Vichyssoise
Silky chilled leek and potato soup enriched with double cream — make ahead and elegant for summer lunches or as a cool dinner starter with chives.
Vichyssoise is that elegant chilled soup that makes summer lunches feel fancy without fuss. It’s basically leeks and potatoes softened into a cloud of cream — deceptively simple and utterly silky.
Make it ahead for dinner parties: flavours settle and the texture gets even smoother after a night in the fridge. Serve well chilled with a scatter of snipped chives for that picture-perfect finish.
Ingredients
- 3 large leeks — white and light green parts only, rinsed and sliced
- 700 g floury potatoes — peeled and cut into 2cm chunks
- 40 g unsalted butter
- 15 ml olive oil
- 1 bay leaf
- 900 ml chicken stock — hot
- 100 ml double cream
- 200 ml whole milk
- sea salt — to taste
- black pepper — freshly ground, to taste
- nutmeg — a small pinch, freshly grated
- 10 g fresh chives — snipped for garnish
Equipment
- blender (immersion or countertop)
- fine-mesh sieve
- measuring jug
Instructions
Trim the leeks: discard the dark green tops, halve lengthways, slice the white and light green parts thinly and rinse thoroughly to remove grit.
Place a large saucepan over a medium hob, melt the unsalted butter with the olive oil. Add the sliced leeks and the bay leaf and sweat very gently until soft and translucent, about 12 minutes. Do not brown.
Add the floury potatoes to the pan, pour in the hot chicken stock to cover, bring to a low simmer, cover with a lid and cook until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, about 18 minutes.
Remove and discard the bay leaf. Allow the soup to cool in the pan for 10 minutes so it is safer to blend.
Blend the soup until completely smooth. Use a stick blender in the pan, or transfer in batches to a countertop blender—if using a jug blender, vent the lid and blend in short pulses to release steam.
Return the purée to the pan (if needed) and stir in the double cream and whole milk. Warm gently for 1–2 minutes to combine, then taste and season with sea salt, black pepper and a small pinch of nutmeg — season lightly as flavours concentrate when chilled.
Pass the soup through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl for extra silkiness (optional). Cover and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours, preferably longer, until properly cold.
Before serving, taste and adjust seasoning. Ladle into chilled bowls, garnish with snipped fresh chives and a small swirl of extra double cream or a grind of black pepper.
Tips
- Wash leeks thoroughly after slicing—sand hides between the layers and will make the soup gritty if not removed.
- Sweat the leeks slowly; any browning alters the delicate sweet flavour that defines vichyssoise.
- When blending hot soup in a jug blender, vent the lid, hold it down with a tea towel and blend in short bursts to avoid splashes.
- Chill the soup for at least 4 hours; overnight is better — the flavours meld and the texture firms to the correct silky, cold finish.
- If the chilled soup feels too thick, whisk in a little cold milk or stock until it reaches the right consistency.
Substitutions
chicken stock → vegetable stock, same quantity
Stays closedouble cream → single cream or crème fraîche, same quantity (expect a thinner or tangier finish)
Noticeably differentwhole milk → unsweetened oat milk, same quantity (slightly different mouthfeel)
Noticeably differentunsalted butter → use an extra 15 ml olive oil instead of the butter, same total fat
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 436
- Calories
- 8 g
- Protein
- 44 g
- Carbs
- 25 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 600 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I serve vichyssoise warm?
Yes — warm leek and potato purée is still delicious, but once chilled it becomes the classic vichyssoise. If serving warm, do not add cream until the end and heat gently.
How long will it keep in the fridge?
Stored in an airtight container, it will keep chilled for up to 3 days. Stir well before serving and re-season if needed.
Can I freeze vichyssoise?
Freezing is possible but the cream may separate on thawing, altering texture. Freeze in portions and thaw in the fridge, then whisk vigorously or blend to re-emulsify.
How do I make this vegetarian?
Use good-quality vegetable stock instead of chicken stock; the result stays close to the original in flavour.
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