vichyssoise

American  

[vish-ee-swahz, vee-shee-swahz] / ˌvɪʃ iˈswɑz, ˈvi ʃiˌswɑz /

noun

1. a cream soup of potatoes and leeks, usually served chilled and often garnished with chopped chives.

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vichyssoise British  

/ viʃiswaz /

noun

1. a thick soup made from leeks, potatoes, chicken stock, and cream, usually served chilled

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Etymology

Origin of vichyssoise

1915–20; < French ( crême ) vichyssoise (cream soup) of Vichy

Explanation

Vichyssoise is a creamy, rich potato and leek soup that's usually served cold. If you're hungry for something other than salad on a hot summer day, you should try making some vichyssoise. The history of this soup is uncertain. One story attributes it to the French king Louis XV, who was terrified of being poisoned and ordered so many people to taste his soup that by the time he ate, it had grown cold. The cook Julia Child insisted it was an American invention, and a New York hotel's French-born chef claimed to have created it in 1917, using a name inspired by his hometown of Vichy in France.

Example Sentences

From Julia's Vichyssoise to her Spinach and Eggplant Curry, here are five budget recipes from the famed kitchen queen:

From Salon • May 26, 2023

“The Watergate Cookbook” featured recipes such as Watergate Vichyssoise — to start, “Take a bunch of leaks…” There was even a board game called “The Watergate Game.”

From Washington Post • Jun. 14, 2022

Vichyssoise plus a crab or shrimp salad and a glass of crisp French white wine, maybe picpoul — this is what a summer lunch or supper wants to be.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 26, 2018

Vichyssoise is in every 1970s cookbook, and it’s a great way to use that combination of ingredients, and we made it and loved it.

From Washington Post • Oct. 10, 2016

Unofficially, restaurants began calling Vichyssoise "De Gaulle soup."

From Time Magazine Archive

Related Words

• bouillon
• chowder
• porridge
• puree