Cream of Potato Soup

Time: 50 min | Yields: 7

This potato soup is another great cream soup. It’s a great way to use up potatoes, and it’s a delicious way to keep you warm and full on a cold day. You can make this soup as a simple creamy potato soup, or you can add cheddar for a cheesy potato soup.

For this cream soup, do not puree all of the vegetables. Save some of the potatoes to float in the soup.

Ingredients

5 cups of potatoes, peeled and sliced thin (about 3 large potatoes)
1 sweet onion, diced
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 cups chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
salt to taste
1 cup cream
2 tablespoons cooking sherry
2 cups cubed cheddar cheese (optional for cheesy potato soup)

Directions

Sauté the onion in the butter. Add the flour and cook while stirring until the butter and flour are combined into a thick paste. The cooking should only last a minute or two and the flour should not be browned.
While still cooking, pour in 1/2 cup of the broth while stirring with a whisk. Gradually add the rest of the broth, stirring to make the mixture smooth, as if you were making gravy. Continue cooking until the mixture is bubbly and thickened.
Add the potatoes and thyme and cook for ten to fifteen minutes or until tender. With a slotted spoon, remove about a third of the potatoes from the soup and set aside.
Pour the soup into a blender in batches, two or three cups at a time, and puree until smooth. Pass the pureed soup through a strainer to catch any lumps. Press the lumps through the strainer with the back of a spoon. Discard any solids.
Add the potatoes that were set aside, the cheese (if making cheesy potato soup), and the sherry. Salt the soup to taste. Cook the soup until hot or until the cheese melts. Add the cream. If the soup needs further thinning, add water. Serve hot.

Baker’s Note: It is best to use a mandoline or other device that will slice the potatoes evenly. Evenly sliced potatoes will cook at the same time so that the potatoes are neither overcooked nor undercooked.

Recommended Cream Soup Recipes

Cream of Broccoli Soup: You can turn this into the famous cheesy broccoli soup, or you can keep it as-is for a delightfully creamy soup.
Cream of Corn Soup: This is a cream soup that doesn’t require you to cream the vegetables.
Cream of Celery Soup: This soup is similar to our cream of broccoli soup but uses diced celery instead.
Baked Potato Soup: This creamy soup is a great way to use baked potatoes, and the bacon and cheddar make it spectacular.
Roasted Cauliflower, Onion, and Garlic Soup: This soup is easy to prepare and delicious once the vegetables are roasted.
Fall Harvest Soup: This is an unusual cream soup made with apples and honey for a bit of sweetness that is well-balanced with a touch of curry.