Potato Leek Soup
Potato Leek Soup, which is sometimes referred to as Vichyssoise in some fine dining restaurant menus, is a food that needs time to be enjoyed thoroughly. Vichyssoise is traditionally a cold soup but can be served warm as well like in Chef Point Cafe. Vichyssoise was created in the early 1900s by Louis Diat, who worked as a head chef at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. The soup got its name from a small, French town close to where Diat was born.
The first ingredient of Potato Leek Soup is the important potato. This starchy vegetable was first grown in the Andes Mountains of Peru around 7,000 years ago. If this tuber plant had not been discovered, then a fine dining restaurant like Chef Point Café couldn't use it to make all sorts of delicious dishes. The Conquistadors were the first Europeans to see the potato in 1537. More Europeans gained access to the potato in 1570 but did not seriously begin cultivating this vegetable until around 1780. Irish people began potato farming and this crop took off.
A leek is a relative of the onion. This vegetable has a bulbous white root and leafy green stalks. Although in the same family as the onion, leeks are considered to be a bit more refined in taste. Leeks go back in history quite a ways. It was recorded that Emperor Nero was a leek lover and believed they would improve his voice. The Bible even mentions the Hebrews missing this food when they left Egypt. Some Europeans still refer to leeks as the 'poor man's asparagus.'
It is lucky for Texas diners that potatoes and leeks were discovered so they can enjoy Potato and Leek Soup in a fine dining restaurant. Take time to enjoy the smell of the fresh ingredients in this rich soup before diving in. Then savor each bite because once you have one, you won't want there to be a last. Don't worry, if you can't live without another serving of this delicious nectar, there's always to-go bowls.
