Creamy Potato Soup Recipe

Soup is every soul’s favorite comfort food. Eating soup is a simple way of consuming heart-healthy, nutrient-packed meals. When you’re feeling under the weather and have completely lost your appetite, slurping on a steamy soup may feel as comforting as a warm blanket.

This recipe uses butter as the fat base and mirepoix as the aromatic base. Roux is also used as the thickening agent. The secret to creating this hearty soup is the layer of flavors in every step. Soup is usually a prelude to an actual meal but, this creamy potato soup is a meal on its own.

Ingredients:

This recipe takes about 55 minutes to make. Serves 8 to 10.

Roux:

• 4 tbsp flour
• 4 tbsp butter

• 1 tbsp dried basil
• 1/2 stick of butter
• 2 cups of smoked gouda cheese, shredded
• 6 small red potatoes, diced and soaked in cold water to prevent browning
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1 white onion, diced
• 1 tsp garlic-shallot, pureed (or 2 cloves of garlic, crushed)
• 2 cups of heavy cream
• 6 cups of chicken stock
• fresh cracked black pepper

Instructions:

To make the roux, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
Add flour and continuously stir for 3 minutes. Set aside until ready to use.

Melt butter in a stockpot over medium to high heat.
Add celery, onion, and carrots. Cook until onions are translucent.
Add basil and garlic-shallot puree. Keep stirring for 3 minutes.
Add potatoes and continue stirring for another 3 minutes.
Carefully pour in the chicken broth and boil for 20 minutes.
Add the roux a tbsp at a time. Make sure that you whisk every time you drop the roux to avoid lumps.
Wait for about 2 to 3 minutes for the soup to thicken a little.
Whisk in the cream and simmer for 20 minutes.
Slowly stir in the cheese.
Sprinkle fresh ground black pepper just before serving.

Ideas And Tips:

• A classic French aromatic base, mirepoix is a mixture of onions, carrots, and celery slowly cooked in butter and used for stocks, soups, stews, and sauces. The traditional ratio is two parts onions, one part carrots, and one part celery.

• Roux is a mixture of flour and fat cooked together and used to thicken sauces. It typically made from equal parts of flour and fat cooked by continuously stirring in a pan over medium heat until smooth. The end color can range from blonde to deep brown, depending on the length of time it is cooked and its intended use. Clarified butter, vegetable oil, bacon drippings or lard are the commonly used fats.

• As there is no bacon used in this recipe, the smoked gouda cheese will give you that same smoky flavor. If smoked gouda cheese is not available, the chef recommends using Velveeta for a creamy texture.

• You may substitute chicken stock with vegetable stock for a “true vegetarian” alternative.

images – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEm5f-yui3g