French Spring Soup

This was a great recipe. The only change I made was to the liquid. I used 50% chicken broth and 50% water. My guests would not stop eating it. Next time just this soup, bread and a jug of wine will be a hit. We loved it. Prep is everything. We made the soup up to the point prior to adding the cream and spinach. When the guests arrived and the time was right, we added the cream and spinach while re-heating, and served it. Wow...a hit. Thanks

I give this 4 stars only because 5 stars is the ultimate. I do really like this soup though. I was unable to resist adding a clove of garlic when sauteing the vegetables and also threw in some sliced mushrooms. Like the other reviewer, I used chicken stock for 1/2 the liquid. Replacing the heavy cream with half-and-half didn't hurt the flavor at all. (Have to cut a few calories where you can.) I had never cooked with Leeks before and was a bit concerned about having an over-powering oniony flavor. Thats not a problem with this recipe. After simmering for 30 minutes, the many flavors combine and mellow nicely. I'll make this again.

I've made the soup twice and guests liked it very much. It has a lovely fresh flavor. I used water only and that worked fine for me. I'll certainly make it again. (I'd say the recipe serves six at most when you serve it with salad and bread only.)

I don't believe this just has 4 stars. I've been on a soup kick this year and I've made some really great, great soups from this site and this is one of them - it may be our favorite. I followed the recipe only making the change of substituting chicken broth for the water and used really fresh veggies. Mmmmmmm -I can still taste the freshness of this soup. Thanks submitter - I will be making this often during the summer when I can buy fresh, locally grown vegetables.

Definately add broth instead of water. Added garlic and mushrooms. Also fresh herbs such as tarragon, a little basil, thyme, etc. -need for flavor. I used vadilia onion instead of leaks and added a little red bell pepper for color. My husband and daughter liked it. Also used the fat free evaporated milk. Just ate leftovers for lunch -- good healthy & light

I made the recipe and found it to be bland. My boyfriend agreed. I used concentrated chicken stock to give it some body which made a huge difference and then it was delicious. Loblaws in Ontario has an amazing chicken stock called fresh concentrated chicken stock and its great-like homemade. Oh I did use milk as well instead of cream. I always do that and it always works out.

This soup is amazing! And I'm terrible at cooking soups. Made a few modifications, like adding garlic to the onions & leeks. Used whole wheat couscous instead of rice as I didn't have any rice. And really wished I would have chopped up my spinach cause the leaves are very large and tend to clump together. But amazing all around!

This was very good. Like nice restaurant quality. My husband said it was out of this world. He's never said that before. I too used 1/2 chicken broth and 1/2 water, 3 cloves of garlic minced, and some sliced mushrooms. oh yeah

Wanted to use some fresh asparagus that was given to me by a friend. Asparagus is not on my husband's favorite list. Coming across this recipe in my search, I thought it might work. It did. My husband thought it was very good. Of course I didn't have all of the ingredients. I didn't have leeks or spinach. I added fresh chives from the garden with the cream. I happen to have cream, but next time I think I will try EVAPORATED MILK as another reviewer said. I think the CREAM OF ASPARAGUS SOUP idea also sounds good, but that might be pushing it with my husband. If you like your soup thicker, there is a Reduced Fat Potato Soup found on this site that uses a package of orignal COUNTRY STYLE GRAVY MIX. It thickens potato soup real well that you may even have to add either a little milk or water to desired consistency. I do like creamed soups. I may try adding CHEESE also. There are so many possiblities. I also had to use instant brown rice. Ten minutes is long enough to cook the vegetables in this recipe as long as they are diced small, and it isn't going to hurt the rice if it is cooked longer than ten minutes. I agree that more rice could be used if desired as other reviewers stated. Very good recipe Luanne.

Wonderful! Used homemade chicken stock in lieu of water. Really yummy!

This was an excellent soup! It's freezing rain and snow here as I write this, and craving a warm soup loaded with veggies fit the bill! Just a couple of changes. I used low-sodium broth in leu of water, I did not add the rice, and pureed about half of the broth/veggie mix in the blender before adding the spinach and cream. Absolutely delicious! Thanks for a nice recipe!

Man is this good. I just had surgery and my mom made this(sauce the recipe on the fridge) Hit the spot. She said she made as is but admitted to adding a little garlic powder. I Think it was even better the next day. Makes alot of soup and it is hearty!

