This easy potato soup recipe is perfect for when the weather forecaster is predicting a hefty snowstorm coming your way. You figure, “How bad can it be?”, and decide not to give into the panic shopping that takes place across the region.
The following morning you wake up, let the dog out, and after wrestling with the back door, you see snow and lots of it. The day goes on, the kids are inside after blissfully sledding, having snowball fights, and making snowmen.
Suddenly you realize it’s nearing dinnertime! No worries, here’s a hearty, easy potato soup recipe that requires ingredients we all have in our pantry.
Potato soup originated in Peru, where potatoes were plentiful, around 7,000 years ago. They were brought to Britain by explorer Sir Walter Raleigh in 1589. Shortly after that, a royal banquet was held to showcase potatoes and how they could be used in different types of foods.
The cooks were new to using potatoes and threw the potatoes away, using only the leaves and stems to make potato soup. Because these elements are poisonous, everyone who ate the soup ended up getting food poisoning.
However, as years went on, cooks found their stride and several potato soup recipes were developed. A basic recipe can be made by adding vegetables like broccoli, peppers, and carrots. Butter, cream, onions, or leeks are often added as well.
In Ireland, potatoes are mixed with butter, milk, and scallions. Cabbage is added to enhance the flavor.
Other cultures include spices like thyme, rosemary and cilantro to give their soup a unique flavor. Some make a sweeter version with sweet potatoes, cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar.
Our recipe is pretty basic. We use just potatoes, milk, butter, onion, and flour to give our soup a great taste and texture. Salt and pepper are added as well.
Although the recipe is basic, it’s a great starting point for chefs who want to make their own unique versions. What will you be adding to your potato soup on your next snowy day?
Easy Potato Soup
Ingredients:
4 potatoes
1 quart milk (4 cups)
1/2 to 1 diced onion
4 Tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon (heaping) flour
Dash of pepper
Directions:
1. Cut potatoes into small pieces and cook in salted water, with the onion.
2. In a heavy pan melt the butter over low heat. Stir in flour and cook until bubbly.
3. Slowly add half of the milk. Add hot, cooked potatoes and onion mixture.
4. Use a potato masher to break up potatoes a bit. Add the rest of the milk and the salt and pepper.
5. Cook over medium heat until hot. If it is not thick enough, shake 1 tablespoon of flour with 1/2 cup cold milk and add to the soup, stir frequently, and garnish with a sprinkle of dried parsley.
Other Great Soups to Try This Winter
Soup is a great dish to have in the winter. It's warm, cozy, and hearty. Many soups can be made in large quantities, with the leftovers being frozen for future meals. After trying this easy potato soup recipe, give these other soups a try:
- Tomato. No, not the canned kind. Homemade tomato soup will always be superior in taste and quality to canned tomato soup. Make a large batch of your own tomato soup, and serve it for dinner and lunch whenever you want. Make some grilled cheese sandwiches to go along with it.
- Barley. This is a very healthy soup that uses barley, vegetables, and broth. It's an ancient recipe, which makes sense considering that barley was first cultivated 10,000 years ago. Prep this time-tested recipe for a cold week.
- Chicken noodle. Again, not the canned kind! Once you make your own chicken noodle soup, you won't go back. Chicken noodle is a great soup for when you or someone in your family is feeling unwell.
- Bread. Have some stale bread on your hands? Don't throw it out! Cube it up and throw it into a soup. This soup makes a lot of sense when you think about how bread is often served along with soup. This is a great way to ensure you aren't wasting food that can still be eaten.
- Carrot. This simple soup can be prepared one of two ways: as a cream soup or as a broth-based soup. Whatever way you prefer, this is a healthy soup recipe that's as unique as it is nutritious.
- Chestnut bisque. A perfect soup for the holiday season, this soup is cozy and delicious. Serve as a precursor to Christmas dinner, or as a simple dinner after a long day of wrapping presents on Christmas Eve.
- Cucumber. While most people want a hot soup, you might find yourself wanting a cold soup. Perhaps you turned the heat up a little too high in your house, or you're sick of warm soup and want to change it up. Cucumber soup isn't the most popular soup in the world, but it definitely deserves to be more popular than it is!
- Egg drop. If you and your family love Chinese-American cuisine, you've more than likely tried egg drop soup before. If the weather is too bad out to go and get takeout, try making some egg drop soup yourself!
- Lentil. Want a hearty, chunky soup? Lentil is the way to go! Like barley soup, lentil soup is an ancient dish. This soup has survived the test of time for a reason, so go ahead and give it a try! Use whatever lentils you want as the main ingredient in this soup. It can be made with meat or as a vegetarian dish, depending on your preferences and what you have available.