Vichyssoise
Thursday, August 12, 2010 at 08:34AM Ah, memories! This chilled potato and leek soup is one of the very first successful recipes I ever made, out of the very first cookbook I ever bought for myself, The Soup Bible. Such a simple recipe, with just a handful of ingredients, yet the result is a lush, luxurious concoction.
- 3 large or 4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1/2" cubes
- 6 cups of low sodium chicken broth
- 12 oz trimmed leeks
- 2/3 cup of sour cream
- Lots of coarse ground black pepper
- Kosher salt
- Chopped chives for garnish
First, I threw the potato cubes and chicken broth into a pot and brought to a boil, then reduced it to a simmer.
In the meantime, I trimmed the leeks, sliced them in half lengthwise and rinsed them well - it's surprising how much dirt can get in between the layers of the leeks! I then sliced them thinly.
After the potatoes had simmered about 15 minutes, I threw in the leeks and added a lot of ground pepper. And when I say a lot, I really mean it - I probably used about a tbsp of pepper. I am a ground black pepper fiend generally, but I think this recipe particularly benefits from it.
I simmered the soup for an additional 15 minutes, added the sour cream, then blended it with my immersion blender until very smooth. I cooled it, then chilled it in the fridge for a little while, then garnished it with chopped chives. While vichyssoise is traditionally served cold, I also really enjoy it hot. This recipe is so easy that I'm a little embarrassed to even post it, but I love it enough to overcome my shame and share it with you.
Soup/Stew in Recipes: At Home
Reader Comments (8)
Ang that last pic is gorgeous. The soup looks professionaly made in a top restaurant. I would probably leave the sour cream out and this soup will still have a creamy consistency. Just beatiful!
Aw, thanks Shulie! Yup, you could absolutely leave the sour cream out, it's that creamy.
Ok Angela - all of your soups are making me hungry! And ready for fall! I'm definitely trying this one soon. Looks SO DELICIOUS.
Yum! The Express had a recipe for this that we tried a few weeks back. Their recipe used only water, potatoes, leeks, and salt. You'd think it would be flavorless but it was really great. I imagine using the broth and sour cream really amps it up. Any excuse to use the immersion blender is fun too.
Carrie-
Yes, can fall come now please? I have MANY recipes that I've been waiting on until it cools down. This one I made because you can eat it chilled, although I do think I like it a little better hot.
J-
I saw that one! I skipped it because I totally thought it would be flavorless, but I guess the leeks and potato are enough! And yes, I do love my immersion blender. It's maybe one of my very favorite kitchen purchases.
Looks fantastic! I'm going to try it!!!
Yum! Sometimes it's the simple things that are the most delicious. Just curious: to make it part of a meal, what would you serve it with?
WT-
So simple! You definitely should make it.
Toni Rae-
Hm, I always just eat a couple of bowls and make it my dinner, BUT I think something like a simple roast chicken might be nice.