Potato Cheese Soup
From Laurel's Kitchen, 1986:
1. Makes 8-10 servings. A half-recipe easily makes 6 bowls of soup!
2. The consistency of the soup depends on how many potatoes and how much milk you use. Since milk is added toward the end, adjust that as needed.
3. Use russet or Idaho potatoes (Jeanne's request). After the potatoes are cooked, remove the skins and return skinless potatoes to pot for pureeing.
4. Jeanne doubled the cheese; she grated and used a full pound. In Nov. 2012, Liz used a full 8-oz of white sharp cheddar that was pre-shredded. (2016: In Step 13, Jeanne clarified that she adds all the cheese *before* adding liquid; then adds a bit of liquid at a time, so the soup doesn't get too thin.)
5. Warming the milk in the microwave before adding it to the soup helped prevent the cheese from curdling. (Power 7 for 45 secs?)
6. Liz: It's possible that having bacon involved would boost the flavor. Here's a trick from America's Test Kitchen: Make a few strips of bacon; set them aside but preserve a bit of the bacon grease in which to saute the onion and garlic. Then crumble the bacon into the soup toward the end of cooking, or as a garnish when serving.
7. Liz suggests adding either corn (perhaps when adding the cheese?) or smaller bits of potato that should be cooked separately and added toward the end, depending on how hot the cut-up potatoes are.
8. Some sharp cheddars are already plenty salty. Consider omitting the salt that's called for.
9. "Main veggies" refer to the original potatoes and carrot(s).
INGREDIENTS
(Amounts for half a recipe are in parentheses.)
4 medium russet/Idaho potatoes, unpeeled (2 med potatoes)
**Prepare half of the amount of potatoes if you want chunks of potatoes in the soup; prepare them separately.**
2 carrots (1 large carrot)
1 onion (1/2 onion)
1 clove garlic (1 small or medium clove)
2 Tbl oil (1 Tbl oil)
up to 3 cups milk (up to 1-1/4 cup milk)
up to 1 lb. grated sharp cheddar cheese (up to 1/2 lb = 8 oz)
2 tsp salt (1 tsp salt, if needed)
1/4 tsp pepper (1/8 tsp pepper)
1 Tbl chopped parsley as a garnish (keep as is; Jeanne likes the parsley)
PREPARATION
1. Slice the main potatoes and carrots into 1" pieces. (If using additional potatoes, cut them into 1/2" pieces--small bites. Plan to cook them separately.)
2. Cover potatoes and carrots with water so they are covered by about 1" of water; cook in stock pot (small dutch oven for half-recipe) on medium high or high heat. Leave uncovered. Don't overfill the pot: the liquid becomes part of the soup. Time for about 10-15 min after the water begins to boil.
3. While the main veggies are cooking, chop the onion into semi-coarse pieces, mince the clove, and set them aside.
4. Measure out and mix the salt and pepper. Set aside.
5. In a traditional large (medium) skillet, heat oil until shimmering and saute the onion and garlic.
7. Trim off the potato skins and returning the potatoes to the water.
8. Add the sautéed onion and garlic.
9. Using a handheld blender, puree the soup in batches--directly in the dutch oven if it's NOT non-stick; or in very large bowl if the pot IS non-stick.
11. Warm the milk in the microwave, but don't boil it. Chop the parsley and set it aside.
12. While the soup is reheating, add salt (if using any), pepper, and 1/3 of the cheese.
13. Add roughly 1/4 of the milk and stir occasionally; then add the cheese before adding more milk. This gives you a chance to assess the thickness as you go. (Original recipe says to alternate 1/3 of milk with 1/3 of cheese.)
14. Heat until cheese is melted and soup is piping hot--but don't let it boil.
15. Add chopped parsley as a garnish if you wish. You can also add a small sliver of butter or cheese when serving for added flavor.
"Your Potato-Cheese Soup gets us through the Minnesota winter," writes a friend. --p. 160NOTES:
1. Makes 8-10 servings. A half-recipe easily makes 6 bowls of soup!
2. The consistency of the soup depends on how many potatoes and how much milk you use. Since milk is added toward the end, adjust that as needed.
