Thursday, December 20, 2007

Potato Soup

This is a real crowd pleaser. From Epicurious.

POTATO SOUP

INGREDIENTS

4 1/2 pounds russet (baking) potatoes (about 4)

3 1/2 cups chicken broth (2 cans)

6 slices of bacon

1 onion, chopped coarse

12 mushrooms, chopped coarse

2 cup milk

8 oz cream cheese, cut into bits and softened


In a kettle combine the potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch Pieces, with the broth and simmer the mixture, covered for 20 Minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Remove the kettle from the heat and in the kettle mash the potatoes with the potato masher. Whlie the potatoes are cooking, in a large skillet cook the bacon over moderate heat until it is crisp and transfer it to paper towels and drain. Crumble the bacon into ½ inch pieces and reserve it. Add the onion and mushrooms to the fat remaining in the skillet and cook mixture over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the onion is softened. Add the reserved bacon and the onion mixture to the potato mixture. Stir in the milk, the cream cheese, and salt and pepper to taste, and heat the soup over moderate heat, stirring until the cream cheese is melted and the soup is combined well (do not let the soup boil).

Makes 4 ½ cups, serving 4 to 5.

2 comments:

Kristy said...

This soup is great. I generally blend the potato mixture (before adding the mushrooms, etc) for a smoother texture, but it's open to personal preference. Also, it's just as good if you leave the bacon out (sautee the onions/mushrooms in butter).

Kristy said...

just made this last night for the first time in years. i think i had it in my head that it's sooooo bad for you. um, not really. cream cheese and milk? it's not like it has a quart of cream in it!

and, it was as good as i remembered. funny reading my comment above -- i mashed it this time (thinking, hmm, am i supposed to blend this?) and it was plenty smooth. probably less gummy, too, so i'm mashing from now on.