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Magical Leek Soup is a delicious and healthy soup made with leeks. Were you intrigued when watching the last season of "Emily in Paris" on Netflix? What is this Magical Leek Soup that Sylvie talks about? Is this a real thing?
Magical Leek Soup is not a new trend but a generations old weight management trick from French women. Leeks, of the onion family, are very good for you and also are a known diuretic.
Leek Soup Diet
Author Mireille Guiliano in her book "French Women don't get fat" writes about a weekend leek diet, or cleanse. She makes her magical leek soup and then eats the boiled leeks exclusively to "regain equilibrium". Really, I do think that "Emily in Paris" should have quoted Mme Guiliano when referencing the soup - she put it on the map!
I first read Mme Guiliano's book when I was living in France in my twenties and I used this technique several times over the years - it has come in handy! I admit I had forgotten about Magical Leek Soup until Emily in Paris reminded me. Now, 2 children and 10 years later it may be time to start eating more leeks...
Emily in Paris Magical Leek Soup
The original Magical Leek Soup is made with nothing but leeks and water. The recipe is super simple:
- Clean and chop 5 leeks.
2. Cover with water in a soup pot.
3. Simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Strain the broth to sip throughout the day (this is the magical leek soup!) and reserve the leeks to eat as a meal.
Definitely diet food. Delicious diet food, but diet food nonetheless. Hardly a dish I could serve to my husband or kids!
P.S. If you want another Emily in Paris Recipe you will enjoy my Kir Royale Cocktail Post
Le Chef's Wife Magical Leek Soup
Very similar to the original Magical Leek Soup but with the addition of potatoes. The potatoes make all the difference!
Add a few potatoes to the recipe and you will have a soup that is filling, creamy in texture and oh so satisfying while keeping all the wonderful benefits of the leeks. My Magical Leek Soup does not feel like diet food, it feels like comfort food. Much closer in taste and consistency to Vichyssoise Soup (a French Bistro classic) but without the cream, butter or chicken stock. Plus, my French Chef husband loves it too. Alors!
The addition of one star anise seed is a French Chef trick that adds a certain je ne sais quoi to the soup. A delicious tanginess that elevates the dish.
Did you know that Vichyssoise was apparently Julia Child's favorite soup? Another reason why I feel connected to Julia Child. You can read about my recent tour of her Georgetown row house here.
FAQS about Leeks
Magical Leek Soup is a broth made from boiling leeks in water. It is a mild diuretic and a secret diet food for French women for generations. The practice, as written by Mireille Guiliano in her book, "French women don't get fat" is to sip the broth throughout the day and eat the boiled leeks as the meal. A leek cleanse that is actually rather tasty!
My recipe is very similar but with a few added ingredients that make the Magical Leek Soup taste more like comfort food than diet food. A few potatoes. Star anise seed for a delicious tang to the broth. A few sautéed leeks as a garnish. This magical leek soup could be served at a dinner party.
Le Chef's Wife Magical Leek Soup is closer in flavor to a Vichyssoise soup, but without the butter, cream or chicken stock.
Le Chef's Wife Magical Leek Soup is also a vegan and gluten free recipe.
Leeks can be intimidating. It is not easy to get all the sand and grit out if you don't know the tricks of the trade. Here is how to clean leeks like a French Chef.
1. Cut off the dark green tops of the leek (chop where you see a hint of light green turn into dark green)
2. Cut off the bottom (the roots)
3. Peel off the top layer of the leek
3. Quarter the top of the leek making two opposite incisions to halfway down the top of the stalk
4. Place the leek upside down in a container of ice cold water.
5. Swirl it about and then let it sit for a few minutes.
The leek will fan open and all the dirt and sand will be released. Now the leek is ready to cook. Bon Appétit!
Most grocery stores will carry them in the fresh produce section. Look next to the celery and the fennel. Trader Joes sells them already washed and trimmed in bags.
They look like a huge green onion. Leeks are of the onion family but they have a much sweeter and nuttier taste than most onions. Sautée sliced leeks in a little olive oil and they are surprising. Add some cream and they literally melt in your mouth. Miam!
Author Mireille Guiliano in her book "French Women don't get fat" writes about a weekend leek diet, or cleanse. She makes her magical leek soup and then eats the boiled leeks exclusively for a weekend to "regain equilibrium". Really, I do think that "Emily in Paris" should have quoted Mme Guiliano when referencing the soup - she put it on the map!
