Fry

Potato Soup for Someone Who Needs Soup

by:
November 13, 2011
4.5
2 Ratings
  • Serves A crowd
Author Notes

One of our volunteer sack lunch makers has a sister who has just entered hospice care after a long battle - and it's always a battle - with cancer. Our friend has been working very hard to feed everyone who’s come for last visits, and still shows up three mornings a week with her husband to prepare sandwiches for sack lunches which are distributed to homeless people. So my office mate decided to spend some time this weekend preparing some meals for them and their family. My small contribution is a pot of potato soup and some cornbread, into which I tried to pack as many warming flavors as possible: http://www.food52.com/recipes.... Both can tolerate reheating, and hopefully both with provide some measure of comfort. It’s certainly been therapeutic for me.

A note about the milk and cream: if you need a dairy-free version, feel free to omit both.
—boulangere

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 8 strips bacon
  • 1 yellow onion, 1/4” dice
  • 4 carrots, peeled, halved, 1/4” slices
  • 4 ribs celery, trimmed, halved, 1/4” slices
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 quarts chicken stock
  • 1.5 pounds fingerling potatoes, halved, 1/4” slices
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 12 ounces whole milk
  • 6 ounces heavy cream
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Thinly sliced scallion greens for garnish
Directions
  1. In a stainless steel soup pot, fry the bacon until very crisp. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels. When cool, crumble it with your fingers.
  2. Add the onions to the pot and sauté in the bacon fat until softened and translucent. Add the carrots, celery, and garlic along with a good pinch of salt, and sauté until the garlic is fragrant. Add the flour and cook for three minutes.
  3. Add the chicken stock, potatoes, and bay leaves. Bring to a gentle boil, then cover pot and reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook until all the vegetables are nicely tender, but not mushy, 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. In a stainless steel saucepan, heat milk and cream to a scald (tiny, uniform bubbles will appear all around the perimeter). Add to the soup and stir gently to blend. Remove bay leaves. Season to taste with salt and pepper. You can use white pepper if you have it, but really, this isn’t a fussy soup.
  5. Ladle into bowls and garnish with the thinly sliced scallion greens. Serve with love to people you love.
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5 Reviews

Ashley M.
Ashley M. February 3, 2014
We live in the Midwest, and so with what seems to be a never-ending Winter, needed something comforting last night for dinner. I made this with just a few changes (from lack of ingredients) and it was wonderful. I noticed you didn't mention when to incorporate the bacon crumbles - I just stirred them into the soup, however, I think next time I'll leave them on the side until right before serving since they become less-crispy sitting in the soup. Overall, a beautiful, warming recipe!
 
Sagegreen
Sagegreen November 14, 2011
A recipe with heart and soul. We also enjoyed your bread at susan g's potluck this weekend up in New Hampshire!
 
lapadia
lapadia November 14, 2011
Soup!! I've got potatoes to dig and carrots to pull, think I'll have some soup :) thanks for your contribution to all!
 
TheWimpyVegetarian
TheWimpyVegetarian November 14, 2011
This feels like a hug in a bowl, b! What a really nice way to lift someone's spirits. And thanks for sharing it with us too. Hope you had a great weekend.
 
boulangere
boulangere November 14, 2011
Thank you ChezSuzanne! I did, indeed ; )