Vichyssoise
Serves 4
What to Pair With
We’re still not done with the chilly weather but the calendar says it’s spring, so I came up with a recipe that straddles the two seasons. Potato and leek soup, or vichyssoise (VISH-ees-WHAZ), is a classic French dish that is traditionally served cold, but here I served it warm with a few ingredient twists.
Aside from potato and leek, the soup normally contains cream and chicken stock. It’s a cheap, simple soup that lends itself to creativity. The soup doesn’t have any assertive flavors, especially if it is served cold, but is more of a textural canvas for you to be inventive.
The potatoes, leeks, and in this case fennel, are cooked in butter for a few minutes but not browned. Stock is added along with white wine, a rind from Parmesan cheese and herbs/spices. Cooked until soft and pureed in a blender or food processor, the soup is then strained back into the original pot and mixed with heavy cream. I served the soup garnished with some chopped chives, olive oil and poached lobster.
You might be surprised when you taste the soup that neither the leeks nor fennel are assertive, adding only a background note to a thick and velvety mixture. What you add to the soup is where the personality shines. You could go heavy with tarragon to play up the fennel; add bacon or prosciutto; shrimp, scallops or crab.
If you use a blender to puree the soup, work in small batches, remove the center cap of the lid and drape a hand towel over the lid to allow the steam out. Enjoy!
Ingredients
3 leeks, whites and light green parts only, chopped into small pieces
1 medium russet potato, peeled and cut into a small dice
1 fennel bulb, core removed, chopped in small pieces
4 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 cup dry white wine
4 cups chicken broth
1 bay leaf
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 cup cream
Salt, to taste
Chives, chopped for garnish
Olive Oil, for garnish
Preparation
Cut leeks in half lengthwise and rinse under water to remove any dirt. Cut cross-wise into ½ inch pieces.
Peel and cut potato.
Cut fennel bulb in half, removing stem and core. Cut into small chunks.
Heat butter over medium heat. Add leeks, fennel and potato, and cook about 5 minutes.
Add wine, chicken broth, bay leaf and cayenne pepper.
Bring soup to a boil, lower to a simmer, and cook until the potatoes are tender, about a 30 minutes.
Remove the bay leaf.
Using an immersion hand blender, regular blender or food processor, purée the soup until smooth.
Pour the soup through a fine strainer back into the pot, add cream, and bring to a simmer. Season with salt.
Serve in bowls with herb garnish and a drizzle of olive oil.
Chris Chisholm is a Certified Specialist of Wine and a graduate of Boston University Wine Studies and Wine Making programs. He is also a graduate of Cook Street School of Culinary Arts in Denver, CO. He has worked as a personal chef and chef instructor.
If you have any questions, email Chris at chris@snugharborwine.com. You can also follow Chris on Instagram @winechefchris for more delicious food photos!