Last night we rocked out the Baked Potato Soup. I slightly deviated from my mom's recipe because I completely forgot to buy chicken stock when I was at the store and was already halfway through the recipe before I realized it! So I whipped up a quick vegetable stock, which ended up lending a great flavor to the soup. Here's the stock recipe:
Quick Veggie Stock
Ingredients
- 4 cups of water (this ends up equally about 2 cans of store bought broth/stock)
- 3-4 generous handfuls of baby carrots
- 2 cups rough chopped celery w/leaves (I just chopped off the top 3 inches or so from a bunch of celery)
- 1/2 white onion rough chopped
- fresh herbs (I used thyme and bay leaves)
- garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
1. Toss all ingredients together in a medium-sized pot and bring to just a light boil before reducing down to a simmer. Let it simmer for a good 45 minutes to an hour.
2. You can't see the carrots in the picture, but I promise they are in there! Sliced mushrooms would be a nice addition too if you have them on hand. After about an hour, strain the broth from the veggies and you'll end up with a rich and savory veggie broth! I'll definitely be using this impromptu recipe again!
Now onto the Baked Potato Soup. I served it topped with fresh bacon bits, white cheddar cheese and a dusting of green onion. I also made Cheddar Bay Biscuits (quickly becoming a household favorite here) to complement the soup. You can find that recipe in my July 23rd posting when I served them alongside the Savory Pork Stew.
Baked Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 6 large russet baking potatoes or 8-9 smaller potatoes (the type you find bagged)
- 2 cans of chicken broth (or the homemade veggie stock)
- 8 oz. sour cream
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Place potatoes on a baking sheet and bake in oven at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes (time depends on the size of your potatoes) until they are fork-tender with crispy skin. Be sure to poke your potatoes with a fork so they don't explode on you!
2. Let potatoes cool (I popped them in the freezer for about 15 minutes), then peel the skins off, chopping them into smaller rough pieces. Puree them in a food processor or blender with the stock until smooth, then transfer to saucepan on stovetop.
3. Add sour cream to soup, then add salt and pepper to taste. Heat through and serve topped with cheese, green onion and bacon if you like - but it also tastes great on its own!
I remember this soup. You would make it for us all sometimes, and for me a little pot of veganized soup.
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