Dear Eric: Would you have a really nice, smooth recipe for vichyssoise? I love it when it’s not grainy.
Dianne Schroeder
Dear Dianne: I do have a recipe for the soup that should work for you, but before discussing it, I thought I would tell you about the interesting history of this cold soup.
Despite its very French name, vichyssoise was not invented in France, but it was first ladled up by a Frenchman.
According to the Oxford Companion to Food, this chilled leek and potato cream soup was created in the early 20th century by French chef Louis Diat while he worked at the Ritz Hotel in New York City.
According to the Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink, Diat said the inspiration for the soup was one of his earliest and fondest food memories. That memory was his mother’s glorious leek and potato soup, which she served hot.
Leek and potato soup was not something new at that time, chilling it was. So was his signature of sprinkling the soup with chives just before serving.
The name vichyssoise seems an odd choice as neither Diat, who came from Bourbonnais, or the ingredients he used, were from Vichy, France. It sounded impressive and it stuck, even when other chefs tried to change the name in 1941 because of their dislike of the Vichy government during the Second World War.
There’s nothing complex about making the soup. You simmer sliced leeks and potatoes in chicken stock until tender, puree, add cream, season and chill.
The type of potato you use will determine whether you get a smooth soup after puréeing. The waxy red or white potatoes that hold together well don’t puree well. A russet or baking potato that falls apart when cooked will give the smoothest soup.
You also just want to use the tender, white part of the leek, not the tougher, stringy green portion.
When it comes to cooking those vegetables, do so until they are very tender. If they are still a little firm, you’ll never get a smooth soup. In Julia Child’s classic book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, she simmers them for 40 to 50 long minutes — quite a while for sliced vegetables.
I simmered my soup only 25 to 30 minutes and found that was sufficient, but my recipe yields fewer servings than Child’s.
With that length of cooking, when the soup is pureed in a blender or food processor, it should come out pretty darn smooth. However, if you want an ultra-smooth texture, after pureeing the soup, strain it through a fine sieve as I’ve described in the recipe below.
Vichyssoise
This soup is at its best when served very cold. So, before you start ladling, be sure the soup, and the soup bowls, have been thoroughly chilled.
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 25 to 30 minutes
Makes: about 5 to 6 cups (5 to 6 servings)
2 cups thinly sliced leek, white part only
1 large (about 12 oz./375 gram) baking potato, peeled, rinsed, halved lengthwise, and cut, widthwise, into thin slices (you should have about 2 cups)
1 tsp dried tarragon (this is optional, but I love this herb and added it)
4 1/2 cups chicken stock or broth
• salt and white pepper to taste
1/3 cup whipping cream
2 to 3 tsp snipped fresh chives, or 1 green onion, very thinly sliced
Place the leek, potato, tarragon and stock or broth in a medium pot and bring to a very gentle simmer. Simmer until the vegetables are very, very tender, about 25 to 30 minutes.
Puree the soup in a blender or food processor, or in the pot with an immersion (hand) blender.
At this point, try the soup and if it’s smooth enough for you, pour into a large bowl. However, if the soup is not smooth enough for you, set a fine sieve over the bowl. Now strain the soup through the sieve, using a whisk to help push it through and into the bowl.
Whether you left the soup as is after pureeing, or strained it, now mix in the cream and season with salt and white pepper. Cool the soup to room temperature, and then cover and chill in the refrigerator at least four hours or overnight.
Just before serving, taste the soup again and add additional salt and pepper as needed. Ladle the soup into chilled bowls, sprinkle with chives or green onion, and serve.
Note: One very large, or two small to medium leeks, should yield enough of the white part needed for this recipe. Save the green part for stock. To prepare the white part of the leek, halve it lengthwise and wash well. Dry the leek well, and it’s ready to slice.
Eric Akis is the author of the hardcover book Everyone Can Cook Everything. His columns appear in the Life section Wednesday and Sunday. Submit culinary questions to Eric by email.
