Vichyssoise Encore
Some say that vichyssoise, a cold potato-leek soup made with cream, was first made famous by chef Louis Diat at the Ritz-Carlton. This recipe for Vichyssoise Encore puts a thrifty twist on the classic. Make it after you've made a big batch of pesto, using the basil stems and parmesan rind as flavorings. (Now you see where the "encore" comes from.) Stir in some home-made yogurt and you have a luxurious, cool summer treat. Serve with black-bean and tomato salad for a complete meal.
Active time: 10 minutes. Total time: 40 minutes. Makes 4 servings, 1 cup each.
Ingredients
2 cups water
handful of basil stems
1 pound diced potatoes (3 cups)
1 medium onion, diced (1 cup)
parmesan cheese rind (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/2 cup plain yogurt
basil leaves or chives for garnish (optional)
Method
- In a medium pot, bring water to boil over high heat. Meanwhile, cut any brown ends from basil stems. If needed, cut stems once or twice so they will fit in the pot while still being large enough to remove easily later. Add basil stems to pot. Scrub potatoes, peel if not organic, then dice and put in pot. Peel onion, dice and add to pot. Add parmesan cheese rind, if available, and salt.
- When water boils, reduce heat to low so soup barely bubbles. Cook, covered, for about 15 minutes until potatoes and onions are tender.
- Remove from heat and let cool, then remove basil stems and cheese rind. Make soup smooth by processing it a few pulses in the food processor with the blade attachment, by putting it through a food mill, or simply by mashing it with a potato masher. You can choose between a very smooth, elegant soup or a fairly rough, peasant soup. Taste and add salt as needed.
- To serve, put in bowls and top each with 2 tablespoons of plain yogurt. Swirl yogurt in to make a nice pattern. Garnish with a few strips of basil leaf or chives if desired.
Tips and notes
- You can also serve this soup hot, which gets it to the table faster and turns it into comfort food.
- Before packing soup into a thermos for lunch, stir yogurt in to soup.
- Potato peels will color the soup, making it a bit tan. To get a whiter soup for a fancy occasion, peel potatoes before dicing.
