Potato Leek Soup Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What was Julia Child's favorite soup? ›

Let's test her vichyssoise recipe to find out! Soup was one of Julia Child's favorite things to eat, and reportedly, her absolute favorite was vichyssoise.

Why is my potato and leek soup bland? Although leeks are known for its powerful taste, your potato and leek soup can occasionally come out 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.

It's kind of like caramelising onions for French Onion Soup – except we don't take it as far. After that, just plonk the potatoes and stock in, simmer until the potato is literally crumbling (the softer they are, the less blending we have to do = better soup texture, no risk of “gluey soup”).

Potato leek soup is a classic, and so easy to make! To make this soup, cook chopped leeks in a little butter, then add diced potatoes, stock, and herbs. Bring it all to a simmer, and cook until the potatoes are done, about 20 minutes. Purée the soup using a blender to get a creamy consistency.

Child's last meal of French onion soup was actually prepared by someone else; though, The Los Angeles Times reported when the news of her death broke. Though Child was in her own home when it happened, her assistant Stephanie Hersh was the one who had cooked the French onion soup.

Cornstarch. Cornstarch is a very effective thickener, and a little bit can go a long way.

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.

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.

Potato and Leek Soup: Simplicity at Its Best

You can garnish it with your favourite toppings like crispy bacon bits or have it with cheese and garlic bread – the list is endless. For the full dinner experience, it goes beautifully with sweet and earthy roast Dutch carrots, savoury grilled chicken and toasted bread.

Leeks are the mildest of the onion family and really shine when they're cooked, offering a lovely subtlety to dishes and a delicate, melty texture. Typically, the white and light green parts are consumed, while the dark green tops are left out, being full of fibers and hard to chew.

What was Julia Child's favorite meal? ›

Vichyssoise. Well-known as one of Julia Child's favorite dishes, this chilled leek and potato soup is startling in its simplicity. Aside from the leek, potato, and water, Child's version of the soup calls for barely any additional ingredients.

Dehillerin: The 19th Century Parisian Cookware Store Where Julia Child Was a Regular. Cooks ponder copper-lined pots and carbon knives outside E. Dehillerin.

A Reine de Saba cake is a French, rich, sophisticated, chocolate cake made with ground almonds, rum, meringue and of course chocolate. It's topped with a chocolate ganache and can be decorated with almond slices. It's said to be one of the first French cakes that Julia Child ever ate and fell in love with!

She used an exorbitant amount of butter — even later in life. According to PBS, Child used a whopping 753 pounds of butter during the time she filmed "Baking with Julia." That program aired for just four seasons, from 1996 through 1999, so that's a pretty impressive amount of dairy.