French · Soup · Easy
Vichyssoise
Silky chilled soup of leeks and potatoes, as smooth as cream and cool as a summer evening. Elegance in a bowl, no heat required.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Vichyssoise, in 5 ideas
- Sweating the leeks slowly without color keeps the soup pale and sweet
- Blending until truly silky is what separates vichyssoise from leek soup
- White pepper keeps the flavor mild and the color clean
- Chilling concentrates the flavor, so season again after it cools
- Serving bowls chilled in the freezer makes the soup feel extra luxurious
What you need
Ingredients
- 3 large leeks (white and pale green parts only), sliced
- 500g floury potatoes, peeled and diced
- 30g unsalted butter
- 750ml chicken or vegetable stock
- 120ml heavy cream
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 2 tbsp snipped chives, to serve
How to make it
Directions
- Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the leeks with a pinch of salt and cook gently for 8 minutes until soft and translucent, not browned.
- Add the diced potatoes and the stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- Cook 18 to 20 minutes until the potatoes fall apart when pressed with a spoon.
- Blend the soup until completely smooth, in batches if needed, then pour back into the pot.
- Stir in the cream, season with salt and white pepper, and taste. The flavor should be gentle and rounded.
- Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate at least 4 hours until thoroughly chilled.
- Stir well, thin with a splash of cold stock or cream if it has thickened too much, and serve in chilled bowls scattered with chives.
Leeks sold loose are often cheaper than the pre-trimmed packs, and you only need the white and pale green parts anyway. Save the dark green tops for stock.