A simple potato soup without cream or milk (dairy or non-dairy). Thickening comes from a roux of butter and flour and pureeing half the soup. Can make it richer using bacon fat for the roux! Can make it vegan by using oil for the roux and a veggie-based bouillon, stock or broth.
The Stuff:
- Onions/Shallots – 2 cups, diced
- Carrot – 2, diced
- Celery – 2 ribs, diced
- Garlic – as much as you want, roughly chopped
- Butter & Flour – 3 T each
- Potatoes – 5-6 cups, medium diced
- Spices – including but not limited to sage, thyme, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder
- 2 bouillon cubes & 6 cups of water (can use stock or broth. I used chicken flavor.)
- Sauté onions, carrots, celery and garlic in olive oil until slightly softened
- Add butter to bottom of pot and let melt. Sprinkle in flour to make the roux, gently stirring in the sautéed veggies. (TIP: You may need to deglaze the bottom of the pot at this point; just use a little bit of water to scrape up the bits from the bottom of the pot)
- Add potatoes and spices and let cook for a few minutes.
- Pour in water and add the 2 cubes of bullion (TIP: You can use stock or broth. I just didn’t have either at home at the time). Watch the salt content with the bullion – you might want to salt later in the cooking process to avoid over-salting.
- Bring mixture to a boil and then lower heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender but not mushy. Taste the broth and adjust seasoning.
- In a blender puree about half the veggie mix and broth. Add back into the pot and heat until warmed through. You could also use an immersion blender right in the pot.
