Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Vichyssoise (creamy potato leek soup)

Vichyssoise (apparently pronounced vish-ee-swaze) is one of my favorite soups.  The only difference between Vichyssoise and potato-leek soup is that it has a little bit of cream.  I made an especially good batch last night and I'm going to give credit to the fresh, local ingredients.  I bought the potatoes and leeks at the East Aurora farmers market (outside of Buffalo, NY) while I was visiting the area.  I must admit that that farmers market has a much bigger selection than the ones in Pittsburgh (although they have less "organic"/pesticide free).  Anyway, here's the recipe:

Vichyssoise
6-8 large servings
Total time: 45 minutes

6 medium leeks
3 tablespoons butter
6-8 large potatoes (about 1.5 pounds)
5-6 cups of chicken or vegetable broth (enough to cover potatoes)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp white pepper
1 cup of cream (or 1/2 cup cream and 1/2 cup milk)

First remove roots and green part of leeks (some green part is okay, just remove the really thick stuff).  Then remove the outer layer and rinse, as there tends to be some dirt stuck here.  Then chop into thin slices.  Saute chopped leaks in butter for about 15 minutes (until tender but not brown).  In the mean time peel potatoes and chop into thin slices.  Once leeks are tender add potatoes and enough broth to cover them.  Also add the salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer until the potatoes are tender (about 25 minutes).  Then add cream and blend until smooth.  An immersion blender is a great tool for this, but a regular blender works fine too (just be prepared for a mess).  Alternatively the soup can be mashed (I know people who prefer it a little chunky).  Garnish with chives (optional).  Serve hot or chilled.

3 comments:

  1. Hi Cristina! This looks delicious! I really enjoy reading about all your local cooking endeavors. Hoping you and Mark are doing well!

    Norm Marshall

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  2. My little brother always tells horror stories about this soup "fishy-swaz" that he had one time and I'm pretty sure this is what he's talking about, except for the fact that it looks delicious. I guess you can't trust the taste of a kid who would only eat peanut butter and Hershey's syrup sandwiches until he was 10.

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  3. This sounds excellent! I'm totally getting into soup mode (there is a giant batch of split pea soup simmering on my stove right now)... This might have to be my next one. Miss you!

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