Potato Soup

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Tried and true. Kathleen

 

* Exported from MasterCook *

 

Potato Soup

 

Recipe By : Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, Deborah Madison, page 212

Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00

Categories : Potatoes Soups And Stews

Vegetables Vce:Soups From Scratch

 

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

2 tablespoons olive oil or butter

2 onions -- finely diced

3 small bay leaves

2 pounds potatoes -- peeled

Salt and freshly cracked pepper

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

 

SERVES 4 TO 6

 

Fast and easy, potato soup costs practically nothing if you stick with

ordinary boiling potatoes, a little more if you use fancy ones. And if

you've never made soup before, this one is simple to make and will build up

your soup confidence. Improvise by including sautéed mushrooms in winter

or a diced ripe tomato in summer.

 

Heat the oil in a heavy soup pot over medium heat, add the onions and bay

leaves, and cook slowly. Meanwhile, quarter each potato lengthwise, then

thinly slice. Irregular pieces are fine-the smaller ones will fall apart,

giving body to the soup.

 

Add the potatoes, raise the heat, and saute, stirring frequently, until the

onions begin to color and a glaze builds up on the bottom of the pan, about

10 minutes. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 cup water. Scrape the bottom

of the pot to loosen the solids. Add 2 quarts water and bring to a

boil. Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the potatoes are

soft, about 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaves, taste for salt, season with

pepper, and stir in the parsley. For a soup with more body, pass 1 or 2

cups through a food mill.

 

VARIATIONS:

 

Potato and Roasted Garlic Soup: Roast 2 heads of unpeeled garlic cloves -

they needn't be whole heads (see separate recipe for Whole Roasted

Garlic). Add them, skins and all, to the onions and potatoes. Pass the

finished soup through a food mill and add a few tablespoons cream. Garnish

with snipped garlic chives. A stunning soup.

 

Potato Soup with Mustard Greens: Virtually all greens are good with

potatoes, but especially assertive mustard greens. Boil 1 bunch of mustard

greens, without their stems, until tender and bright green, 10 to 15

minutes, then drain and coarsely chop them. Stir them into the soup along

with 2 or 3 pinches of red pepper flakes. Serve with thin shavings of

Parmesan over each bowl.

 

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