Monday, September 29, 2014

Potato Soup

Too much month at the end of the money? LOTS of potatoes and turnips lying around from a CSA box or your garden? Or simply lingering because they last so long, you can afford to save them for the end of the grocery week?

I used up lots of my Colvin CSA potatoes and turnips in this simple, delicious soup. It's a basic potato soup that is kid-friendly, makes a lot, and is fairly inexpensive. There is time spent on the front end peeling and chopping and braising, but after that, it's fairly straightforward. It reheats fine, too.




Potato Soup
~based on techniques from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, Simply in Season, and Joy of Cooking


  • 2 pounds potatoes
  • 1-1 1/4 pounds young white turnips
  • 2 cups chopped onion
  • 1 quart chicken stock
  • 6 T. butter
  • 3 bay leaves
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 cups milk
  • garnishes: bacon bits, chopped fresh parsley, shredded cheese
  1. Start onions slow cooking over medium heat in 2-3 tablespoons butter.
  2. Peel and roughly chop potatoes and turnips. Blanch turnips in boiling water for 6 minutes. Drain.
  3. Add chopped potatoes and bay leaves to cooking onions and stir/cook for about 10 minutes, until potatoes are starting to brown and soften slightly.
  4. Meanwhile, melt remaining butter in large skillet. Add turnips and 1 cup chicken stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer (covered) until turnips are tender, 10-12 minutes. Note: entire turnips recipe can be made ahead of time and just added in when the puree step comes.
  5. When potatoes have browned slightly, add 1 cup chicken stock to the pot and deglaze, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom. Cook and stir for a few minutes. Add remaining 2 cups chicken stock plus enough water to cover potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, until potatoes are tender.
  6. Combine turnips (and juice) with 1/2-2/3 of the potatoes (and some juice) in a food processor. Pulse until mostly pureed but still slightly chunky. Add back to pot with remaining potatoes and stir in milk. Reheat and season to taste with salt and pepper.
~Serves 8

No comments: