Amazing Creamy Vichyssoise
Submitted by flowermom
Vichyssoise is the chilled French leek and potato soup, enriched with heavy cream and half-and-half, finished with snipped chives. Silky, cold, and the original elegant summer first course.
YIELD
12 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
30 minREADY
40 minVichyssoise is the cold cousin of potato leek soup and a Parisian-by-way-of-New-York classic. Despite the French name, it was created by chef Louis Diat at the Ritz-Carlton in Manhattan in 1917, inspired by the hot soup his mother made in Vichy, France.
Leeks are the soul of this soup, not onions. Their delicate, almost sweet allium flavor is what separates vichyssoise from a regular potato soup. Use only the white and pale green parts, since the dark green tops are tough and bitter.
The butter-flour paste, called a beurre manié, is the trick that gives the soup its body without going gluey. Stirring it in by whisk while the broth is at a rolling boil cooks the raw flour taste out instantly.
Pressing the cooked soup through a sieve, not a blender, gives the silky texture vichyssoise is known for. The fine mesh strains out fibers a blender would leave behind.
Chef Tips
- Wash the leeks aggressively. Sand hides between every layer and ruins the soup.
- Chill at least 4 hours, overnight is better. Vichyssoise should be served truly cold, not room temp.
- Add the cream and half-and-half after cooling. Hot cream curdles and breaks the soup.
- Season more aggressively than you would for hot soup. Cold dulls salt perception.
Variations
- Stir in a tablespoon of dry white wine or sherry just before chilling for depth.
- Swap heavy cream for creme fraiche for a tangier, more luxurious finish.
- Garnish with chopped chervil or microgreens along with the chives for restaurant-style presentation.
Ingredients
Directions
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in large kettle, add leeks and onion and cook until tender but not browned.
Add water and broth and bring to boil.
Knead flour into remaining 3 tablespoons butter to form paste and stir into boiling mixture with wire whisk to blend well.
Season to taste with salt and white pepper.
Add potatoes, reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are soft.
Press through sieve. Cool. Add cream and half and half to soup, then chill.
Top each serving with sprinkling of chopped chives.
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