Vichyssoise Soup, Potato and Leek

I grew up with this soup and it is still a favourite - velevt smooth and so warming. I make it especially when I see leeks in season and well priced, a perfect autumnal meal. You must add the chives for the extra kick is perfect. I like the soup smooth and silky so I always push it through a sieve, however you can choose a more rustic version by skipping that step, and if you add less milk it will be a thicker soup as well.

Pictured: Vichyssoise Soup, Potato and Leek

2 onions, roughly diced
500-600g leeks (after chopping off the ends), washed and sliced
250g potato, sliced (I like Dutch cream potatoes)
A good knob of butter plus a good glug of light olive oil
½ cup white wine
600ml vegetable stock
Salt and pepper (preferable white pepper to avoid speckling the lovely smooth soup)
400-500ml milk
4 tbsp single cream
Chopped chives to serve

Prepare all the vegetables.

In a large saucepan, throw in the butter, oil, onion and leeks, when starting to sizzle turn heat down to low, cover the pot with a lid and let the vegetables “sweat” for 10 minutes to soften.

Add the wine, stock, potato, salt and pepper and bring to the boil, then simmer until the potato is tender.

Blend the soup til smooth, then push through a sieve – this is worth doing as the soup becomes velvet smooth.

Pour the soup back into a clean saucepan to warm up with the milk and half the cream.

You can put the soup in the fridge and serve cold as it is traditionally, but I like to serve it warm, sprinkled with chives and marbled with the rest of the cream.

Delicious!

Serves 6