julia Child’s Masting the Art of French Cooking, published over 50 years ago. But eventually, everything old is new again—kind of like that 90s mom jeans fad being back in style. I don’t know anything about fashion; I just often pass a consignment clothing store on my way to work. But for what it’s worth, this soup may be a better fit than those jeans.
How to make celery leek soup
You start by sautéing leeks and celery in butter with a little fresh thyme. Few things are as comforting as the smell of leeks and garlic sizzling in a hot pot of butter. From there, you add the broth and potatoes and simmer.
Eventually, it’s pureed into a thick, creamy soup, otherwise known as a potage. Put that together with the French word, “celestine,” which means a thick, creamy, heavenly soup. It sounds a little lofty, perhaps, but now that I think about it, this soup is a bit like eating a big comforting cloud. If we eat all the clouds, it’ll be a sunny spring. I’m pretty sure how things work, but I could be wrong.
🍕 Pairing
These recipes would go great with this celery leek soup:
📖 Recipe
Celery Leek Soup with Parmesan Croutons
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4 generous servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This simple celery leek soup is a variation of the classic potato leek soup. Topped with quick homemade Parmesan croutons, it makes a great weeknight meal.
Ingredients
- 2 medium leeks
- 5-6 stalks of celery
- 1 pound potatoes
- 2 cloves of garlic
- A small bunch of parsley
- 3 tablespoons butter
- ½ tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅓ cup long-grain white rice
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 4 slices of bread
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon smoked or smoked paprika
- 2 cups milk
Instructions
Trim the ends and tops off of the leeks. That’s the roots and the tough dark green parts. Slice the leeks in half from top to bottom, then slice each half into thin rounds. Rinse in a colander to remove any sand or dirt.
Roughly chop the celery. Peel the potatoes and roughly chop these too. Peel and chop the garlic cloves. These are all going to be pureed into the soup, so when I say roughly, that means don’t spend a lot of time worrying about the size and shape of them. But you should finely chop the parsley because no one wants to eat a bunch of leaves.
Heat the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. Add the thyme, salt, and garlic, and cook for another couple of minutes.
Add the rice to the pan, stirring to coat it in the butter. Don’t walk away and let it stick to the pan. Pour in the broth, then add the potatoes. Turn up the heat and bring the soup to a simmer. Cook about 20 minutes, partially covered.
While you wait, make the easiest croutons you’ll ever make. They’re what I call lazy croutons. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. If inclined, slice off the crusts on the bread. Then slice the bread into cubes. Toss the bread in a bowl with the oil, Parmesan, and paprika. Bake for 15 minutes. They should be crunchy and browned. Try not to eat them all before the soup is ready.
Now puree the soup with a hand blender. Or if you still don’t have one of those, you can ladle the soup, a little at a time, into a blender. Either way, be careful. You don’t want to cover your face in boiling hot soup. Trust me. Add the milk to the pot with the pureed soup and heat on low heat until hot. Taste and add more salt, if needed.
Serve the soup in bowls topped with the parsley and croutons.
Notes
If you don't have or don't like smoked paprika, use sweet paprika.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Soups and Stews
- Cuisine: French
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Kathleen Krevetski says
So much of the leek is discarded. How different if one used onions?
Steve says
You could use more of the leek if you like. I find it too tough, but since it's being pureed, it would probably be fine. I also save scraps like that in my freezer and use them to make vegetable broth when I have a bag full. As for using onions, I'm sure that would work; it would just be a different flavor.