Does it seem as if we have had a bounty of potatoes this year? I, for one, am definitely not complaining. I remember a farmer telling me a few years ago, if you don’t know what to do with potatoes, then you just don’t know how to cook. I thought that was funny – and then I look at grassfedcow.com and see that we have a couple dozen potato recipes there. I’d say none of us have an excuse not to dream up something to do with our potatoes.
But I see a glaring gap. There’s no potato soup recipe there! So I’m remedying that with the recipe for MFK Fisher’s Potato Soup (down below) which was adapted in alexandracooks.com. Couldn’t be simpler.
Ingredients:
2 onions, sliced thin 4 tablespoons butter, divided 4 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (a little more than a pound) 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour salt and pepper to taste 3 cups milk, 2% or whole chopped herbs such as parsley or chives, optional
Preparation:
Sauté the onions in 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium to medium-low heat for 15 minutes, or until tender and just beginning to turn color. Add the potatoes and water to cover, about 2½ cups. Simmer until tender, about 20 minutes.
In a separate pot, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon until a light brown paste forms, a minute or so. Roux should be gently bubbling. Slowly add the milk, whisking constantly. Bring milk mixture to a gentle simmer, stir, then keep warm.
When potatoes are tender, add milk mixture to the pot. Use an immersion blender to purée until smooth or transfer mixture to food processor or blender (be careful with blender). Season with salt (at least a teaspoon) and lots of fresh cracked pepper. Bring soup to a gentle simmer, stirring to ensure it isn’t sticking to bottom of pot. Taste and adjust as needed with more salt or pepper. Add herbs if using. Thin with more water or milk if necessary.
When reheating the soup, thin with water as needed and adjust seasoning to taste.