Wow! My Italian husband who was disappointed that I wasn't making a minestrone just said this is one of the best soups I have ever made. I made a few slight changes: Added 2 cloves garlic, added fresh thyme, added a vegetable bouillon cube, added a few shakes of pepper, and used half and half in place of heavy cream. Outstanding recipe!

Decent but overrated! I followed the recipe precisely, and the soup turned out very bland with mushy potatoes. The cream seems like an unnecessarily unhealthy ingredient; perhaps a healthier replacement would improve the recipe. When reheating leftovers, I added vegetable bouillon cubes which resulted in a much tastier soup. However, I will not be making this recipe again.

I also used chicken broth in place of 1/2 the water. Because of that I added only 1 tsp of salt. It was very yummy and fresh tasting. I also added evaporated milk instead of cream (because that is what I had. Very Yummy Potato soup, with extra veggies.!!

A really fine soup woth a wonderful fresh taste: it is really a potage parmentier with some asparagus, carrot, and spinach added. You can vary the proportions depending on which flavor you want to be dominant. I find it doesn't need any rice because the potatoes add enough starch, and although the heavy cream tastes nice, most of us are better off with something less fatty and caloric. Personally I just like to intensify the veggie flavors by adding garlic and parsley. But it's a great recipe and I've had lots of fun with it this spring. Thank you Papergoddess.

This was an absolutely delicious soup and a breeze to make. I followed the recipe pretty closely but added some black pepper. Both my husband and I loved it well enough for a repeat performance.

Dang! This soup was fantastic, did the chicken broth switch and used alot more spinach. Next time I make this i thing im going to use some chicken or maybe some ham... mmmm ham ;)

Stock is a necessity. Also pepper and herb seasoning salt. This was delicious and easy. Great for impressing company.

Delicious, I used 1/2 water and 1/2 chicken broth and decreased my salt to 2 teaspoons.

I made this soup last night for dinner with a salad and rolls. I'v made it for years, but I use chicken stock inplace of the water. I also add garlic and fresh parsley. I have never used heavy cream, I use a mixture of 1/2 & 1/2 and milk. Last night I used kale in place of the spinach, it's all I had on hand.

This is a great recipe, and very flexible. I halved the recipe, doubled the onion because I did not have any leeks, added three cloves of roasted garlic, replaced asparagus with green beans(again, what I had on hand), used broth in place of the water(and reduced the salt to compensate), and had to use whole milk in place of cream. Even with all these changes it was delicious and I will be making this soup often. I'm sure as written is great too, and will hopefully try it that way when I make it next. Just wanted to say it's very versatile and thanks for sharing this recipe!

Delicious! I made a low-carb version without the rice or potatoes, and just used extra asparagus and carrots instead. I added some veggie bouillon cubes and garlic.

LOVED this soup! So did everyone else who tried it. I did only use milk instead of cream. I also substituted the butter for some margarine and water. I added garlic, mushrooms and some chicken bouillon cubes. Will be making again. Thanks for the great recipe!

Delightful soup. Helped use up good groceries before going out of town for Mothers Day weekend. Vegatable stock in freezer was the base, used less than 1/2 tsp of salt, but added 2 cloves of garlic when sweating the onions. Added a drop of Red Hot & a sprinkle of Montreal Chix seasoning just before serving. Used about 1/4 cup of 1/2 & 1/2--just enough to for a light finish.

Great soup on this beautiful Spring day. After reading other reviews, I too, used chicken broth (3 cans plus about 1 cup of concentrated stock I made myself) along with 2 cups of water. I added 2 teaspoons of jarred minced garlic to the leek and onion sautee. Followed the rest of the recipe as written until the end where I used half and half rather than heavy cream and added a few sprigs of fresh rosemary and a fresh bayleaf. I also added some leftover cooked chicken. Can't say this was lacking flavor at all. Will make this again.

Delicious soup! I was worried there wouldn't be enough flavor, but it was to die for - the way it's prepared really brought out the flavors of the fresh veggies. I substituted vegetable broth for the water, and added 2 cloves of minced garlic but otherwise I left the recipe alone. I will make this again and again!

This was YUMMY! I made a couple of changes as other users did: 16 oz of water and 16 oz of chicken broth. I added 3 large cloves of garlic and chopped the spinach prior to adding it. I allowed it to simmer to close to 40 minutes then added the cream and spinach. I added a loaf of Rosemary herb bread on the side and it was to die for. This one will be made again and again. We froze the leftovers, hoping they are as good the second time around! BRAVO!

