(from The Big Book of Soups & Stews by Maryana Vollstedt)
Make 6 to 8 servings
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (SN: or, use the drippings from a slice of diced, cooked bacon)
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 ½ pounds russet potatoes, peeled and sliced
¾ pound sweet potato, peeled and sliced
3 ½ cups chicken stock or broth
½ teaspoon dried thyme
¾ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper (SN: I used black pepper)
1 cup buttermilk or milk (SN: I used buttermilk for its tanginess)
1 Granny Smith apple, unpeeled, cored, and chopped for topping
In a large soup pot over medium heat, warm oil. Add onion, garlic, and celery and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add potatoes and mix well. Add stock, thyme, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until potatoes are soft, about 15 minutes.
Transfer to a blender or food processor in batches and process until smooth. Return soup to pot and add buttermilk. Simmer until heated through, about 10 minutes. Ladle into bowls and top with a few pieces of apple.
Notes: Instead of vegetable oil, I used the drippings from a couple slices of bacon that I diced and cooked up. I saved the crisped bacon as a garnish. Also, I used buttermilk, rather than whole milk, for a little tang to balance out the richness of the potatoes. You could easily make this soup vegetarian by replacing the chicken broth with vegetable stock. Finally, I used my new immersion blender to puree the soup—a great way to reduce the cleanup.
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