Vichy- huh? Vee-chee-who? Trust me, I was right there with you. Prior to making this recipe (and asking a few friends), I didn’t know ho to pronounce this soup. I took Spanish in my high school and college days so French is pretty foreign to me.

Vichysoisse (pronouned vi-shee-swaaz) is a French chilled soup made of mostly leeks and potatoes. I came across this dish when my monthly Supper Club theme was French, and I was assigned to the soup & salad course. I didn’t want to go the obvious route with French Onion Soup. Don’t get me wrong. It’s quite tasty, and I appreciate the cheesy goodness that tops it. But I wanted something different, something they wouldn’t expect. After a quick Google search, I discovered Vichyssoise.

The recipe calls for ingredients that you should easily find in your grocery store. The potatoes are supposed to be peeled. As you can see from my photo above, I forgot that step. However, it didn’t mess up the soup at all! I just made sure to blend everything extra well.

Speaking of blending, it is best if you use an immersion blender to get the soup smooth. If you don’t have one, simply ladle the soup into a blender. It’ll get the job done just as well.

Lastly, the recipe calls for pepper. I used white pepper so the soup didn’t have small black flecks. White pepper blends in better and makes for better presentation. Just a little tip to help you finish off your fancy-sounding-yet-easy -to-make French soup.

If you make this recipe, leave a comment below and post on Instagram. Make sure to tag @blasianbonvivant and use hashtag #bbvrecipe.

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Vichyssoise

Chilled leek and potato soup

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Total Time45 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer, Soup

Cuisine: French

Keywords: leek, potato, soup

Servings: 6

Author: Team Tasting Table

Equipment

• Immersion Blender

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs medium leeks
• 2 garlic gloves, thinly sliced
• 1 yellow onion, thinly slices
• 1 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, quartered and thinly sliced
• tbsp unsalted butter
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• 1 sprig of tarragon
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/3 cup heavy cream (plus more for garnish)
• 1 tbsp lime juice, freshly squeezed
• 1 tsp lime zest
• salt and pepper
• chives, finely chopped (for garnish)

Instructions

• In a 4-quart Dutch oven or pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the leeks, garlic and onion, and sweat until translucent (approximately) 10 to 12 minutes.
• Add the potatoes and chicken stock, and bring to a simmer. Meanwhile, tie together the thyme, tarragon, oregano and bay leaf with kitchen twine, and add to the pot. Simmer until the potatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Discard the herb bundle and, using an immersion blender, purée the soup until smooth.
• Stir in the heavy cream, lime juice and zest, then season with salt and pepper. Let the soup cool to room temperature, then chill the soup completely.
• When ready to serve, divide the soup between bowls and drizzle with a few drops of cream. Finish by garnishing with chives.

Notes

• Soup can also be served warm, if you choose.