Has a very fresh and light spring taste. I added the potatoes, cooked for ten minutes, then added the carrots, asparagus and rice so as to not over cook the asparagus. I used half and half water and chicken broth and no extra salt. My fiance loved this with fresh baked bread!

Great soup. The only thing I did different was that I added Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base to the water. If you do this, you will need to cut back on the salt or even omit it.

Delicious light soup! I made the recipe as written except i did not add potato (personal prefference) and used half and half. I normally make awful soups so when I find a recipe that tastes awesome and is healthy....Im a happy girl! Thanks for a great recipe!

I had high hopes for this recipe. I had leeks and asparagus to use up, and instead of the regular cream of asparagus soup, I tried this, since it sounded different and had the potential for being nice and tasty. Unfortunately, this was extremely bland, with minimal flavor, even though I followed the recipe exactly (unusual for me). I am still at a loss for how to "fix" this, so will probably not make this again. It is probably a very good soup, true to its roots, but just not our cup of tea. Sorry -

Oh my gosh, so delicious. The only thing I changed was fat free half and half for the heavy cream, and olive oil in place of the butter (to save few cal's). Thanks Papergoddess for such a simple and tasty recipe.

I really enjoyed this recipe, however I made a two changes, first, I didn't have asparagus, so I used Kale instead and in place of the spinach. Second, instead of heavy cream I used Kefir (original flavor, cultured milk smoothie). It came out very good and full of flavor.

This recipe makes a colorful bowl of soup, but it's just not that flavorful. As suggested by others, I used chicken broth in place of the water and added some garlic. After tasting it, I added a Fines Herbes blend (thyme, oregano, sage, rosemary, parsley). The soup did not thicken despite having both potatoes and rice. I would recommend using just one starch, potatoes, and adding extra potatoes to thicken if possible. I did not add the full half pound of spinach...I just stopped when it seemed about right. This makes a large pot of soup, and unfortunately, no one is too excited about the leftovers.

I made this using watercress instead of spinach, and light chicken broth instead of water. I also reduced the salt to 1 teaspoon, and added about a cup of diced smoked ham, and a teaspoon of red chili flakes for a touch of spice. The resulting soup was more hearty than the original recipe, and served with hot bread, was substantial enough to be a meal in itself, yet not heavy on the digestion. Delicious!

YUMMM! I too subbed low fat chicken broth for water, skipped the rice and added zucchini since I had some. I also subbed fat free half and half for the cream to reduce the fat content. VERY VERY GOOD ! Will definitely make again. thank you

This is very nice to make when asparagus is in season; however, I am not a big fan of creamy soups, and I just couldn't stomach the idea of the heavy cream. I substituted a can of Cream of Asparagus soup for the cream and some chicken broth for some of the water. We thought it had very good flavor when made this way.

I would give this three and a half stars if I could. It's good - tastes very light and fresh.

i used chicken stock instead of water and half and half instead of heavy cream. This is a yummy soup!!

this is my favorite soup now! I didn't follow the recipe exactly though, I used chicken broth instead of water and only put enough to cover the vegetables in the pan. LOVE IT!

This turned out to be an excellent soup although I ended up changing it up according to what I had on hand and to my tastes. Here's what I did: I didn't have the asparagus so I chopped up 3 celery heart sticks and added a huge clove of minced elephant garlic. I fried it and the carrots with the leeks and onions. Since we're "mostly vegan" I didn't have butter and cream, but I had some gee(clarified butter) left from some Indian recipe I did and I used a thick coconut cream that doesn't have a coconut flavour. I used brown rice, less salt, added fresh sprigs of thyme and rosemary, and fresh black pepper(I tied the herbs and pulled them out before eating). I used chopped frozen spring spinach and put in a 1/2 cup of corn that I had leftover from dinner the night before. Like with most recipes, I used this one as a jumping off point and made it my own the result was fabulous!

I love this soup! Sometimes I cut the butter to 1 Tablespoon and use a can of cut green beans instead of the asparagus and use milk instead of the heavy cream and it is still delicious and low cal!

I just made this soup for the first time and it was amazing. Creamy without feeling heavy, it really hit the spot. Like other reviewers, I mixed 1/2 water and 1/2 chicken broth for the liquid element. You could easily use all chicken broth or vegetable broth to the same effect. Delicious!

I thought this was pretty good! A great way to get your veggies! I also added a can of garbonzo beans for some protien and used brown rice. I used all water, but then a couple cubes of chicken boullion and only needed to add 2t salt. Yummy.

