Vichyssoise
Vichyssoise, that rich, creamy potato and leek soup, is a delicious switch from the classic potato soup served hot. This is one soup that's perfect for warmer days!
Equipment
- Large stockpot
- Immersion blender or standard blender
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 leeks*, about 3 pounds, using mainly the white part, chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped, about 1-½ cups
- 4 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and sliced thin
- 4 to 6 cups chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon white pepper, or to taste
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup cream
- Chopped fresh chives for garnish
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the chopped leeks and onions and cook until both are tender and translucent, but not browned, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Add the sliced potatoes along with 4 cups of the stock. Add the additional 2 cups of stock if needed to almost cover the potatoes. Cover the stockpot and cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes or until the potatoes are very tender. (If you added 6 cups of stock, strain off 2 cups. You can reserve this stock and add it later if you want a thinner consistency for the soup.)
- Remove the soup from the heat and using an immersion blender, purée the mixture until it is very, very smooth.
- Season the soup with the kosher salt and white pepper then stir in the milk and cream.
- Refrigerate the soup until it is well chilled.
- Top with fresh chives for serving.
- *Cleaning leeks is an important step. As the leaves push up through the ground they capture a lot of dirt along the way. To clean, cut the dark green leaves down to the light green part of the leek. Then cut an “X” about 3” to 4” from the leaves down towards the bulb.
- Place the leeks cut side down in a large measuring cup or bowl filled with cold water. Let them soak for about 20 minutes to let the leeks open up a bit.
- Rinse the leeks under cold running water to make sure all the dirt is removed.
Notes
Using an immersion blender is one the easiest ways to purée soups. You can also use a standard blender, just take care when transferring hot soup to and from.