Potato Soup — Stacie Lamoore

Alex and I love to have a different soup every Sunday night during the winter. This is one of our favorite recipes to enjoy. It makes a fantastic and hearty soup. This is a great recipe to make when you have leftover ham lying around. This recipe is from my Mother, originally from my Aunt I believe. I have made a couple of changes depending on what I have on hand when I go to make this. This pairs well with a nice crusty bread. Our favorites are and Italian or Flax Seed made in our bread maker. This would also be great with leftover rolls from your Christmas celebration.Typically I use water when making this recipe, but the last few times I’ve made it I’ve had leftover chicken stock from other soups in my fridge. I find that adding the chicken stock give the soup a more complex flavor and would suggest it if you have some on hand.The best veggies to use in this recipe (the ones my mother always uses) are the frozen California Blend veggies. These should be diced before they are put in the soup. However, I don’t always have those veggies on hand. When I photographed making this I had a bag of frozen mixed veggies in the freezer so I used that. Alex said he really enjoyed that since he got a wider variety of veggies.I have also cooked carrots and celery in the pot with the potatoes and removed them all before pureeing it. Then added them back in along with broccoli, corn or green beans. You can use whatever veggies your family prefers or that you have on hand. Just make sure that if you are using frozen veggies you don’t put them in the soup frozen.

Potato Soup:4 Cups cubed Potatoes2 ½ Cups Chicken Stock (or Water)1 Small Onion3 Tablespoons Butter3oz Shredded Cheddar Cheese1 Cup California Blend Veggies (diced)Ham, CubedSalt, Pepper, Garlic and Paprika to taste

Bring the potatoes, onion, butter and chicken stock to a boil in a large stockpot.Boil for approximately 10 minutes until the potatoes are soft and the onions are translucent.