This is a wonderful soup. My office raved, especially as the aroma wafted from my microwaved daily ration. I did substitute half-n-half for the heavy cream (and wonder if fat-free evap milk might work as well...). I also wonder if other veggies could work (zuchini? corn? peas?) Just don't omit the leeks .... they are, I suspect, the secret to the fabulous smell and taste. I was also intrigued by the fact that no seasoning, other than salt, appears in this recipe ... it's all veggie taste! Fabulous!!

Made this soup last night. Nice flavor but seemed to be missing something, not sure what. Recipe makes a lot and probably doesn't freeze well with potatoes in it. I may or may not make it again, haven't decided.

pretty good.. very elegant. doesn't keep very well as leftovers, though.

DELICIOUS! Sooooo good with no more seasoning added. The perfect word to describe it is fresh. I was a little sceptical, but its delicious. I halved the recipe and used fat free evaporated milk rather than cream. Will definately make many more times!!

This was simply delicious ! I try not to change recipes too much, but knowing our tastes... I had to substitute the water for homemade chicken broth. I also added 3 garlic cloves, minced and 1 extra bunch of asparagus (we love it). Also, julienned a sweet red pepper for a beautiful "pop" of color. I made a double batch to freeze some for later, as I knew it would be a hit. topped with fresh grated cheddar & served with warm crusty bread. Decadent :)

I liked the variety of vegetables in this soup which made it sound healthy (if you don't look at the butter and heavy cream!) When I tasted it after it had cooked it definately needed some more flavoring, so I added chicken stock granules. Next time I make it I will use some stock cubes at the beginning and cut the salt.

I put the soup together in about 30 minutes. It cooked for about 45 minutes after my prep. I used canned asparagus and omitted the carrots. I also doubled the rice. Served with some parmesan cheese on top and am eating it for lunch right now.

Excellent soup! The only thing I would suggest is to add the asparagus when you add the spinach.

I've made this many times. A great soup recipe. The only thing I change is I use a can of asparagus instead of fresh.

Seemed very bland - I replaced half of the water with chicken stock, added about a half tsp of freshly shredded ginger, 1/2 tsp of tarragon and planed a half clove of garlic into it, also added pepper. Earlier reviews say this gets more flavorful after it sits, so we'll see if I overdid it.

wonderful spring time soup! rich and creamy!

This was delicious! The neighbours and severl friends have asked for the recipe. Living in algeria where aspargus isnt produced I had to improvise and used fresh garden peas and a tiny bit of bottled asparagus. The only thing I will change is the rice....I think having potatoes and rice in the same soup is a bit much....Thank you for such a good recipe!!

I used margarine at first but it was very bland so I added butter. It was really bland still, I even used chicken broth. I felt like I added a lot of salt, but once I added the spinach and cream, it was terrific:)

This is a restaurant quality soup. My boys don't like asparagus, so I substituted fresh green beans. It was excellent.

This is a great recipe. I have been using it for years. Word for word, from the NY Times cook book. It has been a staple in my house. For it ease and the beautiful aroma the soup breings to the house on cool spring day. The only thing I've changed was to add Veggi Cubes to the plain water, and at times use wild rice.

Great combo-- Rather than garlic or mushrooms I added bayleaf(very French) and I had arborio rice on hand and of course the broth for flavor-- thanks for a great soup recipe!

Fantastic soup. Like others, I switched out the water for chicken stock. The blend of flavors was subtle and balanced and so flavorful that I did not add any salt...it didn't need it. Making it again tonight.

Wow! We loved this! I did use only chicken stock and no water. I also added cut up cooked chicken tenders. I added grated fresh garlic in with the onions and leeks. I used half and half instead of cream. I also added several seasonings-salt, white pepper, Red Robin seasoning, garlic powder, and lemon pepper. I also added a few dashes of hot sauce. I didn't alter the veggies that I used. I used exactly what was written. I only subbed baby carrots as the grocery didn't have any big ones. I also used more rice than recommended. It made the soup thicker. I was awesome though, I must say. I made Italian bread to go with it. from this site (Italian Bread Using the Bread Machine). Everything was yummy and I felt good about eating all of those veggies! Leeks are one of the healthies things you can eat! We will be eating this at least once a month! thanks.

Fresh and Fabulous. Will make again.

This is a very good, nourishing soup, and worth all the chopping. Even though it lacks a meat, my husband just loves it! I too followed the 1/2 chicken broth and 1/2 water combo and added about a tsp. of white pepper. Wonderful! Thank you!

