Smooth, creamy, and chilled, this Vichyssoise recipe is a light and refreshing soup. Made with simple ingredients, you'll have this soup ready in no time!
4large leekswhite part only, cleaned and sliced (about 5 cups)
2poundsrusset potatoespeeled and chopped (900g)
6cupschicken stock(1.5L)
2teaspoonssalt
1cupheavy whipping cream(240mL)
¼teaspoonground white pepper
chopped fresh chives for garnish
Instructions
In a large Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Cook until the butter begins to brown, about 7 minutes.
Add the leeks and cook until the leeks are wilted, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the potatoes, stock, and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are very tender, about 35 minutes. Remove from heat.
Use an immersion blender, or working in small batches, transfer the leek mixture to a blender and puree until smooth. Pour into an air-tight container and let cool to room temperature.
Stir in the cream and pepper. Cover the container with the lid and refrigerate until chilled. To serve, let the soup stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Garnish with chives. If desired, grate a small amount of nutmeg on top.
Video
Notes
If you do not have an immersion blender, you can transfer the soup to a blender instead. Be careful when blending hot soup; make sure to have a way for the steam to escape and avoid filling the blender all the way.
I recommend rinsing the leek after cutting as it’s common for there to be trapped dirt and debris between the layers.
Browning the butter adds a ton of flavor to the butter. Using a light-colored pot will help you see how brown the butter gets as you don’t want to burn the butter.
Cutting the potatoes uniformly will help them cook evenly. However, as we blend the soup, it’s ok if they’re not perfect.
While vichyssoise is a chilled soup, make sure to allow it to stand at room temperature before serving. If the soup is too cold, you lose the flavors from the butter, leeks, and potatoes.