When devising a marketing campaign for leeks, Emily evokes Magical Leek Soup which is a broth made from boiling leeks in water. It is a mild diuretic and a secret diet food for French women for generations.
Soup Sunday Challenge
Magical Leek Soup is the first recipe of the 8 week Soup Sunday Challenge. The goal is to eat better, one pot of homemade soup per week at a time. One small change that can have an impact on how you, and your family, eat. The ultimate French woman healthy eating trick.
Come and make soup with me! What soup are you cooking this weekend?
Other Le Chef's Wife Recipes you will enjoy
Fancy Cream of Cauliflower Soup
Healthy Potage aux Légumes - French Vegetable Soup
Le Chef's French Onion Soup Gratinée
La Poule au Pot - the easiest way to cook a whole chicken
Au plaisir,
Le Chef's Wife
About Le Chef's Wife
Bonjour! I am Anina Belle. I translate the fancy cooking of my Michelin-star trained French Chef Husband, Le Chef, into easy to make dishes that busy people with no culinary training (like me!) can make at home. We have two young kids (5 and 2) and I have a full time job in hospitality in addition to this blog. I strongly believe that even busy people deserve to eat well at home.
I share our home cooking on Instagram, pinterest and tiktok. Sign up for my newsletter to be the first to receive my new recipes and have advance access to cooking classes. I look forward to cooking with you!
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Magical Leek Soup
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 40
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: french
- Cuisine: French
Description
Magical Leek Soup - the French woman's diet secret, as referenced in "Emily in Paris". Le Chef's Wife twist on the recipe is delicious and family friendly. It tastes like comfort food yet is incredibly healthy for you. Vegan and gluten free. Tasty and pretty enough to be served at a dinner party.
Ingredients
- 6 leeks (5 for the soup, 1 for the garnish)
- 3 medium sized potatoes (yukon gold preferrably)
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 tbsp of olive oil
- 1 star anise seed
- ½ tsp of fleur de sel (French gray rock salt)
- 8 Cups of Water
Instructions
- Peel, clean and chop the leeks - discarding the dark green tops. 5 of the leeks can be chopped in big pieces, 1 leek, the leek you will use for the garnish, should be chopped in fine half rounds.
- Peel and quarter the potatoes.
- Heat the olive oil into a soup pot on medium heat.
- Add the garlic and the leeks for soup (the 5 leeks).
- Sautée the leeks for 5 minutes until they start to become translucent. Stir frequently, you don't want them to burn.
- Add the fleur de sel.
- Pour in 8 cups of water and add the anise seed the potatoes.
- Allow to simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until the potatoes are soft.
- Taste the broth - add an additional pinch of salt or pepper if needed.
- *Remove the star anise seed from the broth - you do NOT want to mix the star anise with the immersion blender!*
- Mix the soup with the immersion blender.
- (note you can add an additional 2 cups of water, 1 cup at a time, only if needed. The consistency should be thick but still soup like).
- For the garnish:
- Drizzle ½ tablespoon of olive oil in frying pan over medium heat.
- Add the finely chopped leek you reserved for the garnish and a pinch of fleur de sel.
- Stir frequently and allow to cook for 10 minutes. Add ¼ cup of water halfway through to steam the leeks. Careful not to let burn! If the leeks begin to stick to the pan and get dark brown, add a little more water and bring the heat down.
- Once the leeks are translucent and soft they are done. Taste them sautéed leeks are deliciously nutty and a little sweet! Add a little more salt to taste (if needed).
To serve:
Spoon the Magical Leek Soup into a bowl. Top with a tablespoon of the sautéed leeks. Voilà! A restaurant worthy meal that is filling and comforting but also incredibly good for you!
Bon Appétit,
Le Chef's Wife
Notes
How to clean leeks:
Leeks can be intimidating. It is not easy to get all the sand and grit out if you don't know the tricks of the trade. Here is how to clean leeks like a French Chef.
1. Cut off the dark green tops of the leek (chop where you see a hint of light green turn into dark green)
2. Cut off the bottom (the roots)
3. Peel off the top layer of the leek
3. Quarter the top of the leek making two opposite incisions to halfway down the top of the stalk
4. Place the leek upside down in a container of ice cold water.
5. Swirl it about and then let it sit for a few minutes.
The leek will fan open and all the dirt and sand will be released. Now the leek is ready to cook. Bon Appétit!
