This sophisticated iced soup is made from humble ingredients: leeks and potatoes. It was created in the 1920s by Louis Diat, a French chef working in the United States. Vichyssoise can be prepared 24 hours in advance and must always be velvety smooth and well chilled. The name, vichyssoise, is also given to any cold soup based on potato combined with another vegetable such as courgettes.
SERVES: 8
PREP TIME: 15 min (3 h chilling)
COOK TIME: 30 min
READY TIME: 3 h 45 min
CALORIES: 180 Kcal
⇓ You may also listen to the recipe by pressing the play button below.
INGREDIENTS
- 25 g (1 oz) butter or margarine
- 1 kg (2 lb) leeks, white part only, thinly sliced
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 litre (1 ¾ pints) Vegetable Stock
- Pinch of grated nutmeg
- 750 g (1 ½ lb) old potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 900 ml (1 ½ pints) semi-skimmed milk
- Salt and white pepper
- 2 tablespoons snipped fresh chives, to garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
1 Melt the butter or margarine in a pan. Add the leeks and onion and cook over moderate heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Do not allow the vegetables to change colour.
2 Add the stock, nutmeg and potatoes with salt and pepper to taste. Bring the mixture to the boil, lower the heat and cook, partially covered, for 25 minutes. Pour in the milk and simmer for 5—8 minutes more. Cool slightly.
3 Puree the mixture in batches in a food processor or blender until smooth, then rub it through a sieve into a bowl. Stir well and cover the bowl closely. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. Just before serving, adjust the seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if required. Serve in chilled bowls, garnishing each portion with a generous sprinkling of snipped chives.
NUTRITION FACTS
- Calories: 180 Kcal
- Protein: 8 (g)
- Fat: 5 (g)
- Carbs: 27 (g)