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Vichyssoise

Name: Vichyssoise
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: French recipes
Ingredients: 50g unsalted butter; 1 leek, finely sliced; 1 garlic clove, finely sliced; 250g floury potatoes, peeled and cut into 3cm chunks; 600ml vegetable stock; 1 bay leaf; 100g crème fraîche; 100g whole milk; Squeeze lemon juice, to taste; 4 tbsp mixed nuts and seeds, toasted, to serve; Extra-virgin olive oil to serve

By: Pollyanna Coupland
Food producer, delicious.

Published: 26 Jun 23
Updated: 29 Jul 24

Despite its association with French cooking, this chilled soup was actually created in New York in the early 1900s by chef Louis Félix Diat at the Ritz-Carlton hotel. A simple leek and potato soup is whizzed up until it’s super-smooth, then chilled to give it a creamy, luscious texture that’s perfect for summer.

Prefer yours hot? We’ve got the classic leek and potato soup recipe too.

Easy
July 2023

Test kitchen approved

Serves 4
Hands-on time 15 min, plus cooling and chilling (ideally overnight); Simmering time 25 min

Prefer yours hot? We’ve got the classic leek and potato soup recipe too.

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 349kcals
Fat: 27g (15g saturated)
Protein: 7g
Carbohydrates: 18g (5g sugars)
Fibre: 3.3g
Salt: 1g

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Ingredients

50g unsalted butter
1 leek, finely sliced
1 garlic clove, finely sliced
250g floury potatoes, peeled and cut into 3cm chunks
600ml vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
100g crème fraîche
100g whole milk
Squeeze lemon juice, to taste
4 tbsp mixed nuts and seeds, toasted, to serve
Extra-virgin olive oil to serve

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Method

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat, then add the leek and garlic. Cook slowly with a pinch of salt for about 8 minutes until softening, then add the potatoes and cook for a few more minutes, stirring regularly to avoid browning anything. Pour in the stock, throw in the bay leaf and leave to simmer gently for 25 minutes.
Discard the bay leaf, then use a stick blender or transfer to a jug blender and whizz until very smooth – take your time ensuring it’s as creamy as possible. Stir in the crème fraîche, then add the milk bit by bit until the soup has the consistency of double cream (you may not need all the milk). Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste, then transfer to a jug or bowl, cover and chill (ideally overnight).
To serve, divide the chilled soup among bowls and top with the toasted nuts and seeds. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil.

Recipe from July 2023 Issue

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 349kcals
Fat: 27g (15g saturated)
Protein: 7g
Carbohydrates: 18g (5g sugars)
Fibre: 3.3g
Salt: 1g

delicious. tips

As it’s served cold, you need to make this recipe in advance – if you’re in a rush, you can fill a sink with cold water and submerge the base of the pan in it, stirring regularly to speed up the cooling process.