Vichyssoise

Smooth, delicately flavoured vichyssoise is a classic French chilled potato soup that’s simple to make at home—and it’s also easy to make vegan!

Vichyssoise is a French soup known for its velvety, creamy consistency and delicate balance of flavours. Usually served cold as either a starter or light meal, vichyssoise is traditionally made from pureed leeks, onions, potatoes, cream, and chicken stock.

Making vichyssoise vegan gives this classic recipe a modern twist. Instead of traditional chicken stock, a rich vegetable stock adds different nuances to the flavour, while plant-based sour cream makes it creamy and adds a slight tang. The foundational ingredients—the leeks and potatoes—remain the same though, so there’s no mistaking this soup for anything else!

Why You’ll Love This Vichyssoise Recipe

• Simple perfection . With only a few ingredients, vichyssoise shows that sometimes less is more when it comes to achieving delicious results. Leave all the toppings for loaded potato soup —this is a soup where simplicity shines!
• Creamy and velvety . The smooth, creamy texture of this soup gives it a luxurious feel. This is not a chunky, hearty soup like vegetable minestrone !
• A taste of French cuisine . For those who appreciate French cuisine but struggle to find dishes that are vegan-friendly, vichyssoise offers a taste of classic French flavours in an accessible way.

Notes on Ingredients

Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.

• Vegan butter – You can use store-bought or homemade vegan butter .
• Leeks – You’ll only need the white parts for this recipe. The green parts can be used to make vegetable broth .
• Yellow onion
• Russet potatoes – To achieve the perfect smooth texture, you’ll need to peel these.
• Seasonings – Salt, dried thyme, dried marjoram, garlic powder, ground black pepper, and bay leaves.
• Vegetable stock
• Vegan sour cream – I love my vegan sour cream recipe, but store-bought is just fine too.
• Chopped fresh chives – For garnish.

What’s the Difference Between Vegetable Stock and Vegetable Broth?

The two terms are often used interchangeably, but there is a slight difference between vegetable stock and vegetable broth. Stock is typically made only from simmering vegetables in water, while broth is also seasoned with salt. You can use broth in this recipe instead of stock, just note that you may need less additional salt.

How to Make Vichyssoise

• Sauté the aromatics. Melt the vegan butter in a large pot set over medium heat. Add the leeks and onion, season with salt, and cook until they’re softened.
• Add the potatoes and seasonings. Stir the potatoes into the pot with the thyme, marjoram, garlic powder, pepper, and bay leaves.
• Simmer. Stir the stock into the pot, then turn the heat up to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low; simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Turn off the heat and discard the bay leaves.

• Blend. Transfer the soup to a blender and blend until smooth. Add the vegan sour cream and blend again to incorporate. Season to taste.
• Chill. Allow the soup to cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for an hour or two.
• Serve. Ladle the vichyssoise into bowls and garnish with chives.

Tips for Success

• Use a regular blender . For the smoothest consistency, use a regular blender to puree the soup, not an immersion blender . While immersion blenders are convenient, they tend to leave some lumps and chunks behind, which isn’t what we want for vichyssoise.
• Adjust the consistency. If the soup is too thick after blending, add a bit more vegetable stock or cold water to thin it out.
• Chill time is important . For the best texture and flavour, allow the vichyssoise to chill for at least 1-2 hours before serving. This allows the flavours to develop and the soup to thicken.

Variations

• Roasted garlic vichyssoise . For a deeper flavour, consider roasting a head of garlic and blending it into the soup. Roasted garlic adds a rich, caramelized depth.
• Herb-infused vichyssoise . Blend fresh herbs into the soup for a light green hue and vibrant flavour.
• Asparagus vichyssoise . Add fresh or frozen asparagus during the last few minutes of cooking time.

Serving Suggestions

Vichyssoise is often used as a starter for dinner parties and restaurant meals, but it’s also an excellent light lunch. Pair it with crusty bread, like this olive bread , or salad, like my easy vegan Caesar salad . For a French-inspired vegan meal, vichyssoise is also great with vegan quiche .

How to Store Leftovers

Leftover soup should be transferred to an airtight container and refrigerated immediately. It can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Stir well before serving, as it can separate a bit during storage.

