Leek soup

Leek soup

Leek and potato soup
Type	Soup
Place of origin	Numerous cuisines
Serving temperature	Usually hot
Main ingredients	Leeks, potatoes, stock or water.
Media: Leek soup

Leek soup is found in many cuisines. It is made from leeks and other vegetables simmered in water, stock, or broth. It often includes potatoes, in which case it may be called leek and potato soup. It may be thickened or enriched with milk, cream, butter, roux, egg-lemon, egg yolks, oatmeal, cheese, and so on.

It is usually served hot; chilled, it is the basis of vichyssoise.

Background

Leek soup is documented across Europe and beyond. A 1771 reference book lists the Italian porrata, "a leek-soup or pottage". A Scottish cook, Susanna MacIver, included leek soup in her 1782 Cookery and Pastry; a Welsh version, cawl cennin – "leek pottage or porridge" – is recorded in 1794; a German-English dictionary from 1796 refers to Lauchsuppe, "leek pottage". Maria Rundell's Domestic Cookery (1808) gives a recipe for "Scotch Leek Soup", thickened with oatmeal.

French leek and potato soup is called potage Parmentier (in honour of Antoine-Augustin Parmentier, who popularised potatoes in France) and soupe à la bonne femme. Elizabeth David (1984) talks of "every French housewife's potato and leek soup". Porrusalda is a Basque leek soup, typically using the same ingredients as the versions from elsewhere. In Spain it is sopa de puerros y patatas.

In Greek and Turkish cuisine, it is often thickened with an egg-lemon mixture (avgolomono or terbiye).

Contents

Leeks are common to all recipes. Some recipes use only the white part; others, both the white and the green. Potatoes are nearly ubiquitous. Other ingredients vary.

The examples and perspectives in this section deal primarily with US and Western Europe and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. You may improve this section, discuss the issue on the talk page, or create a new section, as appropriate. (October 2026) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

References

Sources

• Bailey, Nathan (1796). Dictionary English-German and German-English. Leipzig: Friedrich Frommann. OCLC 5894344299.
• Baretti, Joseph (1771). A Dictionary of the English and Italian Languages. London: W. Strahan and others. OCLC 612508227.
• Beard, James (1995). James Beard Cookbook. New York: Angle. ISBN 1-56649-325-0., Publication date Publisher:
• Beck, Simone; Louisette Bertholle; Julia Child (2012) [1961]. Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume One. London: Particular. ISBN 978-0-241-95339-6.
• Carrier, Robert (1963). Great Dishes of the World. New York: Random House. OCLC 847789515.
• Claiborne, Craig (1973). A Kitchen Primer. London: Penguin. ISBN 978-0-14-046172-5.
• David, Elizabeth (1986) [1984]. An Omelette and a Glass of Wine. London: Penguin. ISBN 978-0-14-046721-5.
• Escoffier, Auguste (1907). A Guide to Modern Cookery. London: Heinemann. OCLC 894114602.
• Grigson, Jane (1998). Jane Grigson's Vegetable Book. London: Penguin. ISBN 978-0-14-027323-6.
• Koehler, Jeff (2013). Spain. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. ISBN 9780811875011.
• MacIver, Susanna (1782). Cookery and Pastry. Edinburgh: MacIver. OCLC 562039304.
• Montagné, Prosper (1976). Larousse Gastronomique. London: Hamlyn. OCLC 1285641881.
• Ortega, Simone (1972). 1080 Recetas Cocina (in Spanish). Madrid: Ediciones del Prado. ISBN 9788420609461.
• Pépin, Jacques (2015). Jacques Pépin Heart & Soul in the Kitchen. New York: Harper Collins. ISBN 978-0-544-30198-6.
• Rundell, Maria (1808). A New System of Domestic Cookery. London: John Murray. OCLC 1409083075.
• Smith, Delia (1978). Delia Smith's Complete Cookery Course. London: BBC. ISBN 0-56-336286-3.
• Walters, John (1794). An English-Welsh Dictionary. London: Walters. OCLC 9806966237.

See also

• Cawl
• List of soups
• List of vegetable soups