Potato-Cheddar Soup
Sometimes having too much milk around can lead to surprising discoveries. Not exactly what you expected to read in a post about soup, right? Let me explain…
Last week, before we put our house on the market, I was trying to use up ingredients in our fridge that I knew wouldn’t last past the “no-strange-smells-in-the-house” rule that preclude the making of practically everything except for maybe chocolate chip cookies. Anyhoo, one of the things I had on hand was half a quart of whole milk that was nearing its expiration date. Homemade ice cream was out—I’d long ago put away my ice cream machine—have to keep the counters uncluttered—and making pudding or custard just seemed kind of silly when what we really needed were light-on-the-aroma main course dishes we could easily reheat on the stovetop or microwave.
That’s when I remembered this recipe for potato-cheddar soup. I’d always been a little hesitant to try this kind of a soup, thinking it would be too heavy, gloppy and let’s face it, caloric. But the fact that it called for 2 cups of whole milk and the happy circumstance that I also had a wedge of cheddar in the fridge, sealed the deal and I decided to give it a go.
Thank goodness!! Because this simple little soup is just delish! Full of flavor but not heavy at all!
On the contrary, it’s actually light and brothy with lovely little chunks of tender potatoes and onions in every spoonful. And the cheesiness is subtle, not overpowering in the least.
Plus, it comes together quickly and easily and is just the kind of warming comfort food we are all craving now!
And all that from just a little leftover milk…
Potato-Cheddar Soup
Makes 6 servings
Prep Time: 45 minutes (much of this is hands-free)
Ingredients
4 cups chicken or veggie stock or water
4 medium red or yellow potatoes, no need to peel, cut into bite sized pieces
2 large onions, chopped
3 stalks celery, sliced into thin half moons
Kosher salt
Black pepper
1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 rounded tablespoons unbleached, all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated
Handful of freshly chopped parsley
The Recipe
1. Place the stock or water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes, onions, celery and a pinch or two of salt and pepper. Lower the heat to medium, cover the pot and cook for 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes are just about tender.
2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat and whisk in the flour. Gradually whisk in the milk until smooth. Add in the dry mustard and another pinch of salt and the shredded cheese and whisk until melted.
3. Pour the mixture into the pot with the cooked veggies and stock and add the parsley. Simmer uncovered for another 15-20 minutes, stirring often so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan and scorch. Ladle into bowls and serve.
4. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Enjoy!
Note: Recipe adapted from The Art of Home Cooking by Kate McDermott. I tinkered with ingredients and proportions.
