Cold potato soup (vichyssoise) in its classic form comes close to perfection. It is velvety smooth and rich and the perfect start to a celebratory meal, especially a summer wedding. But classic recipes often include ingredients that I am reluctant to use such as lardons in pea soup and chicken stock in almost everything.
I stopped using chicken stock as a base for soup a few years ago. And I can't say I miss it. The commercial products have too much sodium (even the ones that say "reduced") and to make stock just to have it to add to a soup seems to be a waste of a perfectly good chicken soup.
So I usually start a soup with a whole lot of green vegetables, spices and some herbs to create the backbone for the dish. Usually this involves cloves and nutmeg since they "sing" on the tongue. But yesterday I wanted to create a very clean and simple soup from potatoes and celeriac (celery root). I think it was a success. I hope you make it!
BT's Cold Celeriac and Potato Soup
Ingredients:
1 large celeriac (celery root)
2 very large low-starch potatoes (Yukon Gold or Red Bliss)
1 large leek
1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
2 cloves fresh garlic
1 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 jalapeño (seeded and deveined)
2 tablespoons Pastis (any anisette)
5-6 sprigs fresh thyme
5-6 sprigs fresh dill
1/2 teaspoon lovage (optional)
1 cup (140 ml) whole milk
1/4 cup (60 ml) heavy cream
5 cups (1/25 l) filtered water
1 whole lemon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
ground black pepper
Directions:
Add oil and mustard seeds to heavy gauge cocotte
Turn flame on to medium
Wash leaks thoroughly and rough chop
When mustard seeds begin to pop add leeks
Sauté for 1 minute
Dice garlic and jalapeño and add to pot
Sauté for 2 minutes more
Add salt and several grinds of black pepper
Add pastis and reduce flame to medium low
Boil water and add to pot
Return flame to medium
Peel celeriac and potatoes and rough chop
Add to pot
Turn flame to high
When broth begins to boil add fresh thyme
Cover and reduce the flame to low
Simmer 20 minutes
Remove pot from flame and let cool 5 minutes
Purée soup with a wand blender
Let cool 15 minutes
Add milk and cream and stir
Zest and juice lemon
Add juice to soup
Taste for salt
Serve soup with finely diced dill and lemon zest and a grind of pepper
Enjoy! !בתיאבון
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