Dutch Food: Witlofsoep (chicory soup)

Witlofsoep garnished with flat-leaf parsley

 A couple of months ago, I was talking with a group of friends about all of the wonderful Dutch soups that I've learned about since moving here to the Netherlands.  This conversation led to many more suggestions for delicious soups to try out.  One soup suggestion that really caught my attention was witlofsoep (a.k.a. chicory soup).

Witlofsoep is typically made with witlof (a.k.a. chicory, sometimes also called Belgian endive), onions or leeks, potatoes, chicken or vegetable stock, and cream.  I was very excited about the prospect of learning a new way to prepare witlof/chicory, so I set out to make a vegan version of witlofsoep. I think I've had some success figuring this one out, so I'm adding it to my growing collection of vegan-friendly, Dutch-inspired recipes here on my blog.

Here's my recipe:

Vegan Witlofsoep
(6-8 servings)

Ingredients:
4 medium heads of witlof (chicory) - add a 5th if they are on the small side
1 small leek
2 Tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
4 small yellow potatoes
1 bay leaf
6 cups (about 1.5 Liters) water
2 vegan bouillon cubes
1 cup (about 250 ml) oat milk - soy milk is a good substitute if you don't have oat milk
salt and pepper to taste
optional garnishes: chives or parsley and/or vegan crème fraiche

Witlofsoep ingredients

Instructions:
1. Remove the dark green top of the leek - you'll only use the light green and white part of the stalk for this recipe.  Chop up the leek and witlof.  Peel and roughly chop the potatoes.
2. Heat the olive oil in the bottom of a large soup pot and toss in the leek and witlof.  Stir constantly to coat with the hot olive oil.  Cook for about 5-10 minutes.  The witlof should begin to brown and the leek begin to soften.

Sautéeing the leek and witlof in the soup pot

3. Add the water, chopped potatoes, bay leaf, and bouillon cubes next.  Stir and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20-25 minutes.  The potatoes should be very soft. If they are not easily pierced with a fork, keep simmering a few more minutes.
4. Remove the soup from heat and allow to cool.  You are going to blend this soup, so it needs to be sufficiently cooled.  Before blending, remove the bay leaf. If you have a handheld soup blender, you can blend the soup in the pot.  Otherwise, you will need to blend it in a stand blender. NEVER put boiling soup into a stand blender.
5. When the soup has sufficiently cooled, blend it thoroughly.  Return the blended soup back to the stovetop, and stir in the oat or soy milk. Reheat over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
6. Before serving, season with salt and pepper.  If you want to be fancy, you can add a small spoonful of vegan crème fraiche to each bowl of soup just before serving.  Suggested garnish: chives or parsley.