Hot or Cold Leek Soup
Classic leek and potato soup that pulls double duty: hot with croutons or chilled with milk, chives, and Tabasco for homemade vichyssoise. French bistro basics, two ways.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
50 minREADY
90 minOne soup, two completely different dishes. Served hot, this is a classic rustic French leek and potato soup, warm and mellow with olive oil and chicken stock. Stirred cold with milk, chives, and a few drops of Tabasco, it becomes vichyssoise, the cold summer soup Louis Diat made famous at the Ritz in 1917.
Cleaning the leeks properly is the prep step most home cooks skip. Split lengthwise, cut into half-inch pieces, then immerse in a bowl of cold water. The grit falls to the bottom while the leeks float on top. Lift them out with your hands (never drain through a sieve, which mixes the grit back in) and let them dry.
The puree technique is specific. Strain the cooked solids first, puree them with only a little of the cooking liquid, then stir the puree back into the reserved juices. Too much liquid in the food processor turns the puree foamy and gives you cloudy soup.
Chef Tips
- Use the white and pale green parts of the leek. The dark green tops are tough and fibrous and belong in the stockpot, not the soup.
- Don’t brown the leeks hard. A light golden softening gives the best flavor. Dark browning turns the soup bitter.
- Chill cold vichyssoise at least 4 hours before serving. Warm vichyssoise tastes flat.
- Garnish cold version with extra chives and a drizzle of olive oil.
Variations
- Stir in a half cup of heavy cream for a richer hot soup or traditional French vichyssoise.
- Add a pinch of nutmeg to the hot version for a cozier, winter-forward flavor.
- Use potatoes like Yukon Gold for buttery color and silky texture.
Ingredients
Directions
Remove the root end and any damaged outer leaves from the leek, but leave the remainder of the leaves intact.
Split the leek in half lengthwise, and cut it into ½-inch pieces.
Clean the leek by immersing the pieces in a bowl filled with cold water.
Lift the pieces from the water and place them in a sieve to drain.
Heat the oil in a pot.
When hot, add the leek and sliced onion, and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until they soften and begin to brown lightly.
Add the stock, potatoes, salt and pepper, and bring to the boil.
Boil for 30 to 40 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
Strain off most of the cooking juices and reserve them.
Add the solids with a little of the juices to the bowl of a food processor, and process briefly, just until pureed.
(If too much liquid is added to the processor bowl, the mixture will become too foamy.)
Stir the purée into the reserved juices.
You should have about 7 cups.
The hot soup can be served immediately, either plain or with croutons.
FOR COLD SOUP: Cool the soup and stir in the milk, chives and Tabasco sauce.
Serve cold.
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