A French classic, this soup marries humble ingredients and well-executed technique to produce an excellent first course or a warming meal with cornbread on a cold winter night. When chilled, this is the famous vichyssoise, a great soup for a cool day. Omit the cream if you want a lighter soup.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4 to 6

　　2 tablespoons canola oil

　　2 tablespoons unsalted butter

　　2 stalks celery, finely diced

　　3 leeks, white and pale green parts, well washed, halved and thinly sliced into half-moons

　　2 shallots, chopped

　　2 cloves garlic, very finely chopped

　　2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

　　4 cups chicken stock (page 227) or low-fat, reduced-sodium chicken broth

　　Bouquet garni (1 bay leaf, preferably fresh, 2 sprigs of rosemary, 2 sprigs of thyme, 2 sprigs of flat-leaf parsley, 6 whole black peppercorns, tied together in cheesecloth)

　　1/4 cup heavy cream (optional)

　　Coarse salt and freshly ground white pepper

　　

Step 1

To prepare the soup, in a stockpot, heat the oil and butter over medium-low heat. Add the celery, leeks, and shallots. Cook until soft, about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, but do not brown. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 45 to 60 seconds. Add the potatoes, stock, and bouquet garni.

　　

Step 2

Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, decrease the heat to low, and simmer until the potatoes are tender, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the bouquet garni and discard.

　　

Step 3

To finish the soup, in the stockpot, using an immersion blender, puree the soup. Or, ladle the soup into a blender and puree until smooth a little at a time. Leave it coarse and chunky if you prefer a more rustic soup or puree until smooth for a more elegant soup. Stir in the cream. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. If needed, re-warm the soup over medium-low heat.

　　

leeks

Step 4

Leeks grow in sandy soil, are often dirty, and can be difficult to clean without the proper technique. (Chewing on a mouthful of grit is the gastronomical equivalent of nails on a chalkboard.) To clean a leek: using a chef’s knife, remove the hairy root end and dark green top. Halve the leek lengthwise, then slice crosswise into half-moons. Separate the half-moons with your fingers and place them in a sink or large bowl filled with cold water. Swish the slices around, letting the dirt fall to the bottom. Using your hands or a fine mesh sieve, scoop the leeks from the water, leaving the dirt at the bottom. Drain, clean, and refill the sink or bowl. Repeat the process until the leeks are clean and free of dirt. This method also works for greens and herbs.

　　From Bon Appétit, Y’all: Recipes and Stories From Three Generations of Southern Cooking, © 2008 by Virginia Willis. Reprinted by permission of Ten Speed Press. Buy the full book from Amazon or Abe Books.