Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram I started yelling at Eric, “Look up what to do for a bloody nose!” But then I realized he had already dialed his mother’s phone number. No matter how old you get, calling mom is just instinctual, right? “Mom, what do we do for a nosebleed??” “I don’t know, let me look it up!” So his mom googled what to do and dictated to us over the phone. Thanks for your help Kris. Next time you can just tell us to cut out the middle man! It reminds me of one time when my friend told me that she spent 45 minutes on the phone, complaining to her mom about her kids, and then hung up and realized that someday when she’s 75, her kids are STILL going to call and complain to her. There is no escape!! Ah, motherhood! Anyway, you would think that a traumatic nosebleed was the biggest scare of the day, but really it was our brand new couch. The one that took us 6 months of marital stress to decide on. It finally arrived a few weeks ago, cushy and new. And now there was blood all over it. I think that’s why Eric was really calling his mom. Good news, the stain actually came out just fine, but there was a spot on the carpet that I had to get down on my hands and knees to start figuring out. Our rug has a really high pile, high enough that painful legos get lost in it sometimes. There, in the exact spot of the stain, was an entire piece of gum, folded into the fringe of the carpet. It had clearly been there A WHILE. Please don’t judge me. (If you are judging me, you might not have kids.) Nothing that a little machete action couldn’t take care of. Two stains with one snip. Who needs that high pile. Don’t look at my rug too closely on the side near the piano. It looks like a muppet with a bad haircut. Well aside from bad rug haircuts, we’ve got LOTS of soup going on lately! It’s still like 100 degrees here in Sacramento but I love you enough to test soup in this weather so that you can have the recipe in time for when the weather starts cooling off. Because who doesn’t love soup on a chilly day? I love this soup because it doesn’t rely on garnishes to be awesome. I feel like a lot of potato soup recipes I’ve tried are kind of ho-hum, but then you add cheese and bacon and it’s fine. Good enough. Not this soup. It is packed with flavor all on its own. There is no cheese in the soup recipe itself, just a perfectly balanced white sauce that gives you all the flavor and texture you need. And please, put down the bacon. Bacon has its place in the world, but I feel like it steals potato’s glory in this recipe. Let your potatoes shine! They deserve it! If you have Yellow, Red, or Yukon Gold Potatoes on hand, you can use them in a pinch. They’re not quite as high in starch as good ol’ Russ, so they don’t fall apart as easily. If you prefer your potato soup with distinct chunks of potato, you can substitute Yellow, Yukon, or Red. But don’t use any other kind of potato. They have high moisture content and are more waxy, meaning they don’t get as creamy. Say no to waxy soup. By the way, if your measuring cup looks like it’s been to the fiery gates of hell and back like mine has, go ahead and buy yourself a new one. You have my permission. I don’t know why I haven’t given myself permission, exactly. A friend of mine told me the other day that I need to stop being so tightfisted, and I think she has a point. (She is not a mean friend btw, she’s just a good enough friend to be able to tell it to me straight. If you don’t have a friend who can say crap to your face, get yourself one stat.) Now, peel and chop up 1-3 carrots, depending on size. Dice them up nice and small. You want about a cup, more or less, you do you. Add all the vegetables to a pot, at least 3 quart capacity. Add about 3 cups of water to the vegetables. You want the water to just barely cover them, so if it’s a little short you can add more. Next add the heaping tablespoon of Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base (or Turkey!) and 1/4 cup chopped parsley. Dried parsley is a totally fine substitute! Bring the pot to a boil on high, and then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes, or until the vegetables and carrots are extremely tender. Like, slide a fork in with no resistance level tender. No cheating. We don’t want any crunchy, undercooked potatoes in our soup thankyouverymuch. Vent the lid while cooking to let some of the steam escape. While that cooks, get out another mediumish pot and make your bechamel. That’s a fancy word for white sauce. Start off by melting some butter and adding in some flour, salt and pepper. This is called a roux. I know, so many fancy French words. Next we turn this goodness into a white sauce by adding milk. Sloooowwwwly. Don’t you dump it in all at once. You don’t want flour chunks in your soup do you?? Didn’t think so. As you slowly add the milk to the roux, the milk becomes thickened and adds richness to the flavor and texture of the soup. Yes please. When you add your first bit of milk your roux is going to seize up and spit at you and you are going to think you have completely screwed up. I mean look at this mess in the picture on the left! Never fear, just keep whisking, keep adding milk slooowly, and pretty soon it will turn into creamy goodness, I promise! Observe: See? Perfection! Taste it. So homey, right? The second way to thicken the soup is to use the starch in the potatoes themselves. Do you see how tender this potato is after boiling? This is what I was talking about up there when I said Russet potatoes “fall apart.” There should be no resistance at all. Use a potato masher or fork to roughly mash the mixture to your desired texture. As you mash the cooked potatoes, the natural starches are released into the broth and thicken it. It’s magical. How much you mash is totally up to you. I like a velvety soup with some chunks, as you can see in the photo on the right. You can leave it very chunky by not mashing at all (left photo), or if you want an ultra smooth soup you can use an immersion blender. After mashing or blending, pour the white sauce from the smaller pan into the larger pot and stir it all together. Double check your seasonings and see if you need to add any more salt or pepper, and that’s it! You’re done! Add in some cheese and green onions and that’s it. Hold off on the bacon. I mean. Bacon is delicious. Add it if you want. I just need you to know how good this soup is without it!
Can you make potato soup ahead?
Potato Soup can absolutely be made ahead of time! It’s a great option to make in the morning for dinner that night, or a day in advance. Prepare as directed, allow to cool, then store in an airtight container for about 3-5 days in the refrigerator. Over time, the white sauce in the soup will start to break down and make it a little more watery with each passing day, so the best quality will be within the first few days. Reheat on the stove over low heat, stirring occasionally, or in the microwave.
Can you freeze potato soup?
Bad news guys. Unlike almost every other soup, Potato Soup does not freeze well. It is best enjoyed within 3-5 days of making. Time to invite some friends over for a soup party to finish it up. Because potatoes are so starchy, they tend to absorb a lot of moisture. This means that during the thawing process they take on extra moisture and can become very grainy. Also, some dairy based soups have a tendency to separate and lose their creaminess after freezing. It’s definitely best enjoyed immediately! Topping ideas:
cheddar cheese chopped green onions chopped fresh parsley crumbled bacon (I actually dislike adding bacon. It changes the whole profile of the soup and makes you hunt for bacon while you’re eating. Let the potato have its moment, okay?) sour cream (I mean, you can, but this soup is so creamy I kind of feel like it’s unnecessary)
These are the basics. Other options include adding proteins like ham, rotisserie chicken, or spicy sausage. Or you could add in vegetables like corn, roasted veggies, jarred peppers, etc. If you’re looking to get rid of some leftovers, potato soup can be a great vehicle! And I don’t know about you, but I could never say no to pairing this with some good bread, like this One Hour French Bread, The Best Garlic Bread of Your Life, Aunt Shirley’s Famous Dinner Rolls, or even some Cheddar Bay Biscuits. Yes please! Who’s going to make potato soup on the first rainy day this season?? I’m here for it!
