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Lunch · Dinner

Potato and Leek Soup (Potage Parmentier)

Leeks softened in butter, simmered with potatoes and stock, puréed and finished with cream. Escoffier topped it with butter-fried croutons.

⏱ 45 min (15 min prep, 30 min cooking) 🍽 Serves 6 · 1⅓ cups budgetfreezer friendlyleftovers vegetarian
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ContainsMilk, Wheat. Check the labels on what you buy; brands differ.

Ingredients

Make 6 servings

  • Soup

  • 2 Leek, white and light green parts, sliced and well rinsed
  • 2 tbsp Butter, unsalted
  • 2 lb Russet potatoes, peeled and cut in chunks
  • 4 cup Vegetable broth, or chicken broth
  • 1 cup Water
  • ½ cup Heavy cream, or whole milk
  • ½ tsp Table salt
  • ¼ tsp Ground black pepper (to taste)

  • Croutons

  • 3 slice Sandwich bread, white, cut in small cubes
  • 1 tbsp Butter, unsalted
  • 2 tbsp Fresh chives, snipped (optional)

Make it yourself

Make the butter yourself → Make the vegetable stock yourself → Make the sandwich bread yourself →

In the planner, Make it on the shopping list swaps the store item for these ingredients and puts the work on your prep day.

Nutrition

Nutrition coming: the USDA numbers for these ingredients are being added.

📜 Where it comes from

Auguste Escoffier (1846–1935), the Savoy (1890–1898) and Carlton (1899–1919) hotels, London.

A Guide to Modern Cookery (London: William Heinemann, 1907; the English edition of Le Guide culinaire, Paris, 1903), No. 658, p. 232: “Purée de Pommes de Terre, otherwise Parmentier”.

“Finely mince the white of two medium-sized leeks, and fry them without colouration in one oz. of butter. Add three medium-sized peeled and quartered potatoes, one pint of white consommé, and cook quickly.”

The original text, quoted as printed; it is in the public domain.

The name honors Antoine-Augustin Parmentier, the 18th-century French pharmacist who championed the potato in France. A cold, creamy version, vichyssoise, became famous at the Ritz-Carlton in New York under chef Louis Diat around 1917; his recipe is still under copyright, so this is Escoffier’s hot soup.

What we changed: We use vegetable or chicken broth for his white consommé and blend rather than rub the soup through a cloth sieve.

Escoffier did this work in London before Michelin gave out its first stars (1926), so no star ratings apply.

Internet Archive scan (Cornell University Library)Project Gutenberg textLe Guide culinaire, 1903 (Internet Archive)Auguste EscoffierVichyssoiseMore from the great kitchens →

Steps

You’ll need: large pot, blender, immersion blender or potato masher, skillet (for croutons).

  1. Melt the butter in the pot over medium-low heat. Cook the leeks, stirring, until soft but not browned, about 8 minutes.
  2. Add the potatoes, broth and water. Bring to a boil, then simmer, partly covered, 15 to 20 minutes, until the potatoes fall apart when poked.
  3. Purée the soup in the pot with an immersion blender, or in batches in a blender with the lid vented and covered with a towel (hot liquid expands). For a rustic soup, mash it instead.
  4. Stir in the cream, bring just back to a simmer, and season with salt and pepper.
  5. For the croutons, fry the bread cubes in the butter in the skillet, stirring, until golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Serve the soup topped with croutons and chives.

🌡 Safe temperaturesLeftovers, reheated 165°F. Check the thickest part with a food thermometer (USDA). More on food safety.

Make aheadMake the soup up to 3 days ahead without the cream; add the cream when you reheat it.
❄️ FreezerFreeze without the cream up to 3 months (potato soups can turn a little grainy). Thaw in the fridge, reheat to 165°F, then add the cream.
↺ LeftoversRefrigerate within 2 hours; keeps 3 to 4 days. Reheat to 165°F.
🧒 With kidsKids can snip the chives with clean kitchen scissors.
Cold soup swapChill it, thin with a little more cream or milk, and serve cold with chives. Served cold this way, it is close to vichyssoise.
Escoffier style swapUse chicken broth, closer to the white consommé Escoffier used.
Gluten-free swapLeave off the croutons or use gluten-free bread.

Good to know

Cooking Fats Compared Salted vs. unsalted butter Stock vs. broth Heavy cream vs. half-and-half Table salt vs. kosher salt vs. sea salt Fresh vs. dried herbs Food Safety Basics

Our own adaptation of a public-domain recipe, in our own words. Nutrition is estimated from USDA FoodData Central and changes with brands and portions.