Leek & Baked Potatoe Vichyssoise with Red Caviar
Submitted by torstend
Vichyssoise with baked potato and leek, topped with salmon roe and snipped chives. A chilled summer soup with deep roasted flavor and pearls of briny caviar.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
4 hrsThis is vichyssoise reimagined: cold, silky, and luxurious, with baked (not boiled) potatoes swapping in for the usual boiled spuds. That single choice changes the soup entirely. Oven-baked potato flesh adds a deeper, almost roasted flavor that makes each spoonful taste more intense than the classic bistro version.
Leeks simmer in vegetable broth until silky, then get pureed with the potato flesh and thinned with tangy non-fat yogurt instead of the traditional cream, making this a lighter take that still satisfies.
The showpiece is the topping. A small spoonful of salmon roe (ikura) bursts with briny, sea-sweet flavor against the cool, starchy soup. Snipped chives add grassy freshness. It’s the kind of starter that opens a summer dinner party in style.
Chef Tips
- Wash the leeks obsessively, they hide sand and grit between every layer. Slice lengthwise first, then fan open under cold running water.
- Bake the potatoes directly on the oven floor or a rack, not on a sheet pan. Air circulation gives them that proper baked-potato crust and flavor.
- Chill the soup for at least 2 hours, ideally overnight. Cold is non-optional for vichyssoise, and the flavors meld as it chills.
- Add the yogurt AFTER chilling, stirring it into warm soup causes it to curdle.
- Serve in chilled bowls, warm bowls turn a cold soup tepid in minutes.
Variations
- Swap salmon roe for sturgeon caviar or chopped smoked salmon for different luxury touches.
- Add a swirl of cold-pressed olive oil or a drizzle of truffle oil at serving.
- Use Greek yogurt in place of non-fat for a thicker, richer body.
- Garnish with thin ribbons of seedless cucumber or microgreens for extra color and texture.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 400℉ (200℃).
Bake potatoes on the floor of the oven, turning once, for 1 hour or until they are soft when pressed.
Cut the cooked potatoes in half and scoop out the flesh.
Cut leeks in half lengthwise, wash throughly to get out all sand and grit and chop coarsely.
In a large saucepan, bring the broth to a boil over moderately high heat.
Add the chopped leeks and white pepper, reduce heat and simmer the leeks, covered for 30 minutes or until they are very tender.
Add the potato flesh to the leeks and purée the mixture in batches in a food processor until very smooth.
Transfer the purée to a mixing bowl, add salt if desired and chill covered for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.
Whisk in the yogurt or milk and chill again for 30 minutes if necessary.
Ladle the soup into bowls and top each serving with 1½ to 2 teaspoons of red caviar and sprinkle with chives.
Serve in chilled bowls.
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