Ellens All Day Potato Soup Food

CREAMY POTATO SOUP RECIPE

Steps:

• Boil the veggies. Peel the potatoes (2 large potatoes, about 2 lbs) and dice them. I like a fairly small dice, about 1/2 inch. Place in a stock pot or 3 quart pot. If you have not quite 4 cups of potatoes, or more like 5 cups, don't sweat it that's fine.
• Peel the carrots and dice about the same size as the potatoes. Add to the pot.
• Smash and mince 1 clove of garlic and add to the pot.
• Add 3 cups of water to the potatoes and carrots. The water should be just barely covering the vegetables, so add a little more or less to make sure they are just barely covered. (We are not draining these potatoes, this water will be part of the soup.)
• Add a heaping tablespoon of Better Than Bouillon Base. The Roasted Chicken flavor is great, but I also love the Turkey base, it has really rich flavor. If you don't have Better than Bouillon, you can use a couple teaspoons of bouillon granules or cubes. Those are much saltier than the paste so be careful.
• Chop about 1/4 cup fresh parsley, or use 1 tablespoon dried parsley. Add it to the pot.
• Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium to keep it at a steady simmer. Vent the lid (tilt it so that steam can escape.) Simmer for about 20 minutes, until the potatoes and carrots are very tender. You should be able to smash one with a fork easily. Remove from heat.
• Use a potato masher and roughly mash the mixture to your desired texture. I like a velvety soup with some chunks. You can leave it very chunky by not mashing at all, or if you want an ultra smooth soup you can use an immersion blender.
• Make the white sauce (bechamel). Meanwhile, in a 2 quart pot or larger, melt 1/2 cup butter over medium heat. Once it is melted, add 1/2 cup flour and use a whisk to stir it together into a paste. Add 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook this mixture for 1-3 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Slowly add the 4 cups of milk, 1 cup at a time. Use the whisk to incorporate the milk into the roux (roux=butter/flour mixture) every time you add more. See photos. It should take a few minutes to add all the milk.* If you dump it in all at once, you will have flour chunks in your soup. Don't be like that.
• Once all the milk is added, keep stirring often so the bottom doesn't scorch. Your heat should still be on medium. Wait until the mixture has come to a boil (consistent bubbles rising from the center) and then let boil for 1 minute, stirring. Remove from heat.
• Pour the white sauce into the pot with the potatoes, using a spatula to scrape all that goodness in. Stir the mixture together.
• Serve warm and garnish with extra chopped parsley, shredded cheddar cheese, and chopped green onions.
• Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days. Don't freeze this soup! The potatoes absorb tons of moisture, making the white sauce separate, and then it gets grainy on you. No thanks. Time to invite a friend over for soup and stories. I mean shouldn't that be a thing anyway?

ELLEN'S POTATO-CELERY SOUP

Steps:

• 1. Place celery, potatoes, and onion in a pot of boiling salted water. Simmer for 15-20 minutes; drain.
• 2. Stir in all other ingredients except cheese and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
• 3. Add cheese and allow to melt completely; serve while hot.

ELLEN'S CHEESY POTATO LEEK SOUP

Steps:

• 1. Peel potatoes and cut into bite-size cubes. Prepare leeks: remove dark green leaves, cut in half lengthwise without cutting all the way through; thoroughly wash the white and light green part under cold water to remove any grit. Slice the leek thinly.
• 2. Place potatoes and leek in a large pot of boiling salted water; add onion and garlic. Cook, covered, about 15 minutes.
• 3. Drain into a colander and set aside.
• 4. Cook bacon until crispy; crumble and set aside.
• 5. In the same large pot, melt butter; add flour and salt and pepper. Blend with a wire whisk, and add milk gradually, stirring constantly with whisk.
• 6. When mixture begins to thicken, add the potatoes and leeks back into the pot, stirring until blended.
• 7. Add the crumbled bacon to the soup; mix well.
• 8. Add the cheese to the soup and mix well. Stir frequently until cheese is melted and soup is heated through.
• 9. Spoon into bowls and top with croutons if desired.

ELLEN'S POTATO SOUP WITH ATTITUDE

Steps:

• 1. In a large saucepan, cook potatoes, carrots, and onions 8-10 minutes over medium-low heat. Drain and set aside.
• 2. In a large skillet, cook bacon until crisp; set aside. Do not discard bacon drippings.
• 3. Place minced garlic in hot bacon drippings for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Do not allow to burn. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
• 4. Add garlic, salt, pepper, summer savory, butter, half and half, and cheeses to the vegetables. Stir over low heat until cheese is melted and soup is heated through.
• 5. Top each serving with crumbled bacon. Enjoy!

PERFECT POTATO SOUP

Steps:

• Place potatoes into a large pot and cover with water; bring to a boil. Cook until fork-tender, about 10 minutes. Drain.
• Place bacon in a large saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until crispy, about 8 minutes. Drain bacon slices on paper towels. Pour out bacon grease.
• Melt butter in the saucepan over medium heat, scraping the bottom of the pan with a flat-edged wooden spoon. Add celery, onion, carrots, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; cook and stir until tender, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle in flour; cook and stir for 2 minutes.
• Pour half-and-half and chicken broth into the saucepan. Add potatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, thyme, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Stir in bacon pieces. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring often, until flavors combine, about 10 minutes.
• Ladle into serving bowls. Garnish with 1/2 teaspoon pepper, green onions, and paprika.

ELLEN'S POTATO SOUP

Steps:

• Peel and dice potatoes and boil in a large pot to just tender @ 10 minutes.
• At same time add the oil to a 12 inch skillet and lightly brown the ham. When done remove ham from skillet and set aside for later.
• In the same skillet, using drippings from ham, saute the diced onion, diced celery, and shredded carrots until just tender. Some additional oil may be needed. Season to taste.
• Drain potatoes leaving @ 1 cup of the potato water in the pot. Take a potato masher and lightly mash a few of the potatoes on the bottom of the pot. This will help thicken the soup.
• Add ham and sauteed vegetables.
• Add half&half.
• Add enough milk to cover.
• season to taste.
• simmer on low for @ 30 minutes stirring frequently and adding additional seasoning if needed.