Lillian H says
Hi. Thanks for the recipe as leeks and water by themselves don’t sound too appetizing. I made this soup today and substituted cauliflower for the potatoes and unsalted chicken broth for the water. The nutrition was like a perfect meal in and of itself (105 cals, 37% protein, 16% fat, and 48% carbs for 2 cups. I’m sure recipes may vary). The anise added a nice flavor, and in my opinion, the soup looked and tasted a little like miso soup. I skipped the garnish as I preferred a smooth, liquid texture. I will make this again as I am trying to slim down a bit and it seems to satisfy 🙂
Anina Belle Giannini says
Switching out the potatoes for cauliflower is a brilliant idea!! Well done!
I am so glad you are enjoying the recipe.
Puhh Watt. says
Enchanting, indeed!
Last night, I prepared this Magical Leek Soup, and it really does live up to its name. Comfort in a bowl was generated by the broth's opulent silkiness and the leeks' delicate sweetness. The outcome was an incredibly rich, subtle flavor, and I made sure to follow the recipe exactly, even down to the easy step of cooking the leeks slowly.
I adored how the soup's delicate vegetable undertones were accentuated by a dash of cream. Finished with a dash of fresh chives and cracked black pepper, it was classy enough for a dinner party yet comfortable enough for a meal by yourself.
I now use this recipe whenever I want a refined yet calming dish. I appreciate you sharing this heartwarming classic.
Amelia says
I have never used star anise before. I would like to just ask for clarification of the quantity we should use this recipe, please. You show the full one star. The recipe ingredients say one star anise use seed. Are you referring to one full flower as the seed, or should we look for actual tiny seeds. I’m not sure if one full flower, as pictured in your photo of the ingredients would be too strong or if we should just break a piece or one pedal of the flower, or if we should look for star anise seeds. It sounds to be as though you are saying that we should put one full flower of the star anise to boil with the soup ingredients and then pull it out before we blend the soup. ope you won’t mind clarifying , since I’ve never cooked with this ingredient before. Thank you for your beautiful recipe and I’m looking forward to trying your others. Best regards.
Anina Belle Giannini says
Bonjour Amelia, You got it! Put the entire star anise in the pot as the leeks are cooking and then make sure to remove it before blending. Star anise is an excellent addition to soup broth - you will love it in chicken soup too! I recommend trying the Poule au Pot recipe as well. Bon Appétit!
Lisa Ann A Vento says
didn't want the carbs so i did the original with leeks and water but added a little chicken bullion...garlic and onion powder and Celtic salt...and served it on cauliflower puree and it's my favorite meal now!
Anina Belle Giannini says
I love to read this! You could actually substitute cauliflower for potato to make for a thicker soup that is also low carb if you wanted!
Whoops says
What if you accidentally left the star anise in the soup as blended…
Anina Belle Giannini says
uh oh... unfortunately the only way to save it is to push the soup through a very fine sieve...did you try that?
Rhiannon says
Hi, how many servings is this recipe? Thanks, Rhiannon 🙂
lechefswife says
Good evening Rhiannon, this recipe is for 6 servings. Enjoy the Magical Leek Soup!
Brianne Sposato says
Are these other soups duet friendly as well?
Thank you!
Brianne Sposato says
Diet****
lechefswife says
Thank you for your comment Brianne! Some soups are more diet friendly than others. I suggest trying the Minestrone and the Ratatouille soup on my blog. The cauliflower is delicious as well and can be made without cream. Bonne Appétit
Carrie says
Can this be frozen and defrosted for reheating in the microwave? It sounds ideal to make on the weekend and bring leftovers in to work throughout the week.
lechefswife says
Hello Carrie, Absolutely! This soup freezes beautifully! I always freeze a few portions of soup to enjoy on a day I don't feel like cooking.
Lynelle says
How do you use your green tops of the leeks?
lechefswife says
Bonjour Lynelle,
Thank you for your comment. I like to use the green tops to make soup stock and soup. Enjoy!
Donna says
Great recipe trying the butter squash next
lechefswife says
Thank you, Donna for your comment. I am so glad you enjoy the magical leek soup. Leeks are everywhere in the farmer's markets now 🙂 The Squash with crispy sage is a favorite too!
Ann Moser says
This was so easy to make and it tastes great!
lechefswife says
Thank you, Ann! Did you make it already? You are quick!