Jen's Really Good Potato Soup
My made up recipe for a winter stable staple.
Equipment
- Soup pot
Ingredients
- 2.5 lbs White potatoes, diced (or purple or golden or whichever you like best)
- 1 Tbs Salt (to boil potatoes)
- 2 Tbs Butter (Salted or un-, as you wish)
- 1 med Onion (use as much or as little as you like)
- 1 soupcon Garlic (to your palate)
- 4 cups Potato water from the water you boil the potatoes in
- 6 Chicken bouillon cubes
- 2 cups Heavy cream (you only live once, eat the cream)
- 2 cups Cheddar cheese shredded divided
- 15 slices Bacon cooked and minced
- 1 smidge Nutmeg (ground) to taste - you can always add more later so don't overdo it up front!
- Bacon bits for garnish
Instructions
- Dice the potatoes (so they'll cook faster) - peel or don't, as you prefer. I don't.
- In the soup pot, bring 6 - 8 cups of water, the diced potatoes, and the salt to a boil until tender - about 15 minutes.
- Put a colander in a large mixing bowl (or large pot). Pour the boiled potatoes into the colander and drain the water into bowl or pot. Set aside 4 c of the water and discard the remaining water.
- Return the soup pot to the stove and over medium heat, melt the Butter. Then add the onion and garlic and cook until translucent.
- Add the 4 c of water and the potatoes and bring to a simmer. Add bouillon cubes and dissolve.
- Reduce heat to low and add the cream (slowly and carefully), half the shredded cheese, the bacon, and the nutmeg. Return to simmer.
- To serve, top with remaining cheese and bacon bits to garnish. Serve with crusty bread.
Notes
This soup makes up really quickly so it's perfect for those nights when you need to eat but really, really want to get to your harp! And although it's nothing fancy, it gets rave reviews.
Keeping the peels on the potatoes is a personal preference and I pretend that it makes it healthier because - you know - fiber. Reusing the water is not only eco, i think it improves the texture of the soup.
Feel free to improvise - just like a good tune! I fiddle with this every time and never make it the same way twice. Have fun!