This creamy yet creamless potato and leek vegan vichyssoise is my vegan interpretation of vichyssoise, which by definition and tradition would be a cold leek and potato puree made with butter and cream.
There’s really no reason to use butter or cream when you can enjoy this delicious completely plant-based vichyssoise with a whole lot less calories!
Vichyssoise, pronounced vihsh-ee-SWAHZ, is a classic French soup served cold. Traditional vichyssoise recipes begin with sautéing the veggies in butter instead of olive oil, and they have you stir in heavy cream, sour cream or yogurt after the puree has chilled.
New potatoes aka red potatoes will make the creamiest soup, but it doesn’t matter that much. If you have the starchier russet potatoes or Yukon golds, use them. You want vichyssoise to be creamy white, so sweet potatoes or purple potatoes would not be a good choice.
White miso adds the umami dimension to this vegan vichyssoise. Simply dissolve the miso in some hot water while the vegetables cook, and then stir in the miso and water mixture after you turn off the heat.
Tip: Miso loses flavor and much of its beneficial probiotic qualities when boiled, so make sure your vegan vichyssoise doesn’t boil after adding the miso. Read more about miso here.
This recipe takes advantage of the potatoes and leeks we found in our CSA farm share box. The potatoes were a new potato varietal called Warba, a very early season maturing potato that’s round with white skin that has deep red eyes and white flesh.
I specify new potatoes in this recipe because they’re the closest to the Warba potato, but really, any white-fleshed potato will make darn delicious creamy vegan vichyssoise.
An immersion blender (affiliate link) makes short work of the puree business. Simply place the immersion blender in the soup pot and whir away.
No immersion blender? Carefully transfer a couple cups of the hot liquid to the blender. Blend until smooth, then pour back into the cooking pot. Repeat until all the liquid has been pureed. ***If you puree the broth and vegetables all at once, it’s likely the blender lid will pop off and spill hot potatoes and leeks all over your kitchen counter.
Savor this soup chilled on summer’s lovely warm days, or warm yourself on chilly days by serving it hot! If you serve it hot, technically it wouldn’t be vichyssoise, which is a chilled French soup made with tons of cream.
Vegan or not, be sure to sound the “s” at the end–even though you may have heard it mispronounced ve-she-SWAH, it’s a French soup and it’s pronounced vee-she-SWAHZ.
Here are some more creamy vegan soups you might enjoy:
- Vegan Southwestern Cauliflower Soup.
- Turmeric Curry Carrot Soup.
- Chayote Chile Soup, made with the pear-shaped light green squash.
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Creamy Vegan Vichyssoise with Potatoes and Leeks
Ingredients
- 6 each new potatoes about 1 1/4 pounds
- 3 each leeks (see note)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup white wine
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon white miso (see note)
- 1 cup hot water
- Sliced avocado and chopped chives , for garnish
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into ½-inch cubes. Wash the leeks well. Trim and discard the dark green parts. Cut them in half down the center, checking for any remaining dirt. Slice the leeks into thin half rings.
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan on medium flame. Add the vegetables and cook and stir them for several minutes, until the leeks have softened. Add the salt and pepper.
- Stir in the white wine. If you are including the white miso, add only 3 cups of the vegetable broth; otherwise add 4 cups of vegetable broth to the potatoes and leeks.
- Cover the pot. Turn down the heat so the liquid stays at a simmer and cook until the potatoes are very tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Alternatively, use a pressure cooker or Instant Pot and cook under pressure 5 minutes. Use the quick release method. (See note.)
- Puree the hot liquid, potatoes and leeks directlly in the cooking pot using an immersion blender. If you don't have an immersion blender, puree the broth and vegetables in a blender, about 2 cups at time, with caution.
- To finish the soup, dissolve the miso in 1 cup hot water and stir into the pureed potatoes and broth. Season to taste with more salt and white pepper.
- Refrigerate, or stir over an ice bath until very cold. Serve garnished with the avocado and/or chives.
Notes
Nutrition
Creamy Vegan Vichyssoise with Potatoes and Leeks
Ingredients
- 6 each new potatoes about 1 1/4 pounds
- 3 each leeks (see note)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup white wine
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon white miso (see note)
- 1 cup hot water
- Sliced avocado and chopped chives , for garnish
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into ½-inch cubes. Wash the leeks well. Trim and discard the dark green parts. Cut them in half down the center, checking for any remaining dirt. Slice the leeks into thin half rings.
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan on medium flame. Add the vegetables and cook and stir them for several minutes, until the leeks have softened. Add the salt and pepper.
- Stir in the white wine. If you are including the white miso, add only 3 cups of the vegetable broth; otherwise add 4 cups of vegetable broth to the potatoes and leeks.
- Cover the pot. Turn down the heat so the liquid stays at a simmer and cook until the potatoes are very tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Alternatively, use a pressure cooker or Instant Pot and cook under pressure 5 minutes. Use the quick release method. (See note.)
- Puree the hot liquid, potatoes and leeks directlly in the cooking pot using an immersion blender. If you don't have an immersion blender, puree the broth and vegetables in a blender, about 2 cups at time, with caution.
- To finish the soup, dissolve the miso in 1 cup hot water and stir into the pureed potatoes and broth. Season to taste with more salt and white pepper.
- Refrigerate, or stir over an ice bath until very cold. Serve garnished with the avocado and/or chives.
Made this last night when our south Texas temps reached almost 100. It is an easy and delicious soup, perfect on a hot day. Thanks for a keeper recipe! · 6 June, 2018
Thank you Jeanne. What a delight to know that the recipe came out perfectly for you! · 6 June, 2018
How about some quantities? 3 or 4 potatoes? Tell me how many ounces or grams of potatoes I need!!! · 7 May, 2022
Thank you Madeleine. I hear your frustration. I’ve updated the recipe with more accurate amounts of potatoes and leeks. · 9 May, 2022