Broccoli Leek Potato Soup (European Style)

This Broccoli Leek Potato Soup is made the European Style with chunks of delicious vegetables and an outstanding flavor. It’s a crowd-pleaser! Everyone will ask for seconds. Guaranteed.

If you like chunky soups, try the Chunky Potato Leek Soup with rice and cheese, Polish Mushroom Soup with Yukon Gold Potatoes, or this fantastic Brussels Sprouts Soup.

Author’s Notes on Broccoli Leek Potato Soup

You might be wondering why I said that this Broccoli Leek Potato Soup is made European Style. I grew up in Poland, and soup is part of the main course. It is the first course in every household, school, pre-school, work cafeteria, etc. The main characteristic of this soup is that it is served with chunks of vegetables. Very rarely will you find on the table soup that is blended, like this Cream of Mushroom Soup that was my favorite growing up; that would be an exception to the rule.

But it’s not just the Polish phenomenon. All across Europe, people eat more chunky soups than blended ones. I found it fascinating that people in the U.S. eat a lot of blended soups. I blend them for my kids, as they love them this way. But I would never eat, for instance, Dill Pickle Soup blended. However, I’ve seen the advice to blend it. 

For this Broccoli Potato Leek Soup, I blended a part of it to thicken it up, but this is optional, and you could make it as chunky or as creamy as you want. I will discuss later on different ways to thicken your broccoli potato soup.

Ingredients Needed to Make the Broccoli Leek Potato Soup

This is an overview of what you need to make this easy broccoli leek potato soup. For the exact measurements, please scroll down to the printable recipe card. 

To make the Broccoli Potato Leek soup, you will need:

Vegetables: as the name suggests, you will need broccoli, potatoes, and leeks. But in addition, you’ll need carrots and celery as they always make every soup better. Yellow potatoes work best for this soup. When buying leeks, look for the thick ones with the long white part (the white part is only what you will be using, so you want to find leeks with a lot of it). When buying broccoli, look for the ones with all the green florets. You want the broccoli to be as fresh as possible. Avoid the ones that are turning yellow and have dark spots.

Olive Oil or Butter: you can use olive oil or butter to saute your veggies. I must say that I love butter as it makes leeks taste sweet and yummy. However, this is a personal preference, and you can use whatever you like. The other good option would be ghee (which is clarified butter) or a good vegetable oil.

Broth and Seasoning: every soup will need salt, but instead, you could use a good quality chicken or vegetable broth that is already seasoned. I like to use Better than Boulion for all my soups as it gives them a ton of flavor. So I would add water and a tablespoon of two of the bullion.

Optional: heavy cream can be used if you want your soup to have a mild, creamy flavor (you can skip it for a vegan version). To make it thicker, use flour (skip it for the gluten-free version) or potato starch. But these are all optional, and I will show you below how to make your soup creamy and thick without any additions.

Finishes: fresh herbs always go a long way to enhance the flavor of any dish. This is also true for soups. For this broccoli potato leek soup, I like fresh parsley, but fresh dill would work well here, too. To add an extra flavor boost, I suggest squeezing a little lemon juice straight into the serving bowl and drizzling with extra virgin olive oil.

How to Make This Soup

This Broccoli Leek Potato soup is super easy to make. Below is an overview of the steps. For exact instructions, please scroll down to the printable recipe card.

Step 1: Prepare your vegetables. 

• Clean and chop your leeks. They tend to be pretty dirty. Cut off the green part, then split the leek in half alongside, and then separate the leek’s leaves in between your fingers and rinse each under the water, making sure that no sand is left. Then, chop them into small pieces;
• Peel and chop carrots;
• Clean and chop celery;
• Clean your broccoli, cut off the florets, and split them into smaller pieces; don’t discard the stems; peel them from the tough outer layer and then chop. Make sure you peel your stems well, as they are very fibrous. If you don’t, you may end up with unedible fibrous pieces. But these stems are delicious and add extra texture to the soup.

Step 2: Cook the soup.

• In a Dutch Oven or other pot with a lid, heat butter or olive oil;
• Add leeks and cook for a couple of minutes until soft and translucent;
• Add carrots and celery and cook for another couple of minutes;
• Add the broccoli stems and pour the stock or water; cover and cook for 20 minutes;
• After 20 minutes, add broccoli florets, bullion (if using), or salt and pepper; cover and cook for another 10-15 minutes until the broccoli florets are tender.
• Pour 1/3 of your soup into the blender and blend until smooth; add it back to the pot and mix;

Step 3: Finish up the soup.

• Chop fresh parsley or dill. 
• When serving, add fresh herbs, a squeeze of lemon, and a splash of olive oil to the serving bowl.
• Optional: add a splash of cream straight to the bowl and mix it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does this soup last? Can I freeze it? 

