Posts

Surely leek and potato soup is a great classic, yet all it takes is the addition of one ingredient to turn it into something unexpected that can be enjoyed hot or cold: we are talking about the Vichyssoise summer soup, see how to prepare it!

So, let’s find out what it is. Its origin is traced back to the chef of the Ritz-Carlton hotel in New York who is said to have invented it in the summer of 1917 to provide relief to his guests in times when air conditioning wasn’t  available. This soup prepared with two humble, easily available vegetables is transformed into a gourmet dish by fresh cream, added cold to lower the serving temperature: such simplicity will amaze you! And the name? It would be an homage to the soups cooked by the chef’s mother when they lived near the French city of Vichy.

In the recipe, I took the liberty of significantly reducing the amount of butter, limiting it to a knob along with a drizzle of oil to sweat the leeks, while the cream is definitely the irreplaceable ingredient in the recipe.

A great, naturally gluten-free classic to be eaten with a little caution for blood sugar, which will be stressed both in the short term, due to the presence of potatoes, and in the long term (after 3-4 hours) due to the presence of cream. And if you are looking for another idea for summer, try my Gazpacho of yellow tomatoes, peppers and crispy prosciutto.

Vichyssoise summer soup

6.3g carbohydrates per 100g

Ingredients

  • 1 litre vegetable stock*
  • 500g leek
  • 400g potatoes
  • 125g fresh cream
  • 1 knob of butter
  • chives or other herbs to taste
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • salt
  • pepper

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

*Ingredients whose labels must read “gluten-free” (in Italy they may be listed on  Prontuario AIC)

Preparation of the Vichyssoise summer soup

  1. Wash the leeks thoroughly and cut them into small pieces. Put a knob of butter and a trickle of oil in a pan and sweat the leeks, making sure not to brown them: the colour must remain the same!
  2. When the leeks are soft, add the diced potatoes, let them season for 1 minute, then cover with the hot stock and cook.
  3. When the vegetables are cooked, blend everything together: you can leave some of the soup in pieces or make a velouté. Season with salt and pepper.
  4. Add the cold fresh cream, stir and serve with a pinch of chives or other herbs you like. Remember that the Vichyssoise can be served warm, lukewarm or cold.

vichyssoise

Version with gluten of Vichyssoise summer soup

This recipe contains only naturally gluten-free ingredients, so no adaptations are necessary.

 

Do you fancy a homemade pasta, but want it perfect for summer? Creamy Passatelli with crispy vegetables is the perfect summer recipe for a light, vegetable-based dish that is tasty, unusual, but also simple to prepare and if you don’t believe me, watch the video.

Furthermore, prepare a vegetable soup with the vegetables you have available in the garden at home or in the fridge or freezer: it will be a way to offer vegetables to the little ones at home in an unusual way.

If you like stronger flavours and you are not a vegetarian, you can also complete the dish by adding ham, guanciale, speck or bacon sautéed in a non-stick frying pan until crispy.

And nutritionally, this dish lacks nothing, so enjoy!

Creamy Passatelli with crispy vegetables

36.9g carbohydrates per 100g of plain Passatelli

Ingredients for creamy Passatelli for 4 servings

  • 110g  Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
  • 100g gluten free bradcrumbs, brand Nutrifree**
  • 60g gluten free pasta flour mix, brand Molino Dallagiovanna
  • 2 whole eggs
  • meat or vegetable stock to wet the bread
  • nutmeg, salt and pepper

Ingredients for vegetable soup

  • 800g water
  • 500g mixed vegetables
  • salt

Ingredients to complete

  • 140g courgettes (corresponding to 1)
  • 40g salted ricotta
  • a few basil leaves
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

*Ingredients whose labels must read “gluten-free” (or, in Italy, present on  Prontuario AIC)

Preparation

  1. Prepare the vegetable soup by cooking the vegetables in water with a pinch of coarse salt: this can also be prepared the day before. Once the vegetable soup is cooked, let it cool, then blend it to a cream.
  2. Prepare Passatelli. Heat the stock. Put the breadcrumbs in a bowl and wet them with the hot stock, being careful not to pour too much: the bread should be slightly moist, but not doughy. Once cold, add the remaining ingredients, namely flour, grated Parmesan cheese, eggs, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Mix well until you obtain a rather firm dough. Let it rest wrapped in cling film for as long as it takes to prepare the courgettes.
  3. Take the courgette, trim it and cut it into thin julienne strips; also cut the salted ricotta into julienne strips, mix ricotta and courgette together and dress them with salt, pepper and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
  4. Put a pot of water on the stove and bring it to the boil, then add salt.
  5. Put about half the Passatelli mixture into the potato masher, press the potato masher directly over the boiling water and when the Passatelli are the desired length, about 4-5 cm, cut them with a knife dropping them directly into the water. Stir them and let them boil for a few minutes.
  6. Put about 1/3 of the blended vegetable soup in a pan and heat it up; with a slotted spoon, remove the Passatelli from the cooking water and throw them into the pan with the sauce, sautéing them over a high flame for a few minutes.
  7. Pour a ladleful of the cold, blended soup in each serving dish, top with Passatelli, the courgette and ricotta salad, a basil leaf, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and serve.

Passatelli in crema e verdure croccanti

Version with gluten of Creamy Passatelli with crispy vegetables 

Use standard breadcrumbs and flour, however, when preparing Passatelli with gluten, it is often not necessary to add flour to the breadcrumbs. Only add flour if the mixture of breadcrumbs, cheese and eggs is too soft.