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Heart-Warming Potato Soup
A piping-hot bowl of soup can chase away the chills on a cold winter day. Here is my family’s recipe for Potato Soup that is fairly easy to make for a great weeknight meal that is both filling and delicious.
Ham and potatoes is a staple ingredient found in many of my winter recipes. Nothing is more hearty or comforting than these two food pairings.
I cooked a large ham a couple weeks ago and we ate 1/3 of it, shared some with our friends that we hosted for dinner and I froze the rest to use later. Today I pulled out a couple large hunks of ham, thawed it, and then diced the ham for the soup. Easy as that- saving you time and money.
I like to garnish my soup with crumbled bacon and a little green onion. Try serving this along a crusty French Baguette and salad.
Potato Soup
5 medium red potatoes
1 large carrot
2 cups of water
1 small onion
3 garlic cloves
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp. ground peppercorns
1 tsp. chives or parsley
1 tsp. seasoned salt
3 cups milk
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 cup of sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup of cooked ham (or more depending on your taste)
Peel potatoes and carrot and cut into 1-inch cubes. Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Add potatoes and carrots to pot and cook until tender. Drain the water, reserving 1 cup of the liquid. Set reserved water and veggies aside.
In the same pot, add butter and sauté the onions and garlic for 3 minutes on medium heat. Add the flour to pot and season with peppers. Cook for 3 minutes.
Gradually add the potatoes, carrots, reserved cooking liquid, milk, salt, sugar and chives to onion/garlic mixture. Stir well, then add cheese and ham and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Be sure to stir mixture frequently.
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