Puds Potato Soup Food

PERFECT POTATO SOUP

Steps:

• Add the bacon pieces to a soup pot over medium heat and cook until crisp and the fat is rendered. Remove the bacon from the pot and set it aside. Pour off most of the grease, but do not clean the pot.
• Return the pot to medium-high heat and add the carrots, celery and onions. Stir and cook for 2 minutes or so, then add the diced potatoes. Cook for 5 minutes, seasoning with the Cajun spice, 1/2 teaspoon salt and some pepper. Pour in the broth and bring it to a gentle boil. Cook until the potatoes are starting to get tender, about 10 minutes. Whisk together the milk and flour, then pour the mixture into the soup and allow the soup to cook for another 5 minutes.
• Remove about half of the soup and blend in a blender or food processor until completely smooth. Pour it back into the soup pot and stir to combine. Let it heat back up as you taste for seasoning, adding more of what it needs. Stir in the cream, then the parsley,
• Serve in bowls garnished with the grated cheese and crisp bacon pieces. The soup can also be frozen.

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?

POTATO SOUP WITH BACON, CHEDDAR BREAD PUDDING AND FRIED EGG

Steps:

• For the potato soup: In a large saucepot, melt 2 sticks butter. Add the onions and cook until tender and lightly caramelized, approximately 10 minutes. Add the potatoes and cover with water. Bring to a light simmer, then add the remaining 2 sticks butter and simmer until the potatoes are tender, approximately 20 minutes. Add the entire mix to a blender and blend until smooth. Pass through a fine chinois or mesh strainer and keep warm.
• For the bread pudding: In a large bowl, combine the bread, cheese, cream, eggs and thyme and mix thoroughly. Press into six 2-inch ring molds until dense and set.
• For serving: In a cast-iron pan, grill the disks of bread mixture in butter until crispy on all sides and melty in the middle, approximately 2 minutes per side.
• Fry the eggs in a nonstick pan. Using a ring mold, cut each egg into a perfect circle. Place on top of the crisped bread pudding in a bowl. Pour the potato soup around the bread pudding and serve.

POTATO SOUP

Steps:

• Peel, cube, boil, drain and "mush" potatoes to the consistency you like (I like them lumpy, but my kids like smaller pieces).
• In separate pan, melt butter, add flour and cook while stirring for about a minute or so.
• Add half the milk and stir until lumps are out of flour mixture.
• Add remaining milk and on med-high heat, heat to a boil.
• Stir almost constantly or it will scorch.
• After boiling, turn heat off and add remaining ingredients.