Vichyssoise

A lighter version of traditional French vichyssoise — chilled potato leek soup — with leeks and Yukon Gold potatoes.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
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Updated March 27, 2024
Elise Bauer
Vichyssoise
Elise Bauer

Summer has officially arrived, and with it, the dry summer heat for which Sacramento is so well known. Chilled soups were invented for hot days like these. Vichyssoise, a chilled creamy potato and leek soup, was introduced to Americans by French chef Louis Diat at the Ritz-Carlton in New York in the summer of 1917, to help keep patrons cool.

Chilled soups used to be a lot more popular than they are these days, especially before WWII and modern air conditioning.

Vichyssoise
Elise Bauer

The original Vichyssoise is a cream bomb, calling for a quart of broth, 2 cups of milk, and 3 cups of cream, for eight servings. Yikes. That's almost a half cup of cream per serving!

Our version is decidedly lighter, though still quite creamy because we use Yukon gold potatoes, which are naturally creamy potatoes (they make great mashed potatoes too).

The soup is really easy to make, doesn't use a lot of ingredients, and lasts for days.

The trick is serving temperature. It's great hot, though it is designed to be a chilled soup. I found the best serving temperature is just below room temp. Too cold and and the flavor from the butter, potatoes, and salt just disappears.

Vichyssoise

Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 60 mins
Total Time 75 mins
Servings 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 4 to 5 cups sliced leeks, cleaned (see How to Clean Leeks), white and pale green parts only (from about 4 large leeks)

  • 1 medium onion, chopped or sliced

  • 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped

  • 6 cups water (vegetarian option), or chicken stock

  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt (more to taste)

  • 1/2 cup sour cream

  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

  • Chopped fresh chives for garnish

Method

  1. Heat butter until it begins to brown:

    In a large (6-quart) pot, heat the butter on medium high heat until it melts and foams up. Continue to heat until the foam subsides a little and the butter just begins to brown.

  2. Sauté leeks and onions:

    Immediately toss in the sliced leeks and onions. Stir to coat with the butter. Cook for several minutes, reducing the heat to medium if necessary, until the leeks and onions are translucent and wilted.

    vichhyssoise-method-3
    Elise Bauer
    vichhyssoise-method-4
    Elise Bauer
  3. Add potatoes, water or stock, salt, bring to simmer:

    Add the chopped potatoes, salt, and water or stock. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Cook, partially covered for 30-40 minutes, until the potatoes are completely cooked through. Remove from heat.

  4. Purée until smooth:

    Purée using an immersion blender or working in batches, blend in a blender. (Careful! With hot liquids only fill the blender 1/3 of the way full, and hold the blender top on with your hand while blending.) Purée until completely smooth.

    If you want an even smoother soup, you can take the extra step of pressing the purée through a sieve with a rubber spatula.

  5. Cool and stir in sour cream and cream:

    Allow to cool a bit before stirring in the sour cream and whipping cream. Allow to cool completely and chill in the refrigerator. The soup should be served just below room temperature (maybe 65°F or 18°C). If it is too cold, it won't taste as good.

    Add more salt to taste. Serve garnished with chopped fresh chives.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
265 Calories
14g Fat
32g Carbs
4g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 265
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14g 18%
Saturated Fat 9g 43%
Cholesterol 41mg 14%
Sodium 350mg 15%
Total Carbohydrate 32g 12%
Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 15mg 76%
Calcium 75mg 6%
Iron 2mg 12%
Potassium 729mg 16%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.