Vichyssoise with Garlic Chips and Garlic Oil

Photo by Robyn Maguire / Styled by Catrine Kelty

Vichyssoise is a classic spring soup, taking advantage of the early onion crop paired with winter storage potatoes. It’s remarkably adaptable: You can serve it hot or cold, use leeks or onions or scallions, even green garlic; any way you make it, it’s delicious and deeply flavorful. The key here again is fresh, spring milk from a local farm, like High Lawn Farm in Lee or Crescent Ridge in Sharon. Vichyssoise blends old and new—storage potatoes, spring onions, blended with fresh dairy.

Serves 4

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 pounds spring onions, sliced (white and light green parts only; reserve the greens for garnish)
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and cut in ½-inch cubes
2½ cups chicken stock, plus more as needed
½ cup whole milk
¾ cups heavy cream
sliced spring onion tops (greens), for serving
fried garlic chips, for serving (see recipe below)
garlic oil, for serving (see recipe below)

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat; add the sliced spring onions and season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are very soft, 8–10 minutes.

Stir in potatoes and broth; season with salt.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are very tender, 20–25 minutes. Working in batches, transfer mixture to a blender and purée until smooth, adding more liquid as needed. Transfer to a large bowl; whisk in milk and ½ cup cream; season to taste with salt. Cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours and up to 2 days. Stir in remaining cream, then ladle into bowls and serve drizzled with more cream.

Sprinkle with sliced spring onion tops, fried garlic chips, garlic oil and more freshly ground black pepper before serving.

GARLIC CHIPS AND GARLIC OIL
Spring garlic is among the first vegetables to emerge at farm stands. Young, delicious, fresh—it has a beautiful flavor. Making crispy garlic chips is simple; the key is to slice the garlic really thinly using a mandoline. You can add these garlic chips to salads, soups, snacks—they are a fun, bright addition to your larder. An extra bonus is the leftover garlic oil; save it for use in other recipes—as a dressing, a garnish, a marinade. Be sure to use really good olive oil here; I love Lidrivio, which is a secret gem imported by a North Shore family that has been pressing oil for generations from their orchards in Greece.

Serves 4

6 garlic cloves, peeled, sliced into ⅛-inch slivers
½ cup olive oil

Set a fine-meshed strainer over a small heatproof bowl and line a small plate with a paper towel. Set aside.

Add the oil and garlic slices to a small pan and place over medium heat. Use a heatproof spatula to spread the garlic slices into a thin, even layer.

Reduce the heat to medium-low, letting the garlic slowly simmer in the pan. Continue cooking the garlic, stirring continuously with a heatproof spatula and flipping the slices periodically, for about 2–3 minutes or until the garlic slices are golden brown in color.

Working quickly, carefully pour the garlic chips and oil into the strainer over the bowl to drain and reserve the garlic oil. Transfer the drained garlic chips to the paper-towel- lined plate, separating them into a single layer to soak up any excess oil. Allow to cool completely before using or storing. Pour the garlic oil into a small jar and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

This recipe appeared in the Spring 2021 issue as part of a larger story called “Printemps en Provence: A Sunday Lunch Menu.”