Zucchini and Saffron Vichyssoise with Scallops
A luxurious cold soup featuring tender zucchini, potatoes, and saffron, topped with julienned zucchini and seared sea scallops. This elegant French-inspired dish combines the delicate flavors of summer squash with aromatic saffron and sweet scallops.
Ingredients
- •2 pounds small (5-inch-long) zucchini
- •1 medium onion
- •3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- •1 pound boiling potatoes
- •1 teaspoon chopped garlic
- •¼ teaspoon finely crumbled saffron threads
- •5 cups chicken broth
- •1 piece Turkish bay leaf
- •½ teaspoon packed fresh thyme leaves
- •½ cup chilled heavy cream
- •2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- •1¼ teaspoons salt
- •¼ teaspoon black pepper
- •4 large sea scallops
- •1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- •1 piece adjustable-blade slicer
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
Thinly julienne zucchini lengthwise with slicer, working around core, into 1/4-inch-thick ribbons. Cut zucchini cores into 1/2-inch pieces.
10 min
- 2.
Peel potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Cook onion in butter in a 5-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add potatoes, garlic, and saffron and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add broth, bay leaf, and thyme and simmer, uncovered, until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Add chopped zucchini cores and simmer, uncovered, until zucchini is very tender, about 8 minutes.
40 min
- 3.
Purée soup in batches in a blender until very smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids) and pour through a fine sieve into a bowl. Stir in cream, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, then cool to room temperature, uncovered. Chill soup, covered, until cold, at least 4 hours and up to 2 days.
240 min
- 4.
While soup is chilling, cook julienned zucchini in boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 30 seconds, then drain and transfer to a bowl of ice and cold water. Drain and pat dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper and chill, covered.
5 min
- 5.
Before serving soup, cut each scallop horizontally into 3 rounds and pat dry. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking, then sear scallops until golden brown, 20 to 30 seconds on each side, and season with salt.
5 min
- 6.
Serve soup with zucchini mounded in center, topped with scallop rounds.
2 min