HappyTrails

Five pounds of potatoes are a lot to peel and cook at once, but we are going to get three meals from this bag.  One will be home fries with tomorrow’s dinner, another for potato soup and lastly, my white mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving Dinner will be frozen and ready to reheat.

Potato soup is so easy to make, and just perfect to warm you inside on a cold day.  It is nutritious and filling.  Now if the family didn’t argue over whether it was smooth and creamy or lumpy, creamy and full of other good things, it would be much easier besides being an economical luxury.   Add some bakery bread with butter and a salad, and you have a great meal.

Most of the ingredients are already on hand.  I have little baggies of chopped celery, mushrooms, onions, leftover chicken and pint containers of home cooked chicken stock all in my freezer.   Whenever we have roast chicken, we save the bones and cook stock.  Sooooooo much better than canned.

For the potato soup, the chopped potatoes will be cooked in the chicken stock, with just enough stock to cover them with about an inch of liquid.  While the potatoes are cooking, the frozen vegetables are sauteed in extra virgin olive oil and butter.   Then add the frozen chopped chicken which will thaw in the pan with the sauteed veggies.

Do not drain the potatoes when done cooking.  Set aside some of the chopped potatoes for “lumps” and mash the rest in the liquid.  Put those together and add the veggies, chicken, and add enough light cream or whole milk to taste.

Do not worry if the soup is too thin.  Just add a couple tablespoons or quarter cup of dried potato flakes at a time until it becomes thick enough to your liking.  Stir well and heat gently to steaming hot so soup does not scorch, and all the ingredients are blended.  Each person here adds their own salt and pepper at the table.

There are many different ways to make potato soup.  You can experiment or get many recipes from the internet.  Here is how one chef makes Irish potato soup: