In the States, cream soup usually conjures up images of thick, starchy soup with canned vegetables. But real cream soup, as made in France, is relatively thin, super-smooth, and fragrant with fresh vegetables and herbs. For convenience, you might prepare the vegetable puree ahead of time and refrigerate it; you can then finish the soup right before serving. Note that Vichyssoise, cold leek and potato soup, the variation that follows, is a direct descendant.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium low heat. As soon as it melts, add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Keep the heat moderate—you want the butter and leeks to remain pale in color. Meanwhile, cut the tomatoes in half through their equators, squeeze and shake out the seeds, then chop the pulp.
Step 2
Stir in the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes; add the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper and add the stock. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
Step 3
Using a food mill, an immersion blender, or an upright blender, puree the mixture until smooth, working in batches if necessary. (In this as in every instance, take care when pureeing hot liquid; it’s best, if you have the time, to let the mixture cool to room temperature before pureeing.) Reheat the soup (or refrigerate for up to a day before reheating); stir in the cream and additional salt and pepper as needed. If the soup seems too thick, thin it with cream or water. Garnish with chervil and serve immediately.
Vichyssoise
Step 4
Omit the tomatoes. Cook through the pureeing of the soup. Rather than reheat, cool the soup and then refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until completely chilled. Stir the cream into the chilled soup immediately before serving and garnish with snipped chives. (You can also serve this soup hot if you like.)
