So it's pretty important that you make this soup like, right now. You should've actually done it yesterday. What you doing with your life?!
I first had this soup when I was around 13, I believe. My Aunt made it for Christmas Eve dinner every year until just a few years ago. I became slightly enamored with this soup. It made me feel all warm & fuzzy inside. I started making it on my own about 6 years ago. I've never gotten it to taste the same as my Aunt's did- but this remains my absolutely favorite comfort food for a cold or rainy day.
Easy Potato Soup
& Made from scratch biscuits
What you need:
-3lb bag of baby red potatoes
-1/2 of a large, white onion, diced
-3 celery stalks, cut up (I actually only use 2)
-4 slices of bacon, cut up (again, I only use 2)
-1 cup of sliced baby carrots
-1 tablespoon chicken bouillon
-4 cups milk
-4 cups water
-1 cup half & half
-1/2 cup of margarine (1 stick) plus 3 tablespoons
-1/2 cup of flour
-Salt, to taste
-Shredded, cheddar cheese
What you do:
Wash potatoes- don't peel them- & then dice up into good bite-size chunks. Place in a large pot of water & boil until tender. Drain & put back into pot.In a large skillet, melt the 3 tablespoons of margarine & saute onion, celery, bacon & carrots until tender. Add to pot of potatoes.
Pour in milk, water, half & half & add chicken bouillon & about 2 teaspoons of salt. Stir.
Turn heat on medium.
While the soup heats up, you're going to make a roux.
In a small sauce pan, melt 1/2 cup of margarine. Add 1/2 cup of flour & stir continuously for about 30-45 seconds. Add to soup & mix with a wire whisk.
Continue to let soup heat up until it bubbles- but do not let boil!
Serve with crackers or biscuits (for which I shall provide a 'from scratch' recipe below). I tend to be a bit of a salt & cheese fiend.. I add a lot of them to my bowl of soup. This soup isn't incredibly thick- but it will thicken in the fridge if you have leftovers.
& Now onto the biscuits!
Made From Scratch Biscuits
What you need:
-2 cups of all purpose flour
-1 tablespoon baking powder
-1/2 teaspoon of salt
-2 tablespoons of sugar
-1/4 cup of butter or margarine
-3/4 cup of milk
What you do:
Mix together all dry ingredients & then "cut in" butter. Mix until the mixture looks like coarse bread crumbs. Stir in milk until it blends together to form a dough ball.
Place your dough ball on a heavily floured surface & let it set for about 5 minutes. Then knead the dough for 1-2 minutes. Re-flour your surface & roll dough out to about 1/2in thickness & cut with a biscuit cutter or a glass (honestly, I'm lazy & I just rip chunks of dough off the dough ball & flatten with my hands & then place into the bottom of greased muffin tins- so much easier & they turn out just fine).
Bake at 325 degrees F for about 12 minutes or until edges are slightly brown.
If you want to do a little extra, you can melt some margarine & add a little garlic powder & then brush that mixture onto the top of biscuits before you bake them.
You can also double this recipe- which makes a LOT of dough. But it freezes really well & doesn't actually take that long to thaw out.
Serve 'em hot, slathered in margarine. Nom nom, nomity nom.
MMMMMM......sounds delicious. I'm going to try making it, but with less (actually zero) salt. So do you just add some cheese to the top of each individual bowl?
ReplyDeleteAunt Elise
I usually put my cheese on the bottom of my bowl- just because I am OCD like that. LOL. But yes, just add as much cheese as you'd like!
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