3. Use russet or Idaho potatoes (Jeanne's request). After the potatoes are cooked, remove the skins and return skinless potatoes to pot for pureeing.
4. Jeanne doubled the cheese; she grated and used a full pound. In Nov. 2012, Liz used a full 8-oz of white sharp cheddar that was pre-shredded. (2016: In Step 13, Jeanne clarified that she adds all the cheese *before* adding liquid; then adds a bit of liquid at a time, so the soup doesn't get too thin.)
5. Warming the milk in the microwave before adding it to the soup helped prevent the cheese from curdling. (Power 7 for 45 secs?)
6. Liz: It's possible that having bacon involved would boost the flavor. Here's a trick from America's Test Kitchen: Make a few strips of bacon; set them aside but preserve a bit of the bacon grease in which to saute the onion and garlic. Then crumble the bacon into the soup toward the end of cooking, or as a garnish when serving.
7. Liz suggests adding either corn (perhaps when adding the cheese?) or smaller bits of potato that should be cooked separately and added toward the end, depending on how hot the cut-up potatoes are.
8. Some sharp cheddars are already plenty salty. Consider omitting the salt that's called for.
9. "Main veggies" refer to the original potatoes and carrot(s).
INGREDIENTS
(Amounts for half a recipe are in parentheses.)
4 medium russet/Idaho potatoes, unpeeled (2 med potatoes)
**Prepare half of the amount of potatoes if you want chunks of potatoes in the soup; prepare them separately.**
2 carrots (1 large carrot)
1 onion (1/2 onion)
1 clove garlic (1 small or medium clove)
2 Tbl oil (1 Tbl oil)
up to 3 cups milk (up to 1-1/4 cup milk)
up to 1 lb. grated sharp cheddar cheese (up to 1/2 lb = 8 oz)
2 tsp salt (1 tsp salt, if needed)
1/4 tsp pepper (1/8 tsp pepper)
1 Tbl chopped parsley as a garnish (keep as is; Jeanne likes the parsley)
PREPARATION
1. Slice the main potatoes and carrots into 1" pieces. (If using additional potatoes, cut them into 1/2" pieces--small bites. Plan to cook them separately.)
2. Cover potatoes and carrots with water so they are covered by about 1" of water; cook in stock pot (small dutch oven for half-recipe) on medium high or high heat. Leave uncovered. Don't overfill the pot: the liquid becomes part of the soup. Time for about 10-15 min after the water begins to boil.
3. While the main veggies are cooking, chop the onion into semi-coarse pieces, mince the clove, and set them aside.
4. Measure out and mix the salt and pepper. Set aside.
5. In a traditional large (medium) skillet, heat oil until shimmering and saute the onion and garlic.
If making extra potatoes to add later, skin them and prepare them in an appropriate-sized saucepan. Drain the potatoes before they are completely done; they will finish cooking when they are added to the main part of the soup later.6. When the potatoes are cooked through, keep the water and instead use a large slotted spoon to remove all but the carrots. (Or, if easier, remove all veggies and then return the carrots.)
7. Trim off the potato skins and returning the potatoes to the water.
8. Add the sautéed onion and garlic.
9. Using a handheld blender, puree the soup in batches--directly in the dutch oven if it's NOT non-stick; or in very large bowl if the pot IS non-stick.
To use the handheld blender with minimal splashing, first place the blender over a few chunks of veggies. Lightly press down and then quickly "pulse" the blender while keeping it still. (Swirling the blender around while it is pulsing will splash the soup up pretty high!)10. After returning the blended mixture to the dutch oven or stock pot, reheat it on medium heat.
11. Warm the milk in the microwave, but don't boil it. Chop the parsley and set it aside.
12. While the soup is reheating, add salt (if using any), pepper, and 1/3 of the cheese.
BEST GUESS by Liz: Add any additional items here, too: additional potato, corn, etc.
13. Add roughly 1/4 of the milk and stir occasionally; then add the cheese before adding more milk. This gives you a chance to assess the thickness as you go. (Original recipe says to alternate 1/3 of milk with 1/3 of cheese.)
14. Heat until cheese is melted and soup is piping hot--but don't let it boil.
15. Add chopped parsley as a garnish if you wish. You can also add a small sliver of butter or cheese when serving for added flavor.
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