Chinese · soup

Creamy Chinese Celery Soup

Creamy Chinese Celery Soup reads richness 5.4, salinity 3.9 and umami 3.8 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Chinese soup, about 1 hr 50 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 4.5 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 3.3 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 3.4 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.9 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 5.8 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 3.3 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Richness 5.4 · Salinity 3.9 · Umami 3.8 · Herbaceous 2.9 · Fruity 2.7 · Sourness 2.6 · Citrus 2.6 · Funk & Ferment 2.1 · Allium 2.1 · Sweetness 1.9 · Bitterness 1.6 · Floral 1.6 · Earthy 1.5 · Nutty 1.3 · Warm Spice 1.2 · Heat 0.7

What's in it (15)

• 1 medium leek (white and pale green parts only), chopped
• 1 medium russet (baking) potato
• 1/2 cup chopped shallot
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 bunches Chinese celery (1 1/2 lb total), top leaves discarded and stalks cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 4 cups chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth (32 fl oz)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 6 (1/4-inch-thick) diagonal baguette slices
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt to taste
• Garnish: fresh Chinese parsley leaves or flat-leaf parsley leaves

Time & effort: about 1 hr 50 min (20 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 66.3 kcal, 2.3 g protein, 2.8 g fat, 9.3 g carbs

Dietary: Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (15 steps)

1. Wash leek well in a bowl of cold water, then lift out and drain well.
2. Peel and chop potato.
3. Cook shallot in butter and oil in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes.
4. Add leek and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes.
5. Add celery and potato and cook, stirring, 2 minutes.
6. Add wine and boil 1 minute.
7. Add broth and simmer, covered, until celery is very tender, about 1 hour.
8. Puree soup in batches in a blender until very smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids), then pour through a large medium-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on solids.
9. Discard solids.
10. Transfer soup to cleaned saucepan, then stir in cream, salt, and pepper and heat over low heat until hot.
11. Thin with water if desired.
12. Preheat oven to 350F.
13. Brush baguette slices with oil and season generously with kosher salt and pepper.
14. Arrange in 1 layer on a baking sheet, then bake in middle of oven until golden brown and crisp, 12 to 15 minutes.
15. Serve soup topped with croutons.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Fegato alla Veneziana — Italian · Venice
• Skillet Chicken Fricassee — French
• Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta — Italian-American
• Chicken Vesuvio — Italian-American
• Burrata and Cherry Tomato Pasta — Italian

Keep reading: what richness, salinity, umami mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.