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Potage aux Legumes (Rustic French Vegetable Soup) 780 | Umami Girl
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5 from 3 votes

Potage aux Legumes (Rustic French Vegetable Soup)

This simple soup is far greater than the sum of its parts. It makes a nice big batch that keeps well for a week in the fridge and, like the rest of us, even improves with a night’s rest.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Soups
Cuisine: French
Keyword: french vegetable soup, potage aux legumes
Calories: 350kcal
Author: Carolyn Gratzer Cope

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds (908 grams) potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 1 pound (454 grams) yellow onions, peeled and diced
  • 1 pound (454 grams) carrots, peeled and diced
  • 8 cups 1(900 ml) good lower-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 tablespoon fine sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 2 to 3 sprigs fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried
  • 2 dried bay leaves
  • ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream OR ¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
  • Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon

Instructions

  • To a heavy 5-quart pot, add the potatoes, onions, carrots, broth, salt, pepper, nutmeg, thyme, and bay leaves.
  • Bring to a boil over high heat.
  • Cover and reduce heat to maintain a brisk simmer.
  • Simmer, stirring occasionally, until all vegetables are very tender, about an hour depending on size.
  • Remove thyme stems and bay leaves.
  • Pass soup through a food mill with a medium disc attached. Almost all of the solids should go through. (Or use a stick blender or regular blender for a less rustic texture.) 
  • Stir in cream or olive oil.
  • Return to pot and reheat.
  • Stir in lemon juice and serve. 

Notes

  1. You can use either gold-fleshed (e.g. Yukon Gold) or starchy (e.g. russet or Idaho) potatoes, whichever you have on hand.
  2. If you're using vegetable broth, be sure to pick a good one. My favorite by far is this one, since it has a similar flavor profile to chicken broth and works very well in soup. If you're not concerned about making the soup vegetarian, use a good chicken broth. Homemade stock is always a great option, too.
  3. This is a very flexible recipe that adapts well to your dietary preferences and the contents of your fridge. As long as you keep the ratios about the same, things should turn out well.
  4. Some easy substitutions: Swap in a different broth or stock, change up the alliums (think leeks, shallots, or a different onion variety), use herbes de Provence instead of thyme, try cashew cream instead of the cream or olive oil — but really the sky's the limit.
  5. Some easy additions: Turnip, parsnip, celery root, Jerusalem artichoke, or sweet potato (sub in for up to half of the potato); a pound of celery (just go ahead and add it); 8 cloves garlic; ¼ to ½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper for a background note of gentle heat — and so many more.
  6. I like the extreme simplicity of throwing everything into the pot and cranking up the heat. But to develop the flavors more, you can start by heating two tablespoons of butter or olive oil and sautéing the onion and carrot until lightly browned. Then add the rest of the ingredients (minus the cream and lemon juice) and proceed as directed, scraping up any browned bits. Alternatively, you can roast the potatoes, carrots, and onions at 400°F until tender and lightly caramelized before adding them to the pot.
  7. As with many soups, the flavors only improve over time. This recipe makes a nice big batch that keeps well in an airtight container (or right in the pot) in the fridge for a week — so make it anytime. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.

Nutrition

Calories: 350kcal | Carbohydrates: 48.7g | Protein: 5.4g | Fat: 15.8g | Fiber: 8.4g