Creamy Potato, Leek and Celery Soup

Name: Creamy Potato, Leek and Celery Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 1 onion (chopped); 3-4 celery stalks (chopped); 2 leeks (sliced); 3 garlic cloves (minced); 2 Tablespoons butter or oil; 1/2 of a medium celery root (peeled and chopped); 3 medium potatoes (peeled and chopped); 4-5 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth); 1/4 - 1/2 cup heavy cream (optional); Salt (ground black pepper, to taste)

10 comments
June 17, 2015

Soups are so dependable. They are like that perfect spot on your couch that conforms to your body and feels “just right”. Whenever I want something comforting and soothing, I know just where to turn – my big soup pot.

Since my pregnancy has resurrected many health issues for me, food and I don’t always get along. Soups, however, never let me down. They are with me through thick and thin. This particular soup I created on one of my pregnant days, when I really wanted something creamy, with a punch of flavor, but would leave me feeling great. Soothing should be this soups middle name. It felt like a hug from the inside as I savored every spoonful.

Since then, I’ve many this soup many, many times. It has become a favorite not only for me, but for my whole family. I had made a big pot of this soup one day, and we had a bunch of my family members stop by our house. Of course, I offered them this soup, and they were all amazed by the flavor and the texture. I’ve been texting the recipe to my Mom, my sister in law, etc. and whenever I pass by a celery root at the store, this soup goes on my menu. I hope you give it a try; it’s delicious any time of the year.

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped

3-4 celery stalks, chopped

2 leeks, sliced

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tablespoons butter or oil

1/2 of a medium celery root, peeled and chopped

3 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped

4-5 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)

1/4 – 1/2 cup heavy cream, optional

Salt, ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions:

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Prep all your soup ingredients.

Slice the leeks. Use only the light colored part of the leeks.

The dark green part of a leek is very fibrous and tough, so you don’t want that to be part of your soup. You can save it and use it when you’re making broth. Leeks are very gritty, because as they grow, the soil gets trapped between the layers. I have found that the best way to clean leeks is to slice them, then wash them several times in a salad spinner. When you are washing the leeks, swish the water with your hands several times and then lift the leeks with the colander out of the water, pouring out the water. You don’t want to run that gritty water over the leeks again. Continue doing this several times until the water is clean. When the water is finally clean, dry the leeks by using the spinning option.

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Peel and chop the celery root into small chunks.

If you’ve never worked with celery root, here’s an easy way to prep it. Cut it in half. Place the celery root with the cut side down on a cutting board, to give you a flat surface. Using a knife, go all the way around the celery root, peeling off the tough outer layer.

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Wash the celery root and it’s ready to be chopped at this point.

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Sauté onion, leeks, celery and garlic in butter or oil for about 8-10 minutes, on medium heat, covered, until tender and slightly golden.

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You really want to get the vegetables to be soft and start to get slightly brown in spots, since this will give them a sweeter, roasted and more concentrated flavor.

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Add the celery root during the last 5 minutes of sautéing.

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Add the potatoes and broth. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer.

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Cook, covered, until potatoes are cooked through, about 15 more minutes.

Purée soup in two batches in a food processor until smooth.

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Return the soup to the pot and add the heavy cream, if you’re using it. The soup will be delicious without the cream, so you don’t have to add it if you don’t want to. I think it makes the soup more velvety and creamy, so I like to add it. Heat it through.

Serve the soup garnished with fresh herbs or the leafy celery tops. You can also garnish the soup with Croutons.