How to make a traditional Vichyssoise

How to prepare this star of the summer menu in just 5 easy steps.

BY María Pérez | 22 July 2024

Despite its difficult name, Vichyssoise is one of the easiest soups you can make. Starting with just four basic ingredients, we can make this cold, light and nutritious soup with a French background. Its creator, a chef at the Ritz called Louis Diat, was inspired by a leek and potato-based soup that his grandmother, and later his mother, used to cook for him when he was a child. This dish is named after Vichy, the city where he was born, and has since become a traditional summer spoon food.

This is a recipe with several nutritional benefits, including: low calorie count, great antioxidant power and being rich in purines. Although we will focus on the traditional Vichyssoise recipe, there are many variations on this soup. Once you have perfected the basic recipe, we recommend innovating by adding a touch of fruit or experimenting with substituting leeks with other vegetables. If you prefer a lighter option, you can eliminate the cream or replace it with a plant-based option. When ready to be served, there are many options that can be presented with this soup, among which we recommend: parmesan slices, aromatic herbs such as parsley or chervil, croutons, oil, black pepper or diced Serrano ham.

Ingredients

450 g leeks (only the white part)
400 g potatoes
150 g onions
50 g butter
250 ml whole milk
200 ml cream
Chives
Salt

Instructions

First of all, peel the potatoes and onion, remove the green part of the leek and finely chop all the ingredients.
In a large, deep, pot, melt the butter, add the onions and leeks and simmer for 15 minutes with the lid on. It is important that the vegetables should not change colour.
Add the potatoes and water (if you prefer, replace water with vegetable or chicken stock), and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook for 30 minutes.
Blend all the ingredients with a stick blender and add the milk, cream and nutmeg. Add salt if necessary and put it in the fridge, where we will chill it for at least 4 hours before eating.
When serving this soup, add the chopped chives on top.

Tips and tricks

As this is a recipe includes few ingredients, make sure you choose fresh produce and clean it thoroughly. Its flavour will be the star of this dish, and the final result will depend heavily on its quality. When shopping for leeks, make sure that the stalk is white and firm, with fresh leaves.
Be sure to remove the green part of the leek, to give the soup a better flavour, and wash them thoroughly before cooking. The left-over part can be used to make stock.
Maintaining a consistent chunk size when chopping will make it easier to cook all the vegetables evenly. In a recipe with as few ingredients as this one, balance is essential. Be careful not to add too much potato, or the cream will turn from a soup to something with the consistency of a puree. Make sure it is well chilled before serving.