Julia Child's Vichyssoise Soup

Julia Child's Vichyssoise Soup Sara Novak

Yesterday my husband turned the big 3-0. For his birthday I gave him Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking Volumes 1 and 2. He loves to cook almost as much as I do and he's somewhat of a perfectionist in the kitchen. For his birthday lunch we made Julia Child's Vichyssoise soup, which is a cold potato leek soup served with a bit of cream. The soup was spectacular, delicate and creamy but not overpowering.

And in terms of a Julia Child recipe, it was particularly simple. I love a seasonal cold soup when the weather heats up. It's a great low impact way to feed a crowd. Vichyssoise is a classically vegetarian dish, but at the same time, it's rich enough that a meat eater won't notice the difference. This soup will last in the fridge for days, so you can make a batch and then eat the leftovers. Julia Child says that it's great for a light lunch with a salad, fruit, or cheese. So that's what we did.

Yield

Serves 6

Ingredients

Preparation

1. Simmer the vegetables in the stock for 40 to 50 minutes, partially covered. Add salt
2. Blend with an immersion blender if you have one, or in batches with a regular blender.
3.  Run through cheese cloth to smooth out the consistency.
4. Take off the heat and add cream. Season again with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Garnish with chopped chives and serve.

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