Potato Soup

This is one of my favorite meals of all time. It makes frequent appearances on our table from October through April (and sometimes longer depending on weather and moods)! This soup is delicious, economical, easy and travels well for lunches (if there are any leftovers). I almost always have everything on hand to make this, and I keep cooked and chopped bacon in the freezer so I always have it available as a garnish for this soup!

Start by preparing the potatoes - peel first. Potatoes usually aren't uniform in size,



so I cut them into large chunks so they will cook faster and more evenly.



Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Cover, and cook on high heat until the water boils. Reduce the heat, just so the water won't boil over, and cook until tender, maybe 15 minutes. In the meantime, make the soup base.

Start by melting the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Then add the chopped green onions,



and cook and stir for several minutes until the onions are soft.

Combine the flour, salt, pepper and dill, and add to the onions.



Cook and stir until bubbly, then add the milk.



Whisk this well to break up all the flour-y chunks.



Cook and stir this for a few minutes until it starts to thicken slightly, then add the chicken broth.



Cook the soup base until it just starts to boil, stirring occasionally. By now, the potatoes should be tender. Drain them, and then mash.



I just use an old fashioned hand masher, because we like the soup with a few chunks. If you prefer, you could whip the potatoes with a mixer for a very smooth texture, or you could use a immersion blender after you add the potatoes to the base. Using an immersion blender creates a very different soup - you might want to try it both ways!

Once the potatoes are mashed to your preference, add them to the base.



Stir well to break up any large chunks, and to incorporate the potatoes into the soup. Remove from the heat and add half the cheese.



Stir well until the cheese melts. Then ladle the soup into bowls, and garnish with the chopped bacon and remaining cheese. Comfort food at its finest!

For more great ideas, visit Mouthwatering Mondays, Tempt my Tummy Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday , and Tuesdays at the Table and Simple Saturday.

Potato Soup

3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
3 Tbsp. butter
1 bunch green onions, sliced
3 Tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dillweed
2 cups milk
3 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
6 slices bacon, cooked and chopped

Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Cover, and cook on high heat until the water boils. Reduce the heat and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and mash.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chopped green onions, and cook and stir for several minutes until the onions are soft.

Combine the flour, salt, pepper and dill, and add to the onions. Cook and stir until bubbly, about 2 minutes, then add the milk. Whisk well to incorporate the flour.
Cook and stir until slightly thickened, then add the chicken broth. Cook until this soup base just starts to boil, stirring occasionally.

Add the potatoes to the broth mixture. Stir well then remove from the heat and add half the cheese. Stir to melt the cheese. Ladle the soup into bowls, and garnish with chopped bacon and remaining cheese. Serves 6-8