Basic Potato Soup

Storkbite and I just returned from an extended tour of the Midwest and we are trying to get our groove back.  Lately the goings on in our kitchen have been as easy on the chef as possible.  It was hard traveling alone with the babe, but dealing with an unreliable napper after getting home has been hard on Storkbite Stew and harder on me.  With all this in mind I’ve been making dinners that are both quick and comforting.  This soup reminds me of the time when I was 22, single, living in Chicago in the middle of winter.  I would find myself at the neighborhood bar under the “L” where all I could afford was a pint and a bowl of potato soup.

Basic Potato Soup

So, I recreate it now for my family and all those wonderful memories at the bar with a fireplace when the wind chill was 40 below come rushing back!

It’s easy: Skin a bag of small potatoes or half a bag of large potatoes.  Cube them.  Sautee a little garlic, an onion, and your potatoes in a few tablespoons of olive oil.  Pour in a box of stock (I like Imagine brand - chicken or vegetable), then fill the box of stock up with water and add it.  Make sure all the potatoes are covered.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Let it simmer until the potatoes are cooked through.  Puree in a blender or with a stick blender.  Top with grated cheddar and chives and serve with buttered toast.  That’s it - there is nothing to it.