Gah! Potato soup.
First of all, this weather slash temperature slash time of year just begs for potato soup. Really any soup, but especially potato. Why? Because it’s carbs turned slurpable. And creamy. And wonderfully comforting. If someone puts a bowl of potato soup in front of your face there is no universe in which you would push it away. Not possible.
I’ve come up with a very simple potato recipe that’s strong with flavor, but pH-balanced for the little faces in your crib.
Instead of boiling the potatoes in water, we’re using stock. Bam.
Instead of also boiling the veggies, we saute first. Boom.
Instead of heavy cream, I kept it waist-friendly with straight-up whole milk. Biggity.
And butter.
Always butter.
Can’t not with the butter.
This soup is ridiculous as is! But for your kids, keep it super simple with lots of cheddar cheese on top. Or nothing!
And for the adult faces, we get a little crazy with the toppings. I’m talking crumbled bacon, jalapeno peppers, dollops of sour cream, cheese, some yummy chives. Yes.
Actually, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go throw the rest of this soup in my face right this second. Join me?
One Recipe, Two Meals: Creamy, Cheesy Potato Soup
3 russet potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 large red onion, diced
2 celery stalks, sliced
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper
4 slices bacon, rendered and chopped
Thinly sliced jalapeno pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Sour cream
Finely chopped chives
Heat the oil in a deep pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and celery. Saute about 2 minutes, until the veggies begin to soften. Add the potatoes and toss with a good pinch of salt. Add the chicken stock and simmer for 20 minutes, until the potatoes soften. Then add the milk and butter, and stir until butter melts.
At this point you can have a few options. If you have an immersion blender, simply stick the wand in the pot and give it a few whizzes, blending parts of the soup until it’s nice and creamy. You’ll still want a good amount of potato chunks in the soup, so don’t go overboard, like I tend to do.
You can also scoop out about 2 cups of the soup and transfer it to a blender or food processor. Blend until creamy and transfer it back to the soup pot.
Or, you can simply mash a few of the potatoes with a potato masher, leaving it on the slightly chunkier side. It’s up to you!
After you’ve creamified it, give it another taste and add plenty of salt and pepper if needed.
Scoop out a little for the kids and keep it simple for them with shredded cheddar and a kiss of chives! (Chives are optional, of course.)
As for you, adult faces, load up your bowls with plenty of chopped bacon, cheddar, little dollops of sour cream, sliced jalapeno peppers and chives! You can also sub scallions if you can’t easily find chives.
Get your potato slurp on.
Get your potato slurp on.
Follow Bev on her blog, Bev Cooks, if you think you can even handle more.
