This is a soup that I was introduced to at Tersiguel's in Ellicott City. Though this recipe is different, it was one of the first exposures I had to this classic French soup. The final product of this is a silky smooth, rich, and full flavored soup that has a distinct leek and potato flavor. It's an easy soup to make, you just need the right equipment. A blender is key, as is a chinois (a conical fine mesh strainer) to get the right consistency in the end product.
When making this soup you want to thoroughly clean the leeks. Dirt gets in between the layers of leeks as they grow, so when cleaning you want to soak them in water, and separate the layers to get the dirt out. When removing the cleaned leeks from the water you want to take the leeks out of the water, as opposed to pouring everything out. If you try and pour, the dirt that has sunk to the bottom will be poured over the just cleaned leeks.
Though vichyssoise is normally made as a cold soup, it can be served hot or cold. I made this soup as a hot dish so it's a little thicker when cooled. If you are going for a cold version I would add a cup of sour cream to the dish to help keep the consistency while cool. If you prefer a slightly thinner soup, you can add a touch more chicken stock to the soup, just make sure to season it accordingly. You can also turn this into a vegetarian option, provided you change the stock and add more seasoning to the dish. When you reheat this soup (if serving hot) be careful to not have it on too high heat, as it will burn and scorch the flavor.
Ingredients
Potatoes, medium peeled and chopped* 8 ea
Leeks, cleaned and chopped 5 ea
Cream 1 qt
Chicken Stock 2 qt
Butter 4 T
Crushed Red Pepper 1 tsp
Sherry Vinegar 1/4 cup
Roasted Garlic 1/4 cup
Mustard Powder 1 T
Avenue Spice 2 T
Salt 1 T +to taste
White Pepper 2 tsp +to taste
Bay Leaves 3 ea
Garnish
Chili oil, fried leeks, cracked black pepper
Method of Procedure
Cut your leeks in half lengthwise, separate the layers, and place them in a bowl of water, covering them. Jostle them around to remove the dirt then remove them from the water. Reserve the upper green portion for garnish** or other uses and chop the softer lower section of the leeks.
In your soup pot heat your roasted garlic and butter until melted. Add your leeks, bay leaves, and crushed red pepper and cook until softened.
Add your peeled chopped potatoes and continue to cook adding all your spices to the mix.
Add your sherry vinegar then stir to coat.
Put your cream and chicken stock into the pot and bring to a simmer for 2 hours.
In small batches puree the soup until smooth, and strain using a chinois (or another fine mesh strainer).
For garnish I thinly slice the upper portion and gently fry them in vegetable or fryer oil at around 275 and stir them in the oil until they turn brown and crispy. I also put a couple of drops of chili oil on the soup as well as freshly crack black pepper for both color and flavor.
*I used Yukon golds because they puree well and don't get too gummy. You can use other potatoes if you would like.
**The top part of the leeks are generally a harder portion, so when I make this soup I use only about 3/4 (basically the solid portion) for the cooking process and save the other portion for stocks or garnish.
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