The soup can stay fresh in a fridge for up to 3 days or in a freezer for up to 3 months. 

What is the best way to thicken the soup?

It depends on what you want to achieve and your dietary restrictions. You can use flour or potato starch mixed with water and add it to the soup. But you can also take part of the soup, blend it in a blender, and add it back to the soup. The starch from potatoes will make it thick and creamy.

How do you make potato soup that doesn’t taste bland?

Good quality chicken or vegetable broth will do wonders. If you have a homemade chicken broth, that’s even better. To boost the flavor, use Better than Boulion. To finish up the soup, add fresh herbs. A squeeze of lemon juice will intensify all the flavors, and a drizzle of olive oil will make the soup taste irresistible.

Is frozen broccoli better than fresh for the soup?

Frozen broccoli will work as well as fresh ones, so by all means, use those if you have them in a freezer.

How to serve this broccoli soup

In Europe, people often eat soup as lunch or first course for dinner, accompanied by a roll or a piece of good quality bread. 

Other European Soups to Try

• Rosol – Polisch Chicken Soup
• Botwinka – Polish Young Beet Soup
• Hungarian Mushroom Soup
• Instant Pot Bean Soup with Spinach and Pesto
• Slow Cooker Cabbage Soup

Broccoli Leek Potato Soup

This Broccoli Leek Potato Soup is made the European Style with chunks of delicious vegetables and an outstanding flavor. It's a crowd-pleaser! Everyone will ask for seconds. Guaranteed.

 

5 from 5 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Soup

Cuisine: European

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

Calories: 176kcal

Author: Edyta

Ingredients

• 2 Leeks cleaned and chopped
• 2 Carrots medium, peeled and chopped
• 2 Celery stalks cleaned and chopped
• 4 Yellow Potatoes medium size, chopped
• 1 Head of Broccoli Florets cut off and split, stem peeled and chopped.
• 5 cups Chicken or Vegetable Broth or Water If using water, you may add 2 tablespoons of Better than Bouillon.
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp Parsley or Dill cleaned and chopped
• 5 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil optional to serve
• Lemon Juice squeeze, optional to serve

Instructions

Prepare your vegetables:

• Clean and chop your leeks. They tend to be pretty dirty. Cut off the green part, then split the leek in half alongside, and then separate the leek's leaves in between your fingers and rinse each under the water, making sure that no sand is left. Then, chop them into small pieces.
• Peel and chop carrots;
• Clean and chop the celery stalks;
• Peel and cube the potates;
• Clean your broccoli, cut off the florets, and split them into smaller pieces; don't discard the stems; peel them from the tough outer layer and then chop. Make sure you peel your stems well, as they are very fibrous. If you don't, you may end up with unedible fibrous pieces. But these stems are delicious and add extra texture to the soup.

Cooke the soup:

• In a Dutch Oven or other pot with a lid, heat butter or olive oil;
• Add leeks and cook for a couple of minutes until soft and translucent;
• Add carrots and celery and cook for another couple of minutes;
• Add cubed potates;
• Add the broccoli stems and pour the stock or water; cover and cook for 20 minutes;
• After 20 minutes, add broccoli florets, bullion (if using), or salt and pepper; cover and cook for another 10-15 minutes until the broccoli florets are tender.

Finish up the soup:

• Pour 1/3 of your soup into the blender and blend until smooth; add it back to the pot and mix;
• Chop fresh parsley or dill;
• When serving, add fresh herbs, a squeeze of lemon, and a splash of olive oil to the serving bowl;
• Optional: add a splash of cream straight to the bowl and mix it. 

Notes

How long does this soup last? Can I freeze it? 

The soup can stay fresh in a fridge for up to 3 days or in a freezer for up to 3 months. 

What is the best way to thicken the soup?

It depends on what you want to achieve and your dietary restrictions. You can use flour or potato starch mixed with water and add it to the soup. But you can also take part of the soup, blend it in a blender, and add it back to the soup. The starch from potatoes will make it thick and creamy.

How do you make potato soup that doesn't taste bland?

Good quality chicken or vegetable broth will do wonders. If you have a homemade chicken broth, that's even better. To boost the flavor, use Better than Boulion. To finish up the soup, add fresh herbs. A squeeze of lemon juice will intensify all the flavors, and a drizzle of olive oil will make the soup taste irresistible.

Is frozen broccoli better than fresh for the soup?

Frozen broccoli will work as well as fresh ones, so by all means, use those if you have them in a freezer.

How to serve this broccoli soup

In Europe, people often eat soup as lunch or first course for dinner, accompanied by a roll or a piece of good quality bread. 

 

Nutrition

Calories: 176kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 782mg | Potassium: 485mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 4645IU | Vitamin C: 97mg | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 2mg

Tried this recipe?Show me @eatingeuropean or tag #eatingeuropean!