Somehow this, my go-to recipe for vichyssoise or potato leek soup, got lost in a website update. I had a bunch of leeks that Frank cleaned and sliced for me, and some potatoes, but no recipe. So here it goes again. Serves 4:
Vichyssoise
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 leeks, the white and light green part, sliced thin
- 2 small russet potatoes, peeled and sliced thin (use a mix of russets and fingerlings or Yukon Gold, or whatever you’ve got)
- 1 quart chicken broth
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Snipped chives (for garnish)
Heat the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook until limp and translucent, about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Do not let the leeks brown.
When the leeks are cooked, add the potatoes and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 30 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Remove from heat and with an immersion blender blend the soup until smooth. You can put the soup in a blender or food processor, but do not over-fill and put a towel over the top opening to catch the steam. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
Add the heavy cream and stir well to mix.
Serve topped with chopped chives and enjoy!
My verdict:
This is an old favorite. You can serve it hot or cold, depending on the season. If you want to make extra and freeze the vichyssoise, leave the cream out and add it before serving. To make it vegetarian, use vegetable broth in place of the chicken.
I like vichyssoise and most soups with some texture, so I usually use an immersion blender and leave a few small potato chunks in it. If you have white pepper, this is the time to use it, but don’t rush out to buy some. Black pepper is fine, it will just leave some small black specs—cosmetic more than anything.
Do you prefer your vichyssoise hot or cold?