Both my meat-lover boyfriend and I loved this light but complex veggie soup. The asparagus and spinach make a delicious combination and the potatoes make it hearty. Following the suggestions here I used a combination of chicken and vegetable broth instead of the water. I added the cream at the end, and I think it certainly adds another layer to this soup so I wouldn't skip it. Also sprinkled it generously with cheese. Will get a nice crusty bread for the leftovers for tomorrow. Next time I make this I think I'll up the rice a bit so that it's noticable. With these changes it is an amazing restaurant quality recipe.

This recipe deserves its 5 stars. As several point out, it is better to use broth or stock. It enriches the recipe. In fact I tried it with half water and half broth and it came out fabulous. Please if you think heavy cream is not your deal, the other options suggested such as evaporated milk and half and half will work just as good but with slightly different results in texture. Use whichever you feel you would be more agreeable with rather than giving a bad review to a recipe that is excellent. If you have too many qualms about calories,fat and cream STAY AWAY FROM FRENCH FOOD and don't trash it for that. French food has all those elements in it and that is what makes it French besides techniques. There are plenty of substitutions for the "greasy" ingredients of the French cuisine, try them and suit the recipe to your taste. It is possible to make French food "lighter" there are plenty of books on the matter, but nothing like trying it as is and then changing it. French food is not for anybody who feels guilt for the fact of eating.

Half my family liked this and the other half didn't. Most didn't like it because of the cream broth. I did like this. The flavor blended well. It was a great way to get the veggies in.

After reading some of the other reviews, I subbed chicken broth for the water, to reduce the fat, I subbed half and half for the cream. Otherwise I followed the recipe exactly as written, and it was a winner...really very delicious. I tasted like a restaurant-quality dish and looked with it as well when garnished with grated cheese and a sprinkle of fresh herbs. My fiancee and children loved it too. Definitely a keeper!

This is a fabulous soup! Add some whole grain brown rice for a hutritional bonus. I prefer stock in place water.

YUM!!! This is a great soup recipe! I added a little garlic and black pepper, and I also had to use broccoli instead of asparagus since that is what I had. Fantastic!

This is my favorite soup of all time. I believe it's the cream that gives the soup its unique flavor. I cannot get enough, and I am thrilled that my birthday is in Spring so I can enjoy this dish as a birthday lunch or dinner (or both).

I liked this soup and it seems very healthy. I used more potato and skipped the rice. I blended the soup before adding the asparagus and spinach. I also feared it'd be blanded based on the reviews but I went overboard and put too much thyme in. I think next time I'll stick with salt and pepper because there are lots of different flavors from coming from the numerous veggies. I froze some will blend it all again once defrosted (as seen from a previous review) and might add some parmesan cheese.

Delicious! I only made a few changes, just added some fresh-minced garlic to the onions and leeks, and once they were translucent, I added a heaping Tbsp of Ultragrain (Eagle Mills Brand) flour. Instead of water, used 1 qt of organic mushroom broth and 1 qt of organic veggie broth. Used a 1/2 cup of uncooked long-grain brown rice instead of 1/3 of white. We ate it with multigrain ciabatta rolls. Yum! Really rich if you make with cream. Next time, may just try soymilk, as the dairy can be a problem for us & our digestive systems. Loved the spinach in it! We just ate the last two bowls and it was even better (made it a few days ago) with time.

This was very good and I will make it again; however, if you look at the ingredients there is no seasoning other than some salt. It was very very bland (and I had even replaced half the water with chicken broth). I suggest, at the very least, adding garlic, lots and lots of pepper, and more salt at the end. I also added the juice of half a lemon. For me, topping it with some grated parmesan made it. UPDATE: Leftovers did not freeze well. The cream separated, the potatoes took on a weird texture, etc. Put it in the blender and it came out like a thick creamy soup, almost like split pea soup... and now I think I like it even better than the original!!

This was great. I used baby spinach and I think next time I will give it a quick chop so that it is more in proportion to the rest of the soup. I'll also cut the asparagus a little smaller. I would love to know if this would work with evaporated skim milk or something of the sort to cut out that evil cream! If anyone tries it, please post the results!

Yum! A vegetarian's dream. It's a very good use of the spring veggies.I followed the recipe exactly except for substituting half and half. If you are veg, but don't do dairy, rice milk would probably be okay. The potatoes help keep it thick. Enjoy!

