"Vichyssoise" (mentioned in The Quiet Professor).....3 recipes take your pick!

 Good Grief!! There are tons of recipes out there for vichyssoise and each is just a tad different than the other. So I picked these three which are similar but have some obvious differences. I say we make all three and see which we like better!

(if you're wondering why I'm looking for Vichyssoise recipes check out my "A Meal with The Quiet Professor" post) 

Vichyssoise (recipe found at allrecipes.com)

Ingredients

• 2 leeks, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup thinly sliced potatoes
• 2 1/3 cups chicken stock
• salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste
• 1 1/8 cups heavy whipping cream 

1. Gently sweat the chopped leeks and the chopped onion in butter or margarine until soft, about 8 minutes. Do NOT let them brown.
2. Add potatoes and stock to the saucepan. Salt and pepper to taste; do not overdo them! 
3. Bring to the boil, and simmer very gently for 30 minutes.
4. Puree in a blender or food processor until very smooth.
5. Cool.
6. Gently stir in the cream before serving.

.... this version of Vichyssoise is from about.com I picked it because it used premade items and had a little twist:  Vichyssoise is a classic French cold soup, made quicker and easier with frozen potatoes. And a sweet potato adds a little extra color and nutrition.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 leeks, white part only, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1./8 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1 (16-ounce) package frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
• 1 cup chopped canned sweet potato, if desired
• 2 cups water
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup tiny frozen peas, thawed and drained
• 1/4 cup chopped chives

Preparation:

Place butter in a large soup pot over medium low heat.

Immediately add the leeks, onion, and garlic. 

Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

Cook, stirring, until vegetables are soft; do not let them brown. Add thyme, potatoes, sweet potato (if using), water, and chicken broth and bring to a simmer over medium high heat.
Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Using an immersion blender, puree the soup.
Pour into a large glass pitcher or glass bowl.
Stir in heavy cream, cover, and chill until cold, at least 6 hours.
To serve, ladle into chilled bowls and garnish with peas and chives.
Serves 8



 My final recipe is by Cooking Mama. I found it at Delish.com . 

POTATO, LEEK AND FENNEL SOUP
Your chopping technique doesn't matter here—you are going to puree this soup. And don't be put off by the pungent, black-licorice-smell of the raw fennel.  When it's cooked, it mellows and adds a nice sweetness to the soup.

• 1/2 stick unsalted butter
• 2 glugs olive oil
• 2 leeks, white and light green stem only, cleaned and chopped (reserve dark green leaves for stock)
• 2 fennel bulbs, white bulbs only, outer layer removed, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic
• 4 medium waxy potatoes, scrubbed (peeling optional, I don't)
• 1 box free-range chicken broth (+ more to thin soup if desired)
• half and half, at least a quart (you'll use a pint plus a little more to taste)
• salt and pepper
• creme fraiche and chives for garnish

In a heavy-bottom soup pot, melt butter and oil over medium-high heat.
When butter is foamy add the leeks, fennel, and garlic plus a pinch of salt.
Let the veggies sweat until they are softened, about 10 minutes.
Stir occassionally and if butter starts to brown, reduce heat a touch.
Meanwhile, chop potatoes into 1-inch cubes.
Add potatoes to the pot along with the box of chicken broth.
Bring to a boil and then reduce heat, cover and let simmer until potatoes are cooked though, about 20 minutes or so.
Remove from heat. Stir in a pint of half-and-half and then puree the soup completely with a stick blender.

Important: If you use a regular blender let soup cool completely first.

If the soup starts to go all gluey as you puree it, keep adding splashes of half-and-half (or milk or water or broth or a combination) until soup returns to a velvety consistency.
Taste for salt and pepper.
Refrigerate.
Serve very cold in chilled bowls with a dollop of creme fraiche, Greek yogurt or sour cream (if you like) and snipped chives.