By CHEF JEAN DOHERTY

Velouté sauce is one of the original “mother sauces” of classic French cuisine. It is also my soup every day at Le Patio. A lot of people ask me, “What is a velouté”? Despite the fancy-sounding name, velouté is actually just a white sauce that is usually stock-based and thickened with a white roux.

The word “velouté” is French from “velour,” which means “velvet.” As its name implies, a correctly made velouté will have a smooth and velvety texture.

The ingredients for a velouté sauce are butter, flour, and a light stock.  The type of stock will depend on the dish being created. Although chefs usually make velouté with chicken, veal, or fish, some also use beef, ham, or bouillon. This sauce is commonly referred to by the type of stock that was used in the recipe, such as a chicken velouté or a fish velouté. I use only olive oil and fresh herbs in my velouté.

Start out with minced onions, tenderly simmered in extra virgin olive oil, stir in a little flour (to make the roux that will lightly thicken the soup), and cook until the oil and flour are foaming nicely, moisten with a stock (or milk or wine, depending on your major ingredient), and then simmer for a few minutes more. That’s the traditional base for a myriad of soups, be they based on chicken, mushrooms, artichokes, broccoli, or even fish.

When making vegetable soups, don’t be too lavish with chicken stock, particularly canned stock. If it is too strong, you’ll muffle the taste of vegetables like broccoli or zucchini. No rules here—trust your own judgment and taste: You are the chef.