Potato Leek Soup (a.k.a. Vichyssoise)

I made a big pot of this wonderful soup earlier in the week. It is comfort incarnate, especially when served hot, topped with a dollop of sour cream or crème fraîche, which is how I like it. Traditionally, vichyssoise is served cold but this is simply not the season for cold soups, at least not here in the northeast...

I've had potatoes on the brain because they were one of my aunt Maggie's favorite foods and a mainstay of her diet during the rough periods in her battle with lymphoma.

She grew her own spuds in the dirt of her ever-expanding garden in Putney, Vermont. She'd eat them baked with lots of butter or blended in potato leek soup in an effort to put some meat back on her tiny bones during rounds of chemotherapy when, as she said, "It is often harder not to throw up than to."

Maggie with a "heart potato" she grew.

I've been re-reading Maggie's emails and her postings on her CaringBridge site since she died and I've found so much wisdom, courage and sweetness in her words. This excerpt from an entry Maggie posted after her cancer returned is a poignant reminder not to sleepwalk through our precious lives, to be present even when things are difficult or painful.

think of all the things we take for granted (excuse my sounding like a hallmark card, but i am struck so often by these thoughts); just brushing teeth, rubbing cream on face, slicing apples for a pie, eating a bowl of coffee ice cream cold on tongue, feeling the road under my boots.....an endless sensory barrage that we don't even realize we are experiencing until it may be taken away; YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YA GOT TIL IT'S GONE, thank you joni mitchell. maggie

One of the things I love about cooking is experiencing the beauty of the ingredients. The unique color, shape and texture of each potato, the vivid chartreuse core you find when you cut into a leek, the crunchy, white crystals of Kosher salt, the thick, smooth surface on a cup of cream. It's a feast for the senses.

This is one of the simplest soups to make - you start by slicing the leeks and chopping the potatoes, then you saute the leeks in butter or oil.

Once they've softened, you add the cubed potatoes and saute a bit longer.

Then add the stock and bring it to a simmer until the potatoes are cooked through.

Then it's time to break out your trusty immersion blender - one of my top five favorite kitchen tools - and blend until smooth (or not, it's up to you so just blend until it reaches your desired consistency.)

Although I sometimes make this soup with chicken broth and cream, I made this batch with vegetable broth (I was making a batch at the same time from my frozen veggie scraps) and skipped the cream, making it vegan. It's good either way.

Top with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of fresh herbs - dill, fennel, thyme, marjoram - pretty much anything goes well.

-- print recipe --
Potato Leek Soup (Vichyssoise)
Serves 6

Ingredients

* 4 organic potatoes, cubed (peel them if you want a really smooth soup)
* 6 leeks, white parts only, washed well to remove any dirt or sand, and chopped
* 6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
* 1 cup of organic milk, 1/2 & 1/2 or cream (optional)
* 3 Tbsps olive oil or butter
* A generous handful of fresh herbs, rinsed and chopped (dill, fennel fronds, thyme, marjoram, cilantro, etc.)
* Sea salt to taste
* Freshly ground black pepper to taste
* Sour cream or crème fraîche (optional)

Directions

1. Heat the butter or oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and saute them until soft - about 4-5 minutes. Add the potatoes and continue to saute until softened, another 8-10 minutes.

2. Add the stock and bring to a simmer. Cook until the vegetables are completely softened, about 20 minutes. Add the milk or cream, if you're using it.

3. Puree the soup in the pot using an immersion blender (or in batches in the blender) until completely smooth or until it reaches your desired consistency.

4. Season to taste with the salt and pepper. Serve warm, topped with a dollop of sour cream or crème fraîche and a sprinkling of fresh herbs.

You might also like:

• Winter Squash & Pear Soup with Sage
• Potato Celeriac Gratin
• Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Garden Herbs & Garlic

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