National Vichyssoise Day
This silky, chilled concoction is a soothing hug for taste buds on sweltering days, blending earthy undertones with a creamy embrace.
Celebrate the elegance of French culinary tradition by promoting vichyssoise recipes, cooking classes, and premium soup ingredients during November.
- 'Chill Out' campaign: Share easy vichyssoise recipes and ingredient bundles for home cooks
- Chef spotlight: Feature local chefs' takes on this classic French soup
- Luxury food pairing: Pair vichyssoise with premium wines or artisanal breads
- Behind-the-scenes: Explore the disputed history and royal origins of this iconic dish
Pronounced “vish-e-swaz,” it is a soup made with pureed leeks, onions, potatoes, cream and chicken stock and is generally served cold. Many historians debate the origins of this soup. One of the earliest references of the soup is said to have occurred from the reign of King Louis XV of France. The story goes that he loved potato soup but was suspicious of people poisoning his food. So he would have his servants taste the soup before serving it. However, once it got to him it was cold, and the King said he preferred it cold anyway. Another source states that the origin of the soup came from two French cookbooks, one mentioned in 1869 and another in 1903. Both, however, served the soup hot.
However, the source that is more widely accepted is that in 1917, Chef Louis Diat created the soup for his customers during the hot summer months of July and August in New York City to keep them cool. When he worked in the New York Ritz hotels, he remembered the hot leek and potato soup his mother would serve him and how he and his family would cool the soup by adding milk to it. While he originally served the soup during the colder seasons, his customers would ask for it so much that he permanently placed it on the menu.