Today is National Homemade Soup Day, which is a good thing because I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE soup! It brings back childhood memories of my mom stirring a big pot of soup and joke around saying, “Hearty Soup for Troubled Times.” While I used to laugh at her when she did such things, the more I think about it, I realize she was right. Soup can cure just about anything. It is hearty, warming, and hits you in the right places.
So when I received a huge bag of Potatoes from Farm Fresh To You, I knew that Potato Soup was a going to be a good thing. And of course I added a dollop of Sour Cream which makes everything a little bit better!
Baked Potato Soup
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
1 head garlic
2 green onions (or leeks, which I didn’t have)
5 to 6 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth (I used 5 cups; add the extra cup after pureeing if you’d like a thinner soup)
2 bay leaves
Table salt
1 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup sour cream
Ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS
Rinse the head of garlic to remove any outside grit or dirt. Cut the top third off the head and peel any loose papery skins off the bottom two-thirds. Wrap with cheesecloth or something similar that will allow the flavor of the garlic to seep through while simmering, but not using the cloves themselves.
Chop the Green Onion or Leeks and let brown on the bottom of a soup pan. I like to eliminate butter so I used PAM spray, but you can do this with butter. Add the larger part of the garlic head (whole, not chopped), broth, bay leaves and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Reduce heat and simmer until garlic is very tender when pierced with tip of knife, 30 to 40 minutes.
Chop Potatoes into smaller size pieces so that they will cook easily and quickly. Add potatoes and continue to simmer, partially covered, until potatoes are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Remove the Bay Leave and Garlic head. And mash the potatoes with a fork or masher until smoother. This part is up to you as to how smooth of a soup you like. Add a spoonful or so of sour cream and let cook for a few minutes.
Blend, Food Process or Immersion Blend the soup until it has reached desired consistency. If you prefer a thinner soup now is the time to add more liquid.
Serve with chives, sour cream, cheddar, bacon, or whatever the heck makes you smile!
Happy National Soup Day!!