Leek & Potato Soup | Vichyssoise

I'm elbow deep in the sauce lessons at the moment, but it occured to me that this recipe is basically a veloute based soup but the starch in the roux is made with potatoes rather than flour. Is that the right way to be looking at this?

You are correct that the potatoes are acting as the thickener in this soup; however, this would not really be classified as a veloute-based soup as it is not made with a roux. Good thinking though. Cheers!

So a roux is specifically a fat and flour, rather than a fat and a starch? In the roux lessons it talks about using different fats than butter but that doesn't extend to different starches.

There will be a few lessons on soups in the future that will go into more detail about this sort of thing. For more info on substitutes for flour in roux here is another post that you might find helpful. Cheers!

I made this soup last week, but added the last of my sorrel to it. It was amazing. Will definitely grow Sorrel next year too.

This soup is pretty much the exact same recipe I've been making for a while. Accept I didn't puree it before I froze it. I had a ton of it left over. I had to thaw all of it out and puree it cause it turned out really grainy. So glad I did and saved this soup. I now call it my soup base. I pull a bag out of the freezer and throw in whatever I've got left over from the previous night's meal. So far it is amazing with shredded chicken left over from a roast. I also throw in corn, carrots, etc. Like I said, whatever I have on hand. So if you're gonna make this soup, I suggest you make a boat load and freeze it in single serving portions. It's awesome to have this soup whenever the mood strikes you. Just make sure you puree it! Glad to see Rouxbe offering cream based soups. Can't wait for more!

The links to creme fraiche and creme fraiche shortcut are broken. I just thought I'd let you know. Also under step 3, grams is improperly abbreviated grs. I hate to be a stickler about this, but it's one of my pet peeves. It should be written 400g or 400 grams. Again, I hope I'm not being a pain in the butt. I'm really looking forward to having this soup tomorrow night.

Thanks for heads up about the link it has been fixed. Hope you enjoy the soup - cheers!

I would be really grateful if Rouxbe would consider doing a "Tips" video on how to clean and cut leeks and which parts to use. I could use some guidance with this vegetable :/ Thanks for your consideration!

While we do have quite a few short tip and technique videos, we are more focused on the lessons in the Cooking School right now, so this video won't be in the pipeline anytime soon. I did a quick search online and here is a decent video on how to clean leeks. In terms of cutting, this all depends on what you are making. You can slice them across into half-moon shapes or lengthwise. You might want to check out the cooking school lesson on How to Cut Using a Chef's Knife. There are some great pointers in there on how to handle almost any ingredient. Hope this helps! Cheers!

Thanks for your detailed response, Kimberly. I came across that video a few days ago and thought he did a great job of explaining where and why dirt accumulates between the leaves and how to clean the leek, although I wished he had better explained which part is inedible (yet usable for stock). From the video at the 50 seconds mark it almost looks like the cut he made was arbitrary, as both halves have dark green leaves. What are your thoughts on where the inedible part of the leek starts? Thank you again; I am truly grateful to learn from Rouxbe and its chefs. It's a phenomenal school and has brought my cooking to another level in only a few short months.

Glad to hear you are enjoying Rouxbe. Both the white and green parts of leeks are edible; however, the very dark green parts are often not eaten because they are too tough. They still have lots of flavor though and shouldn't be wasted. This is why they are often added to stocks. They can also be blanched and used to line steamer baskets or anywhere that you want to infuse some leek flavor. Test it for yourself. Cut a few strips down the different parts of the leek and taste it. You'll see the difference in texture. It's all about getting to know your ingredient and experimenting. Cheers!

Great ideas! I can't wait to get myself a leek to do the tasting experiment =)

We made this for lunch today and it was delicious, even though I could point out where I could use some improvements. I am starting to learn how to create these soup flavors and textures. I only had two leeks, and I probably used a little too much potato, so next time I'll fix that ratio to be more on the leeky side. Other than that we added bacon bits, and we think that some small toasted croutons would also be good. Sharing a good meal is just such a great thing, and that's what cooking is all about for me :)

My first ever Vichyssoise! Wow! I made this ahead of time tonight with plans to serve it with lunch tomorrow. It smelled amazing, and the unanimous decision was to serve it immediately. This was fun to make with outstanding results... and definitely a great way to impress guests.

I didn't know I wasn't supposed to eat the dark green part of the leek (wasn't following directions as well as I should have). So I sliced it extremely thin and used it as a garnish. Tt tasted so good with the crunch, we kept putting in more. Who knew? Thanks Rouxbe. I'm becoming a fabulous cook because of you!!

Hello Rouxbe team, Do you think I can substitute green onions for leeks in this recipe ? I love potato soup but I don't have any leeks and plenty of green onions. Thank you, Happy eats :)

Since green onions impart a stronger flavour than leeks, it won't taste the same, and will essentially be Green Onion & Potato Soup...but otherwise, it should work fine. You will miss the delicate flavours of the leeks, so I would suggest that the next time you see leeks at the supermarket, you grab a few so you can try this amazing dish as it is meant to be. Happy leek hunting! :-)

Made the soup and it was excellent until-----My wife pointed out that it was a bit gritty and, therefore, she gave me an F. Just started Chicken and Dumplings. Trimmed the leeks dark green leaves and the root. Sliced the remaining down the middle and separated the leaves - found dirt deep within the layers of leaves.

Yep Ivan, I'm also a "learn by my mistakes"...it's still fun!

You are not alone Ivan. Many of us have done it once—I say "once" because that's all it takes to never do that again. Welcome to the gritty leek club :-)

Hi, When the recipe called for cutting the veggi, in this case, onions and leeks very fine, I often wonder if I can just put those in the food processor and chop to fine bites before cooking since they will be purée later. Will this change the final flavor or texture? I love this soup and wish can do it more often, but it often takes me long time to cut the leeks!

