Zucchini Vichyssoise

I love leeks. I love potatoes. I love soup. So it comes as no huge shock that I love Vichyssoise. When I got both of those things in the produce box last week I was super thrilled and immediately thought of making it. But I deferred, I said to myself: The who purpose of this is try things and experiment. So I started looking around for recipes with leeks. I was truly tempted to make leek confit and serve it with salmon... but I didn't. Then it was getting to be a while and soup seemed more logical since my leeks were less than pristine. So I thought I'll make Vichyssoise after all, but I'll look around and see if there is any different spin on it I can try. 

This was so so so good, not to mention really pretty looking! Once the zucchini purees it's almost like there are spices in the soup, there's these nice green flecks that just look lovely against the creamy potato. The other thing I really like about this recipe is that it's a little more practical than making a traditional Vichyssoise. Let's face it: Creme Fraiche is expensive and a freaking hassle to find. So most people normally fake it by mixing half and half or cream with sour cream. This was a nice departure from that. Especially since sour cream inevitably goes bad in my fridge unless I can also plan to make Mexican food. Now I have half and half  for my  tea and I don't feel quite so wasteful.

As to taste, I'm not sure that the zucchini added a ton of flavor, it was subtle, especially paired with something as potent as leeks. But it's a really good soup that I'm going to be eating for the next few days and that is NOT a problem for me! :P I've been serving it warm, it's not quite hot enough yet in Seattle for chilled soups, it's just as good warm as it is cold!

Bottom Line: 4.5 Stars

Zucchini Vichyssoise
Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 pound large leeks (white and pale green parts only), thinly sliced (about 2 1/2 cups)
8 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 pound zucchini, cut into 1-inch rounds
4 1/2 cups (or more) canned low-salt chicken broth
2 cups half and half
Chopped fresh chives

Method
Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add leeks and garlic; sauté until tender, about 6 minutes. Add potatoes and zucchini; sauté 5 minutes. Add 4 1/2 cups broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Cool 30 minutes.
Working in batches, puree soup in blender. Transfer soup to large bowl. Mix in half and half. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until cold, about 4 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated. Before serving, thin with additional broth, if necessary.)
Ladle soup into bowl. Sprinkle with chives and serve.