Since roast chicken can make for a heavy meal, we like to start with a small appetizer. Vichyssoise Shooters, a chilled potato, leek, and onion soup from Vichy, France, served in a non-traditional way, is a delicious alternative to more traditional appetizers and bridges the gap between the cocktail hour snacks and the main course.
We like to serve it in tall shot glasses for easy consumption and cleanup (they take up less space in the dishwasher!), and to save even more time, it can be made a few days in advance and garnished just before serving.
Quick tip: The soup can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.😉
yield: serves 6-8 in bowls, or 16-18 in shot glasses • prep time: 20 minutes • cook time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
1 Tbsp salted butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large leek, white part only, chopped into 1-inch pieces
½ large yellow onion, chopped into 1-inch pieces
2 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped in
2-inch pieces
1 Tbsp oregano leaves
1 tsp thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
3 cups chicken stock
¼ cup whipping (36%) cream, plus more for garnish (optional)
Sea salt and black pepper
1 Tbsp chopped chives
Method
- Melt the butter and the oil in a small stockpot over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and add the leeks and the onions.
- Cook until the leeks are soft and the onions are translucent about 8 minutes. Add the potatoes, oregano, thyme, bay leaf, and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, until the potatoes are tender about 20 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and add the cream. Stir to incorporate then let cool. Once cooled, remove the bay leaf and purée the soup in a blender on high speed until completely smooth. You may need to do this in batches. Once smooth, transfer to a large bowl.
- Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper and serve cold or at room temperature in bowls or shot glasses. Garnish each serving with ¼ tsp cream, if desired, then sprinkle with a few chopped chives.
This is definitely an easy one to try at your next dinner!