It's finally Fall. Leaves are beginning to change, donning their colorful lacy adornment for the trees that host them. Gold, Orange, Red, Brown, bright Yellow ... An awesome display upon which we can feast our eyes.
Fall means a change in the foods we yearn to eat as well. Hearty casseroles. Squash, pumpkin "everything", stews, tasty soups and lots of creative ways to prepare and serve hot breads.
My MomMay made wonderful soups. A curative, delicious chicken noodle soup. Soups made colorful and earthy using root vegetables (carrots, onions, potatoes, beets, turnips, rutabagas ...). But I think my favorite of her homemade soups was from scratch Potato Soup. She used a secret ingredient (cucumbers!) to make her potato soup piquant and fresh.
This month I offer my own potato soup. This one doesn't include celery moons and cucumbers but is filling and tasty. Hope you try it and enjoy it
Bon appetit~!
Cooking With Rod's Family:
Best Potato Soup from Scratch
Servings: 8
Ingredients:
* 8 to 10 medium large to large (Baking potatoes), peeled, rinsed and cubed to about 1 inch cubes
* 1 qt. (32 oz) Chicken broth
* Water sufficient to cover all the potatoes in the pot plus a couple inches
* 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced
* Bag of California Blend frozen vegetables (add at very end, after mashing some of your cooked potatoes and just a few minutes before you're ready to serve)
* 1/2 to one stick sweet creamery butter, stir in and allow to melt before adding anything else (some like more butter but a little is essential to make your soup taste right.)
* 1 to 2 cups milk just before serving
* 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
* 2 Tablespoons parsley flakes to stir into soup
* 1 Tablespoon parsley flakes as garnish
Additional garnishes (completely optional)
* Crisp bacon bits (do the bacon yourself, don't use bottled bits)
* Grated cheddar cheese
* Sour cream, let your guests choose to use this or not
* One bunch green onions, diced tops and bulbs. (Remove any dried or discolored leaves and rinse with cold water before chopping)
* Green, red, orange or yellow sweet Bell Pepper diced. One cup should be plenty for all 8 servings
Instructions:
1. Rinse and peel potatoes. Cut into about one inch cubes trying to make all pieces the same.
2. Rinse and peel onion. Cut into smaller pieces.
3. Add potatoes and onion to a large soup pot that has a lid.
4. Pour chicken broth over potatoes and onion. Then add enough water to completely cover all ingredients plus a couple inches above. You want your potatoes and onion to boil until tender. (A fork stuck in the potatoes pierces easily.) Cover the pot until it comes to a boil. Lower heat to Medium to continue simmering until potatoes are tender.
5. Remove pot from heat. Using a potato masher, mash about half the potatoes, leaving the rest as cubes. Make sure there is enough liquid for this to be a SOUP not mashed potatoes. If necessary add more hot water.
6. Add butter and let it melt. Stir to blend.
7. Add California Blend vegetables that you have rinsed to remove any frost and then drained all liquid.
8. Add milk. Stir to incorporate and return to burner to let heat a bit.
9. Add Black Pepper and parsley. Stir well. Taste. You can add a tiny bit more pepper or even a dash of garlic powder to suit your taste. Remember potato soup is supposed to have a delicate flavor.
Serve in individual bowls, and either garnish each with tiny bits of suggested toppings or if serving at the table arrange toppings and let your dinner guests add their own.
(NOTE: I strongly suggest YOU sprinkle each serving with the bacon bits or you may not have enough left for everyone to get an equal amount )
This soup is delightful accompanied with hot crusty bread, a simple salad and iced tea or lemonade.
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