Back in November there was a National Vichyssoise Day. Which seemed odd to me because isn't vichyssoise a cold soup? Why would you want cold soup during the cold days of November? So I figured no vichyssoise until sometime in the spring.
But then, perusing my Ratatouille cookbook, I noticed that their version of vichyssoise could be served warm or cold. Since Mr. L was supposed to be going to a 49er game, and would probably need something to warm him up when he returned, I figured I'd give the warm version of the soup a try.
Because this was supposed to be a kids book I wished there was a bit more direction...like were you supposed to leave the pot uncovered while simmering? Or whether to use low or medium low heat to do things. But the recipe itself was pretty simple. The book considered this dish "medium" in difficulty.
This was actually pretty good and Mr. L thought it was perfect served warm. I'm honestly not sure I'd like it cold. The recipe does tell you when you need to have a grown up assist you, but I attempted the recipe without adult supervision.
VICHYSSOISE
5 cups peeled, chopped all-purpose potatoes
3 cups thinly sliced leeks (use the white and 2 inches of the green)
1 2/3 cups chicken broth
5 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
Chopped chives (optional)
In a soup pot, add the potatoes, leeks, broth, water, salt, and pepper. Ask a grown-up to help you turn the stove to simmer, and cook for 1 hour.
In batches, puree the soup and pour it into a large bowl. Stir in the cream. Serve warm or cold. Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Gusteau's Tip: Be sure to wash the leeks thoroughly to remove any sand.
Note: I used about one and a half leeks. I used four potatoes. I used a bit more cream than they asked for because I used a bit more of everything else.
Note: I used Better Than Bouillon.
This sounds good! This I am willing to try. I always thought it was made with seafood. Don't ask me why. This sounds tasty.
Posted by: Mom | January 10, 2008 at 10:17 PM