In Japan, French restaurants are quite popular, and vichyssoise is a well known dish.  The summer in Japan are hot and humid, and when people go out to cafes they appreciate dishes that help cool them off.  Vichyssoise fits the bill perfectly- it’s savory and filling, the taste of potato and onion is absolutely delicious, the creamy consistency is almost that of a milkshake, and the soup will cool anybody off coming in after a day in the hot sun.

I usually always serve vichyssoise with a simple side salad with a lite citrus dressing and some crispy baguette slices that will allow me to soak up every last drop of this amazing soup.

The trick to a perfect puréed soup is to make sure that the soup is put into a food processor in small batches while still piping hot.  Be careful when opening up the blender or food processor as the air pressure will want to push the top off more quickly than you may be ready.  You can use an oven mitt or a towel to protect yourself from any spattering when you take the puréed soup out of the blender.

I like to use half and half cream because the soup is very rich as is; but if you like it even richer and thicker, you can substitute heavy cream.  I also like to cook with salted butter but it’s not a necessity.  You can use sweet butter and then let your guests add their own salt and pepper to taste.

This wonderful soup can be served at any temperature – hot, room temperature, or chilled.  I like it chilled the best- especially on hot days.  If you have never tried a chilled soup, give this easy recipe a try and I think you will be hooked.