Potato Soup - Tonua Carano

For the past several months, I've been bringing different soups to my church potluck every Sunday. Among the favorites are My Favorite Vegetable Soup and Lentil Soup. Occasionally, I'll  include my No Dairy Tomato Bisque Soup, but the two above were definitely preferred by the majority of the church family. Then, I spied a book called The Soup Bible on the sale table at my local bookstore. You can imagine how excited I was! I started experimenting with recipes, and then I made the potato soup. The church has a new favorite, and this recipe has become a staple in the mix!

The soup is based on a recipe from the book called "Irish Potato Soup." However, if you've read my blog before, you know I love to add my own touch. The soup base is largely the recipe from the book, but the added ingredients are mine, and it makes a lovely soup.

Prep Time: 20-30 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes, divided
Serves: 8-12

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 lbs. Russet potatoes, peeled and diced (approximately 2 large potatoes)
• 3 large onions, diced (approximately 3-4 cups)
• 2 cups carrots, peeled and diced
• 6-8 small red potatoes, diced (optionally peeled)
• 8 cups vegetable or chicken stock*
• 1-2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 tsp salt
• Pepper to taste

* My preferred stock base is Better Than Bouillon Vegetarian No-Chicken Base. Don't let the price at the Amazon link scare you. I included the link so you can see it, but you can get it at Whole Foods and other local stores for a fraction of the cost listed at Amazon. I like this particular stock because it has a great flavor (when I'm sick, I'll sometimes just eat the stock), and it is a great vegetarian substitute for chicken stock. I use it to cook rice and green beans too!

Directions:

In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil, add 1/3 of the onions, all of the carrots and salt, and sweat for about 5 minutes, until onions are softened. Add the red potatoes and sweat for a few more minutes until the onions are translucent and the carrots and potatoes are just beginning to soften on the outside. Be careful not to let the potatoes stick to the pan.

Add the vegetable/chicken stock, and bring to boil. Turn down and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the carrots and potatoes are softened but not falling apart. This allows the stock to absorb the flavors of the vegetables while simultaneously softening them for the soup. Strain the stock into a bowl, and set aside. Set aside the cooked vegetables as well.

In your stock pot/Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and sweat until softened. Add the Russet potatoes, and sweat for a few minutes more until the onions are translucent and the potatoes are just beginning to soften on the outside.

Add the stock, and bring to a boil. Turn down and simmer for 20-25 minutes until the potatoes are soft and flaking apart.

Remove the soup from heat and puree in a blender or food processor. Be sure to leave a vent open to allow steam to escape. This pureed soup is the soup base and should be creamy without being too thick. If you need to thin it, add milk until it reaches the desired consistency.

Add the set-aside vegetable to the soup base and stir to mix them in well. Add pepper to taste, stirring to mix it in. Bring the soup to a boil to heat it through. As soon as the soup begins to boil, remove from heat. The soup is ready to serve.