Soups: Potato soup

Subject: Potato soup
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
From: Mr.ME (ekimmi at hotmail.com)
Date: Wed, 10 Mar 2004 16:59:18 GMT
--------
Looking for a good creamy potato and cheddar soup recipe for about 4-6 people any help would be appreciated.
Subject: Re: Potato soup
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
From: Jill McQuown
Date: Wed, 10 Mar 2004 12:30:28 -0600
--------
Baked Potato Soup
by Sherry Haupt

2/3 c. butter
2/3 c. all purpose flour
7 c. milk
4 large potatoes, baked, peeled and cubed
4 green onions, chopped
12 slices bacon
1-1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 c. sour cream
salt to taste
black pepper to taste

Cook the bacon until browned; drain and crumble. Set aside. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat; whisk in flour until smooth.
Gradually stir in milk, whisking constantly until you have a thin smooth white sauce. Stir in potatoes and green onions. Bring mixture slowly to the boil, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat and simmer on low, about 10 minutes. Stir in bacon, cheese, sour cream. Cook, stirring, until cheese is melted and soup is thick and creamy. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
From: zxcvbob (zxcvbob at charter.net)
Date: Wed, 10 Mar 2004 12:42:21 -0600
--------
Jill wrote:
> Cook the bacon until browned; drain and crumble. Set aside. In a large
> pot, melt the butter over medium heat; whisk in flour until smooth.

Looks good. I think I'd saute' the onions briefly in a little butter in the drained, unwashed bacon-frying pan. Then deglaze it [a little water or chicken stock] and pour into the stockpot.

-Bob
From: Jill McQuown
Date: Wed, 10 Mar 2004 12:47:24 -0600
--------
zxcvbob wrote:
> Looks good. I think I'd saute' the onions briefly in a little butter in
> the drained, unwashed bacon-frying pan. Then deglaze it [a little water
> or chicken stock] and pour into the stockpot.

Ah yes, I didn't mention I do saute the green onions, but with all that lovely bacon fat, why use butter? ;-) And I do add water or stock if the soup gets too thick, too quickly.
From: Dennis G. (degoos at telus.net)
Date: Wed, 10 Mar 2004 22:55:20 GMT
--------
Mr.ME wrote:
> Looking for a good creamy potato and cheddar soup recipe
> for about 4-6 people any help would be appreciated.

Here is mine and it works for cauliflower or celery as well. (In fact, I nearly always make celery soup from the trimmed leaves and bits when i cut up celery into sticks or pieces.)

In a suitable size pot,
Peel and boil one medium potato per serving. I use burbanks as a rule.

When a little more than half-hard (10 min of boiling) drain liquid to a separate container leaving potatoes in sieve.

Return pot to stove and add butter sufficient for light roux. Add a chopped onion and garlic to taste. Cook till onions clear.

Remove pot from heat and stir in flour till thick. At this point I re-introduce water from the boiling into the pot and stir to mix thouroghly, adding to packets of chicken bouillion. I think chicken stock would do in place of the potato water but you would need to add salt.

Add whole milk equal to the liquid added above, return pot to heat and stir.

Return potatoes to liquid while stirring. These may be chopped before being returned or added as boiled and mashed in the soup mix with a hand mixer. Stir mix to near boiling to thicken.

Serve with shredded cheese placed on the surface of the soup. Garnish with any preferred dry of fresh herb- sweet basil is nice.

Soup can be made long in advance and re-heated to serve when needed. It freezes well.

When the kids were children, this potato soup (sans cheese) was their favorite meal replacement if they were down with colds or flu. Mum and I , too.
From: Mr.ME (ekimmi at hotmail.com)
Date: Thu, 11 Mar 2004 00:02:05 GMT
--------
Dennis G. wrote:
> Here is mine and it works for cauliflower or celery as well...........

Well thank-you both for such a quick response- both sound good and i'll have to try them both-guess we'll be having soup tomorrow-lol
From: Glenn Jacobs (gjacobs at remove.starband.net)
Date: Thu, 11 Mar 2004 15:11:38 -0700
--------
Mr.ME wrote:
> Looking for a good creamy potato and cheddar soup recipe
> for about 4-6 people any help would be appreciated.

