Potato Soup

One day last week, I had a hankering for potato soup. So, I made potato soup! This is based on another recipe in one of our cookbooks, but it calls this soup a lower fat adaptation of another recipe. I don't think so. That ain't how I cook.

So, here's how I do cook!

I started off with 10 potatoes. You can use 8, depending on the size...mine were relatively small and they needed using! I like leaving the skins on my potatoes for this soup, so I scrubbed them and diced them up in a pot. You can peel them if you'd like, but there's a lot of interesting info here to read first!

I love potatoes.

I diced these up and added one large onion, diced as well.

Now, a few days ago, I boiled a pork bone. I think it was backbone. Our labeling system is doubtful sometimes...it's either "bone" or "boneless." This was bone, and looked like a backbone, so I'm saying that's what it is! :) When I boiled it, I added bunches of yummy spices (not MSG like on food labels...) planning on keeping the broth. Well, it turned out fabulous. Not to gross you out or anything, if you're not used to cooking this way, but it's thick and jelled from all the good stuff in it! I had about 3/4 of a gallon...

The fat had risen to the top and was so pretty. Yes, I have problems, but find joy in the simple things. :D

See how great the consistency is?

I spooned about 1 1/2 quarts of this over my potatoes and onions...

I had to be careful to stir it in well after turning on the heat, so the potatoes wouldn't burn before the liquid on top melted!

Now, you can just as well use water or whatever other broth you have on hand. Chicken broth would be good, too. This is just what I had, and I needed to use it. It didn't hurt the taste one itty bitty bit. :) Boil the potatoes and onions until they're soft...

Remove about half of the potatoes and liquid and set aside to cream. It depends on how you like your potato soup. My dad likes lots of chunks in his soup, so I probably didn't take half. If I were just making it for me, I might take more than half...just depends.

Spoon the potatoes into a blender, as many as will safely fit. Add plenty of liquid...if you don't, it'll get hung up and won't blend. Ask me how I know.

Put the lid on, and cream. Be careful...you don't want this to splatter!!! I usually blend a little, take the lid off to let the steam escape, replace the lid, and blend again. Blend everything you set aside, and then add it back to the remaining potatoes.

Add thyme leaves, marjoram leaves, pepper, and garlic powder. I didn't measure, but estimated the amounts to be 1 teaspoon each of the thmye amd marjoram, and 1/2 teaspoon each of pepper and garlic powder. My pics of garlic powder turned out goofy, so there isn't one. :|

Make sure the heat on the soup is very low, so it doesn't stick or burn. Maybe if you have a heavier pot than mine that wouldn't be a problem! It's easy to stick stuff in my pot though!

Now I made a gravy, really. Melt 1/4 to 1/2 cup of butter, lard, or whatever you want. Remember that pretty white stuff on the top of my broth? :)

Add an equal amout of flour...

Or enough flour to make it look like this:

Add milk or cream slowly, while constantly whisking, until the "gravy" is smooth and thick. I don't know how to explain about the thickness...it's something you get used to judging as you make it, I guess. It needs to be thick, without being too thick. How's that for helpful?

Now, I find that it's very hard to keep the soup itself smooth if I just dump this gravy over in and try to stir it in. So, I take a few spoonfuls of the potato liquid and whisk it into the gravy mix.

And then add the whole thing to the soup, preferably while you're stirring, but I had a hard time doing that too!

Stir it in well...

Taste for seasoning...I didn't add any salt to start with, because I had salted my broth when I made it. So, especially if you used water to cook the potatoes in, this will need a good bit of salt.

And you might need to taste again, especially if the guys are on an excursion to the steel supply place and it's lunchtime!

And that's it. I LOVE this soup. It's best with a hearty bread, but I didn't decide to make the soup until too late to start bread to go with it! A word of caution...it holds heat like nothing else I make. Be careful! It will hurt you!

Dad called it "carb soup" and was distressed over the lack of protien. So, I guess you could add meat, if you're like him! He says any meatless soup would be better with some ham in it. :( Or, you could just do like he did and eat a piece of leftover bbq chicken afterwards...

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