I quite liked this. It was quick & easy to make. I didn't add any asparagus and reduced the salt to 1 teaspoon as 4 teaspoons would have been way too much. Next time I will add some extra rice as it kind of got lost in the liquid.

This recipe is great, everybody loved the soup.

Lacking in something. Perhaps chicken or chicken stock would help.

I made this soup yesterday and it turned out pretty well, despite the fact that I overcooked the vegetables and undercooked the rice. I used brown rice because that's what I had, but I foolishly added it at the same time as the vegetables. I think I'd like to try this with coconut milk next time.

I love this soup! I added the potatoes first and simmered for about 8 minutes then added the remaining veggies. The potatoes broke down nicely and thickened the broth. This is just sooooo good.

We love this soup! I made it a lot in the spring and I can't wait to make it again when spring comes. I didn't change anything.

We're giving it 5 stars as we added made some VERY healthy changes thus making it completely GUILT FREE! Okay: omit the cream, omit the butter...not needed. Saute the leeks in extra virgin Olive oil and you're good to go. Make ALL water chicken stock (we used veggie chicken stock - amazing and a lot less sodium!) No extra salt needed, but add some black pepper for some zip. Thank you Papergoddess for a great recipe! We're full, we're happy and can't wait to have the leftovers tomorrow!

Really good and SO healthy! I added 1 qt. organic chicken broth. Goes great with Irish Brown Bread recipe from this site.

This is a fantastic, flavorful, light soup! Only changes made: used all chicken broth vs water, left out the potatoes (didn't have any on hand), and used half-n-half instead of heavy cream (didn't have any in the fridge). Only used 3 tsps sea salt and about 1 tsp of Herbs de Provence. Thank you for a delicious recipe!

Wonderful soup. I also used chicken broth. very easy to make and so tasty. I made this again, and this time when I served it I put Pecorino Romao cheese on top, What a added boost to the flavor !!!!!

I am making this soup for the third time because it is such a great hit. I add garlic to the onions and leaks, use chicken broth instead of water, omit the salt and add fresh sliced mushrooms when I add the cream and spinich. Today I have added 1 cup of rice instead of 1/3 cup which makes for a thicker soup.

I'm not sure why this soup didn't have more flavor. I substituted most of the water with chicken broth and added garlic to the onion and leeks. I didn't add any rice since the potato was starch enough. It tasted okay just not worth trying again, although plenty healthy.

I made this soup this morning following some of the recommendations. I added a good dollop of roasted chicken base and a garlic clove. I wanted a creamier soup, without adding cream. So I added a little half and half and used the immersion blender for about half of the veggies.

Pretty good, needs extras.

This was delicious, and just right for a cold and rainy spring evening. After reading all the reviews, I did add fresh garlic with the onions and I used 1/2 chicken stock and 1/2 water. I used 1/2 the salt and added a pinch or marjoram and thyme. I will make this again.

Delicious! I used 1/2 chicken stock and 1/2 water and added the asparagus with about 10 minutes to go before adding the spinach and cream. This makes a lot, but it's worth it-seconds and thirds will be had and leftovers will be appreciated!

Top notch, just as it is. My husband (2nd time around) used to be married to a gourmet cook, so he's used to terrific dishes. I hate cooking, but I can read and follow a recipe. :) We both loved this soup. A LOT!

This is a fairly good soup but more of a base. It is lacking in flavor. I made as is to give it a fair chance and after tasting ended up adding garlic and some other seasoning blends I had on hand. If I make it again I will use chicken broth instead of the plain water I also might admit the cream since it didn't add anything to it in my opinion.

Thank you for sharing this recipe. Thank you to all the advice on how to improve it. Between the original recipe and the advice on how to adjust it....I finally have a soup that my mother in law likes. Finally!! I use half and half instead of heavy cream. I use half the butter. I added garlic and a table spoon of chicken broth.

This is a very nice and filling soup, if a bit bland. I split the amount of potatoes to 1/2 parsnips, and added a little fresh thyme. It was a great way to thin out the leeks in my small garden. A little white wine would also probably perk up the soup.

This recipe was SOOO good! A word of caution- make sure you use a LARGE pot - like the type you use for making large quantities of spaghetti sauce or chicken broth. I simmered mine for probably an hour vs. the recommended 30 minutes because my company was running late and so the volume reduced enough for the last minute addition of spinach and half and half (which I substituted for cream). I would definitely make this again.

It taste really good! It makes you feel health!!!