6 Pounds White potatoes, cubed but not pealed
1/2 pound onions (or more)
6 or so cloves of garlic put through a garlic press or minced
1/2 pound butter
1 Cup heavy cream
1 Cup Milk (More or less) used to thin to desired consistency
Salt & Pepper

Put Potatoes, onion and Garlic in Pot, add water to just cover. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer, cook down to a thick consistency. This will take 3 or more hours at sea level more at higher altitude. Add butter and Cream, then enough milk for desired consistency Add salt and pepper and simmer for a few more minutes.

You may need to cut the amount in about half for you six people. It will keep in the frig for a week to 10 days, so I usually make allot.
From: koko
Date: Sun, 20 Jan 2008 14:46:10 -0800
--------
It's so danged cold I had to make some stick to the ribs potato soup. I usually make potato cheese soup but today, just potato.

I used onion, leeks, garlic, potatoes, chicken broth and a littlefresh thyme sprinkled in toward the end.
This is the first time I used thyme in potato soup. I'd never thought of it before and I was a little skeptical when the thought came to mind, but I tried it anyway and it is really good.
http://i29.tinypic.com/258b383.jpg [dead link]

Sauté the onion and leek. Right before they are translucent add the garlic and sauté a few more minutes.
http://i25.tinypic.com/2lpfsi.jpg [dead link]

Add the potatoes and combine well with the onion mixture.
http://i29.tinypic.com/2dvifbo.jpg [dead link]

Add chicken broth and simmer.
http://i25.tinypic.com/hs7qdx.jpg [dead link]

So, I got this nifty little spoon holder that clips onto the side of the pot. I've been meaning to try one for the longest time. I really like it but, what to do when the lid goes on the pot? I think I'm pretty clever in solving that. I clipped it onto the side of my utensil caddy and the spoon hangs over the sink so any drips land in the sink. Pretty cool huh!
http://i30.tinypic.com/dpv0gh.jpg [dead link]

When the potatoes become soft, smush a little with a potato masher and it's soup.
http://i27.tinypic.com/i4hlw1.jpg [dead link]
From: Dee.Dee (deedovey at shentel.net)
Date: Sun, 20 Jan 2008 18:21:43 -0500
--------
koko wrote:
> It's so danged cold I had to make some stick to the ribs potato soup.
> I usually make potato cheese soup but today, just potato.

Thanks for the nice pics and hints.

As for thyme, a year or so ago, I didn't like it at all. I started using dried thyme only because I saw so many use it on foodnetwork. Now I love it. Yesterday when I made a little minetrone, after I added the dried herbs: basil, rosemary and marjoram, I then added a touch of thyme -- tasted very good and DH liked it too.

I add it to potato soup; I think it makes it even tastier, too.
From: jay (jay at 78704.com)
Date: Sun, 20 Jan 2008 20:21:45 -0600
--------
koko wrote:
<snip>

Looks really good.. and especially for a cold day!
From: Terry (kilowatt at charter.net)
Date: Sun, 20 Jan 2008 20:45:41 -0800 (PST)
--------
koko wrote:
> It's so danged cold I had to make some stick to the ribs potato soup.
> I usually make potato cheese soup but today, just potato.
>
> I used onion, leeks, garlic, potatoes, chicken broth and a little
> fresh thyme sprinkled in toward the end.
> This is the first time I used thyme in potato soup. I'd never thought

You forgot ham. :)
From: Dee.Dee (deedovey at shentel.net)
Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2008 07:43:13 -0500
--------
Terry wrote:
> You forgot ham. :)

Not to say you are right or wrong. On the farm, where pork is what we ate generally every meal, in winter potato soup was ham free, made on Saturdays and served with oatmeal cookies for dessert. You could count on it.
From: John Kane (jrkrideau at gmail.com)
Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2008 07:16:35 -0800 (PST)
--------
Terry wrote:
> You forgot ham. :)

No, not in potato soup. Maybe a bit of crumbled bacon but no, no, not ham!!!

John Kane, Kingston ON Canada