Can I Freeze This Recipe?

Potatoes do not freeze well, so I don’t recommend freezing this vichyssoise recipe.

More Vegan Soup Recipes

• Vegan Cheeseburger Soup
• Cabbage Roll Soup
• Tomato Tortellini Soup
• Butternut Squash Soup
• Roasted Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegan butter , 28 grams
• 3 leeks , bulbs only, sliced
• 1 yellow onion , diced
• ½ teaspoon salt , 3 grams
• 4 russet potatoes , peeled and diced
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme , ½ gram
• ½ teaspoon dried marjoram , ⅓ gram
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder , 3 grams
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper , ½ gram
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cups vegetable stock , 950 ml
• ½ cup vegan sour cream , 113 grams
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Chopped fresh chives to garnish

Instructions

• In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the vegan butter over medium heat. Add the leeks and onion to the pot, season with salt, and sauté until softened and translucent.
• Stir the potatoes into the pot, along with the thyme, marjoram, garlic powder, pepper, and bay leaves. Stir to coat the veggies with the seasonings.
• Pour the vegetable stock into the pot and give everything a stir. Turn the heat up to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender. Turn off the heat and discard the bay leaves.
• Transfer the contents of the pot to a blender and blend until smooth. Add the vegan sour cream to the blender and blend until just incorporated.
• Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if desired.
• If your soup is thicker than you’d like, feel free to blend in a bit of extra vegetable stock.
• Allow the soup to cool to room temperature before sealing it in mason jars (or another airtight container) and chilling in the fridge for 1-2 hours or until cold.
• Serve chilled in bowls garnished with chopped chives.

Notes

Vichyssoise

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegan butter 28 grams
• 3 leeks bulbs only, sliced
• 1 yellow onion diced
• ½ teaspoon salt 3 grams
• 4 russet potatoes peeled and diced
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme ½ gram
• ½ teaspoon dried marjoram ⅓ gram
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder 3 grams
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper ½ gram
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cups vegetable stock 950 ml
• ½ cup vegan sour cream 113 grams
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Chopped fresh chives to garnish

Instructions

• In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the vegan butter over medium heat. Add the leeks and onion to the pot, season with salt, and sauté until softened and translucent.
• Stir the potatoes into the pot, along with the thyme, marjoram, garlic powder, pepper, and bay leaves. Stir to coat the veggies with the seasonings.
• Pour the vegetable stock into the pot and give everything a stir. Turn the heat up to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender. Turn off the heat and discard the bay leaves.
• Transfer the contents of the pot to a blender and blend until smooth. Add the vegan sour cream to the blender and blend until just incorporated.
• Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if desired.
• If your soup is thicker than you’d like, feel free to blend in a bit of extra vegetable stock.
• Allow the soup to cool to room temperature before sealing it in mason jars (or another airtight container) and chilling in the fridge for 1-2 hours or until cold.
• Serve chilled in bowls garnished with chopped chives.

Notes

Nutrition

Vichyssoise https://jessicainthekitchen.com/vichyssoise/ March 20, 2024

This 15-minute garlic mushrooms recipe makes the most savoury, succulent, flavourful mushrooms you’ve ever had—and you only need 5 ingredients to make them!

With their meaty texture and umami flavour, mushrooms are the original meat substitute for vegetarians. Before vegan chicken and veggie burgers were a thing, there were mushrooms! And these garlic mushrooms have that savoury, umami element in spades.

This garlic mushrooms recipe is so simple, with only a few easy steps. Sauté the garlic, add the mushrooms and cook until caramelized, then devour. You can handle this even on the busiest of weeknights!

Garlic mushrooms are an exceptional side dish for just about any meal, but you can also incorporate them into vegan main dishes like miso butter pasta or vegetable lasagna for some added meatiness. However you serve them, I know you’re going to love them!

Why You’ll Love This Garlic Mushrooms Recipe

• Just 5 ingredients . This isn’t the kind of recipe that calls for a long list of items! With just a handful of fresh ingredients and kitchen staples, you can make this flavourful side dish.
• Quick and easy . This recipe can be whipped up in just 15 minutes! It’s perfect for busy weeknights when you need a quick side.
• Versatile . These garlic mushrooms are delicious as a side but can also be used as a topping for pizza or added to other dishes.
• Flavourful . The combination of garlic and umami mushrooms is unbeatable! The garlic adds a punch of flavour while the mushrooms bring a deep, earthy element to the table.

