The Pretentious Vichyssoise Recipes

CLASSIC VICHYSSOISE SOUP

Steps:

• In a heavy bottomed pot, or dutch oven, heat the olive oil and the butter, over medium high heat.
• Sauté the onion until translucent (about 2 minutes).
• Add the leeks and sauté until soft (about 4-5 min).
• Add the potatoes and sauté with the onions and leeks for a couple of minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil.
• Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
• Using an immersion hand blender, puree the soup until smooth. Alternatively, you can work in batches using a regular blender.
• Add the heavy cream and turn the heat back up to medium. Cook for about 5 minutes so it thickens a little.
• Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Add a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg. Remove from heat.
• Wait for the soup to cool down to room temperature and chill for at least one hour before serving (overnight is better).
• Garnish with some chopped chives and serve.

VICHYSSOISE RECIPE & HISTORY - ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE FRENCH LEEKS SOUP!

Steps:

• First of all, peel and cut the onion into halves, then reduce into thin slices. After that, slice the white and pale green part of the leek into thin rounds.
• At this point, pour the onion slices and the leek rounds in a pot along with 2 tbsp of butter and 1 pinch of salt.
• Then, sauté over medium/low heat until extremely soft, but not brown or caramelized.
• Now, peel the potatoes and reduce into small dices, then add them into the pot with the softened onion and leek, and sauté 5 minutes stirring frequently.
• After that, add the broth, set the temperature to simmer gently, and cook until the potatoes are perfectly soft and done.
• Once the potatoes are ready, add the half-and-half and let the soup simmer 5 minutes more.
• Then, pour the soup into a blender and mix until smooth and consistent. Salt to taste.
• To obtain the perfect smoothness, sift the cream through a stainless mesh colander stirring with a spoon, it's a little boring but worth the effort!
• Now, let the Vichyssoise reach room temperature, then store into the fridge, covered.
• The soup gives its best the day after.
• Once ready to serve, add little pinch grated nutmeg per serving and garnish with chopped chives.

VICHYSSOISE

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat; add leeks and season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks are very soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in potatoes, broth, and 1 cup water; season with salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are very tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Working in batches, transfer mixture to a blender and purée until smooth, adding more liquid as needed. Transfer to a large bowl; whisk in 1 cup cream, milk, and nutmeg; season with salt.
• Cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours and up to 2 days. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup cream, then ladle into bowls and serve drizzled with more cream. Sprinkle with chives and pepper before serving.

ANTHONY BOURDAIN'S LES HALLES VICHYSSOISE

Steps:

• I a large, heavy bottom pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. Once butter is melted, add the leeks and sweat for 5 minutes, making sure they do not take on any color.
• Add potatoes and cook for a minute or two, stirring a few times.
• Stir in the chicken broth and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to a simmer. Cook on low heat, gently simmering for 35 minutes, or until the leeks and potatoes are very soft. Allow to cool for a few minutes.
• Slowly, and in SMALL batches, puree the soup at a high speed in the blender. Do this bit by bit, never filling the blender too high. Make sure the benders lid is on, and lean on the top when you turn on. If not the burn you will get is awful, and a most frequent accident in even professional kitchens.
• Return soup to the cooking pot and whisk in cream and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper. Return to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook 5 minutes. If you want to thin soup out, add more broth, if needed.
• Transfer soup to the mixing bowl an chill over the ice bath, stirring occasionally. When soup is at Room temperature, and only at room temperature, cover in plastic wrap and put into the refrigerator to cool.
• Check seasoning, sprinkle with chives and serve in chilled bowls.
• This soup DOES get better over time. Keep covered with plastic, not foil in the refrigerator, or it will pick up other tastes.

VICHYSSOISE

Steps:

• Gently sweat the chopped leeks and the chopped onion in butter or margarine until soft, about 8 minutes. Do NOT let them brown.
• Add potatoes and stock to the saucepan. Salt and pepper to taste; do not overdo them! Bring to the boil, and simmer very gently for 30 minutes.
• Puree in a blender or food processor until very smooth. Cool. Gently stir in the cream before serving.

THE PRETENTIOUS VICHYSSOISE

Steps:

• 1. Clean your leeks carefully, the outer leaves especially get full of sand. (I usually chop them and then place in a colander and rinse). Chop roughly.
• 2. Melt butter in saute pan and place the leeks in, and cook on medium until tender, but not browned.
• 3. Transfer to a soup pot and add potatoes and the stock. Cook until potatoes are done about 30 minutes.
• 4. Carefully transfer to a blender or use an immersion blender to puree. Add cream, and adjust for seasoning.

VICHYSSOISE

Steps:

• Prepare the vegetables: finely chop the leeks and onions; peel the potatoes then cut them into 1 cm pieces.
• Heat the butter and oil in a saucepan.
• Add the chopped onions and leeks, cover, and cook over low heat about 10 min until softened.
• Add the potatoes, broth, salt and pepper.
• Simmer, covered, about 25-30 min until the potatoes are softened.
• Purée the soup in a blender or food processor.
• Pour in the milk then mix well.
• Cover and chill thoroughly (about 2 hours).
• Garnish each bowl with minced chives then serve.

CLASSIC VICHYSSOISE

Steps:

• In a large stock pot melt butter over low heat. Add leeks and onion, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
• Add potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Add thyme, marjoram, bay leaf and stir well. Cover pot and continue to cook for 12 minutes.
• Add chicken stock and bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook, partially covered for 30 minutes.
• Puree soup in blender or food processor and cool.
• Prior to serving add cream. If you are serving this soup warm you need to reheat the soup slowly so that the cream does not change consistency.

VICHYSSOISE

Steps:

• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large pot.
• Add 3 peeled and cubed potatoes and 3 trimmed and chopped leeks.
• Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring, until softened.
• Add 4 cups stock. Boil, cover, lower the heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
• Purée, then let cool. Stir in 1/2 cup or more cream before serving.
• Garnish with chopped chives.

VICHYSSOISE

Steps:

• Cook the potatoes in salted water to cover until just tender. Melt the butter in a skillet and cool the leeks gently, tossing them lightly, for a few minutes. Add the chicken bouillon and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer the leeks until tender. Add the potatoes to the leeks and the broth and season to taste with salt, papper and nutmeg. Put this mixture in the blender (you will need to blend it in two lots) and blend for 1 minute, or until smooth. Chill. When ready to serve, mix in sour cream or heavy cream. Garnish with chopped chives.