I grew up watching Jacques on TV every weekend instead of cartoons, often for hours on end. I consider those early years the foundation of my culinary inspiration, and in a sense, my most formal classic training. Recipes like this vichyssoise bring me back to the very first moments in my life when I thought to myself “this is where I belong.”

Watercress Vichyssoise

Category

Category name

Serves

4-6

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium white or yellow onion, diced
  • 3 leeks, washed and chopped, green tops discarded
  • 1½ pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 8 cups vegetable stock
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 pound watercress, cleaned, with thick, woody stems removed
  • Salt to taste
  • Watercress sprigs, for garnish

Optional Garnishes

  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Sour cream
  • Crispy, fried shallots
  • Lemon zest

Method

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over low-medium heat. Add the leeks and onion and sweat, stirring, until translucent and tender, about 20 minutes. Do not allow the onions to brown.
  2. Add the potatoes, some salt, and the stock, and bring to a simmer. Cover, and simmer until the onions and potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the cream.
  3. Transfer the soup to a blender and blend the entire mixture until smooth; this will need to be done in batches. Cover and allow to cool completely (overnight if possible). Taste and adjust the seasoning. I like to adjust the salt after it’s cooled because salinity perception varies greatly when food is hot or cold.
  4. When ready to serve, place about ⅓ of the soup back in the blender, add the watercress, and blend until smooth. Combine the watercress mixture with the remaining soup.
  5. To serve: ladle the soup into chilled bowls; garnish with watercress leaves and drizzle with olive oil. Serve immediately.