Notes on Ingredients

Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.

• Vegan butter – You can use store-bought or homemade vegan butter .
• Mushrooms –Shiitake, cremini, or button mushrooms all work in this garlic mushrooms recipe.
• Salt – If your butter is already salted, you can add a bit less.
• Garlic – There’s plenty of garlic to give these mushrooms quite a kick!
• Fresh parsley – For an herbaceous finishing touch.

How to Make Garlic Mushrooms

• Melt the butter . In a skillet set over medium high heat, melt the butter.
• Add the mushrooms . Stir the mushrooms into the butter, along with a pinch of salt.
• Brown the mushrooms . Cook the mushrooms for 3 to 5 minutes on one side without moving them; turn the mushrooms over and brown the other side for another 3 to 5 minutes.

• Add the garlic . Lower the heat to medium and stir in the garlic. Cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until the garlic is fragrant.
• Finish . Stir in the parsley and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove from heat, garnish with additional parsley, and serve.

Tips for Success

• Let the mushrooms brown . This doesn’t just give them colour, but also more depth of flavour. Don’t disturb them as they cook to allow the browning process to happen.
• Don’t overcrowd the pan . Make sure there is enough space for each mushroom to get a good, even sear and to keep the mushrooms from steaming.
• Use fresh garlic . It’s much more pungent than garlic powder.

Variations

• Try another herb . Thyme, rosemary, chives, and sage also work well with the flavour of these garlic mushrooms.
• Spice it up . Add some red pepper flakes for a spicy kick.
• Make it creamy . Stir in a bit of vegan cream cheese at the end; the result is excellent for serving over mashed potatoes or pasta.
• Add shallot . Dice a shallot and caramelize it in the butter before adding the mushrooms.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve the mushrooms over a bowl of Instant Pot risotto with vegan Parmesan for garnish.
• Add the mushrooms to pasta dishes like vegan garlic Alfredo pasta or vegan spaghetti and meatballs for a savoury boost.
• Use as a topping for vegan pizza .
• Incorporate garlic mushrooms into meal bowls, like this nourishing vegan Buddha bowl .

How to Store Leftovers

To store leftover garlic mushrooms, transfer them to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. To reheat, simply warm them in a skillet over medium heat; you can also use a microwave, but the stovetop produces better results.

Can I Freeze This Recipe?

Freezing garlic mushrooms is possible, but their texture may change upon thawing and reheating. If you do decide to freeze them, they’ll keep in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, then reheat according to the instructions above.

More Savoury Vegan Mushroom Recipes

• Stuffed Mushrooms with Coconut Bacon
• Sticky Sesame Shiitake Mushrooms
• Moo Goo Gai Pan
• Creamy Coconut Spinach and Mushroom Quinoa
• Vegan Pulled Mushroom Sandwiches

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons vegan butter , salted
• 1 pound mushrooms , sliced, I love using shiitake, Cremini or button mushrooms
• pinch salt , if using unsalted butter, increase this to a heavy pinch
• 5 cloves garlic , finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley , chopped

Instructions

• In a pan over medium high heat, heat the vegan butter until melted.
• Add the mushrooms, and the pinch of salt to the pan. Using a spatula, swirl all the ingredients together.
• Let the mushroom mixture cook for about 3-5 minutes on one side without moving the mushrooms; this will allow it to caramelize a bit and produce a beautiful golden color.
• Turn the mushrooms over and let brown on the other side for another 3-5 minutes.
• Add the garlic and reduce to medium heat. The garlic should sizzle slightly when it hits the pan. Sauté the garlic for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, mixing everything together and watching to prevent the garlic from burning.
• Stir in 1 tablespoon of parsley into the mix, and heat through for another 30 seconds. Remove from heat, sprinkle over more parsley on top, serve and enjoy! You can eat this as a side by itself, or as an addition to another meal such as to a pasta or quinoa.

Notes