Vichyssoise (French and potato soup)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 45 min
- Level
- Easy
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 7
About this dish
Vichyssoise is a cold French soup made by cooking thinly sliced leeks and cubed potatoes in butter, simmering them in chicken stock, blending the mixture until smooth, and finishing with heavy cream.
Read more
To maintain the pale cream color and subtle sweetness, only the white parts of the leeks are used and cooked slowly over medium low heat without browning. Straining the blended soup through a fine sieve removes any remaining fibrous pieces from the leeks to create a velvety texture. Since cold serving temperatures dull the tongue's sensitivity to salt, the soup is seasoned with white pepper and salt while still warm to a slightly stronger level than usual. This ensures that the flavor remains balanced after the dish is thoroughly chilled. Serving this soup cold provides a clean, smooth, and gentle start to a multi-course meal.
Ingredients
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Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Prep
Split and rinse 250 g leeks well so no grit remains, then slice them thinly.
Peel or trim the 300 g potatoes, cut them into small cubes, and rinse briefly to remove excess surface starch.
- 2Control
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a pot over medium low heat.
Add the leeks and sweat them slowly for about 6 minutes, stirring often, until soft and glossy but not browned.
- 3Control
Add the potatoes and stir for 1 minute so they are lightly coated with butter.
Pour in 700 ml chicken stock, scraping the bottom of the pot to release any stuck bits before simmering.
- 4Control
When the soup starts to boil, reduce to low heat and leave the lid slightly open.
Simmer for about 18 minutes, until the potatoes crush easily with a spoon and the leeks look fully tender.
- 5Control
Turn off the heat and cool the soup for 5 minutes before blending to reduce splashing.
Blend until completely smooth, then strain it if a finer texture is desired.
- 6Season
Stir in 120 ml heavy cream, 0.75 teaspoon salt, and 0.25 teaspoon white pepper.
Season while warm so it tastes slightly stronger than usual, then cool and chill thoroughly before serving cold.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Silky cream and tender white leeks form the pale, chilled base of this French Vichyssoise potato soup.
- Finish cue
- Simmer for about 18 minutes, until the potatoes crush easily with a spoon and the leeks look fully tender.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
45min, 7 ingredients
Category median
45min, 8 ingredients
Based on 310 recipes
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