Could I use leftover mashed potatoes for this recipe? If so, when would I add them?

Kalyn: I make Vichyssoise a lot, and though I haven't tried making Vichyssoise with left-over potatoes, I see no reason why it shouldn't work. I have used already cooked potatoes successfully with clam chowder and other starch-based soups and have a couple of hints to offer: 1. Vichyssoise needs to be silky smooth. With a high-speed blender like a Vitamix or a Blendtec, you'll have no problem. If using a normal blender, you may need to blend smaller batches for a longer period of time in order to achieve the same smoothness. 2. Add the left-over potatoes at the same time as specified in the recipe. Since the potatoes are already cooked, you won't need to simmer the soup for the full 10 minutes specified. Just simmer them long enough to fully incorporate the potatoes into the soup before blending. (probably not more than a minute) 3. If using COLD mashed potatoes, it is helpful to loosen them up a bit before adding them to the soup by microwaving them until they are warmed through. 4. You will likely need to adjust the amount of stock used in the recipe to account for the stiffness/absorption of the potatoes being used. 5. Your mashed potatoes will likely already have some milk and/or butter in them (which won't cause a problem since the recipe uses cream) but you may have to adjust the recipe a little to get the consistency and creaminess just right.

Leigh- Wow, I just read over this twice and you captured a lot here. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this - very practical. ~Ken

Just to [very deferentially :) ] update Kimberley S`s response to "Cleaning Leeks" higher up - the video which Kimberley has linked to is now a "Private video" on YouTube.However, here is another (2016) link which seems to be quite good. : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njMtD7Hnlb8

I just made this Vichyssoise for my final task 438 the Canape' Party! I will serve it chilled in shooter glasses, garnished with chives. I'd just like to say that I added a bit of mace (outer skin of the nutmeg) to my recipe and it made a world of difference in the taste. I highly recommend this little addition . Buon appetito!

I'm planning on making this over the weekend using farmer's market picks this week. Thank you for adding the weights of potato and leeks. very helpful since i plan to make a smaller batch.

Hi Mavis. Farmer's market fresh vichyssoise sounds like a dream come true! Enjoy! Lauren

This soup is quite tasty and was easy to pull together! I did serve immediately (warm) but I look forward to making again and serving chilled. I chose not to add cashew cream in the final step because my soup was plenty thick (I added an extra 1/2 cup of vegetable stock to thin out). I did, however, garnish the soup with a dollop of cashew sour cream and fresh chives. I thought the cashew sour cream and fresh chives helped this soup become balanced and delicious. I felt like the soup is a bit heavy and needed a bit of acid and freshness (and that is exactly what the cashew sour cream and chives brought). A Vitamix (or any high speed blender) really makes achieving the velvety smooth texture a breeze and doesn't require the pass through a sieve either. I've always loved Vichyssoise in restaurants, but thought it would be too difficult to make at home. You proved me wrong Rouxbe and I'm excited to add this to my regular repertoire! Thank you!

Hi Sunnie--thanks for your kind words, and your very descriptive posts. Vichyssoise is a wonderful dish, and I rather like it as a shooter during a small apps gathering. This is a very versatile dish with many ways to serve it to guests and family members. Happy cooking! -Char

I just made this soup and I love it! It's so easy, but filled with flavor. And, when plated with the chopped chives, looks so elegant. I'm excited to make it for others!

I just made this soup and I love it! It's so easy, but filled with flavor. And, when plated with the chopped chives, looks so elegant. I'm excited to make it for others!

I just made this soup and I love it! It's so easy, but filled with flavor. And, when plated with the chopped chives, looks so elegant. I'm excited to make it for others!

Hi Donna: If you are serving soup at the holidays, this might be a fun addition. It has an elegant appearance, and delicious flavors! Great to hear! Cheers, Char

For a healthier version: Can you do a dry sauté with the leeks and onion to cut down on some of the fat?

Hi Kate, Absolutely! Cheers, Sandy

Okay thank you!

how much fresh or dried chives do you recommend i use?how much can i reduce the butter down to without losing flavour?thank you.

Hi Jack: there is a method of doing a no-oil saute for the ingredients. Many people skip the non-dairy butter, and rely on the caramelization for flavor. As for the herbs—that is totally up to you. Thanks, Char

I'm posting this question again because the original poster didn't get an answer and I'm curious too... Hi, When the recipe called for cutting the veggi, in this case, onions and leeks very fine, I often wonder if I can just put those in the food processor and chop to fine bites before cooking since they will be purée later. Will this change the final flavor or texture? I love this soup and wish can do it more often, but it often takes me long time to cut the leeks!

Great question, and vital to creating a Vichyssoise. Sweating is about gently coaxing sweet flavors out of vegetables through slow, careful cooking. A food processor does the opposite. It violently smashes the vegetables and releases harsh, bitter flavors before you even start cooking. You'd be starting with damaged vegetables, and that will never taste as good as Vichyssoise should, no matter how well/properly you cook them afterward. Harold McGee explains in On Food and Cooking that "mechanical damage to onion cells determines flavor intensity". He writes, "The more cells that are broken, the stronger the flavor will be." When you crush onions and leeks in a food processor, you rupture many more cells than knife cutting does, releasing excessive harsh sulfur compounds. Once those bitter flavors are released, you can't remove them. They'll stay in your soup and ruin the delicate, sweet taste of a Vichyssoise. I hope you continue to love this soup and now understand that the knife skills you apply are actually one of the reasons it tastes so good.