BAKED POTATO SOUP

I love potato soup but usually make it the traditional way. Baked Potato Soup is different. It's supposed to taste like a loaded baked potato.

A recipe from cookingcache.com got me started. First, I halved the recipe, then I increased the chicken broth, decreased the milk and subbed some Neufchatel cheese for the sour cream (because I didn't have any sour cream). Actually, I kind of remade the recipe.

My version is low-er fat, but it's not low on flavor. This soup is rich, creamy and delicious with hearty flavors. A real keeper -- my new favorite potato soup. It's not at all hard to make. And did I mention that my fussy hubby loved it, too?

Baked Potato Soup

Adapted from cookingcache.com

Rating: 10 out of 10

INGREDIENTS: 2 very large baking potatoes

2 Tbsp. Smart Balance Buttery Spread

1/4 cup chopped onion

2 Tbsp. Neufchatel cheese

2 Tbsp. flour

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup fat-free half and half (Land o'Lakes recommended)

3-4 slices crisp-cooked bacon, crumbled

1/2 cup (2-1/2 oz.) shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese

2 green onions with green tops, chopped

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Prick potatoes with a fork or knife. Bake in 400F oven for 1 hour or till potatoes are cooked through and soft inside; cool slightly. Remove skins and cut potatoes into chunks; set aside.

In 2 or 3-quart heavy pot, saute the onions in SB over medium heat till transparent. Stir in the Neufchatel cheese, followed by the flour, salt and pepper. Add the chicken broth as you continue stirring to make the mixture smooth. Mash about 1 cup of the potatoes and add to the broth with remaining potatoes. Stir, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes to blend flavors. Add half and half, crumbled bacon, and cheese and just heat through but do not bring to a boil. Garnish soup with green onions and parsley. Yield: 3-4 servings

POTATO AND LEEK SOUP

When I posted my old standby recipe for potato soup recently (see previous post filed under soups and stews), my sister informed me that the correct way to make potato soup was the French way, with potatoes and leeks only and not with celery, carrots and onions. Now I admit that my sister loves France and all things French, and I do not. I have never been to France; she has been there numerous times. I don't speak French; she does. Being very honest, I don't particularly care if I do things the French way. However, since I had never tried potato and leek soup, I thought it was high time I gave it a chance. I decided to spring for the expensive leeks, and used Emeril Lagasse's recipe. I followed it almost to a T: substituting black pepper for white because I didn't have white, substituting Smart Balance buttery spread for the butter, and substituting bacon bits for the snipped chive garnish because I didn't have any chives. Even though I'm not particularly fond of bacon fat, I decided to cook the leeks in it as Emeril suggested. If I were to make this recipe again, I would substitute either more Smart Balance or olive oil for the bacon grease. That being said, this is a wonderful recipe with amazing flavors and Guy and I both thoroughly enjoyed it.......but next time I make potato soup it will be my old standby recipe with celery, carrots and onions. A, it's cheaper; B, it also tastes awesome, in a different way, and we just really, really like it.

Potato Leek Soup
INGREDIENTS: 1 large or 2 small leeks, about 1 lb.
2 bay leaves
20 black peppercorns
4 springs fresh thyme
2 Tbsp. butter (I used Smart Balance buttery spread)
2 strips uncooked bacon, chopped (consider substituting 2-3 Tbsp. olive oil)
1/2 cup dry white wine (I used Barefoot Chardonnay)
5 cups chicken stock
1 to 1-1/4 lbs. russet potatoes, chopped small (6 medium potatoes or 4-1/4 cups)
1-1/2 tsp. salt (preferably sea salt -- it has minerals)
3/4 tsp. white pepper (I used black)
1/2 to 3/4 cup creme fraiche or heavy cream (I used 1/3 cup heavy cream)
2 Tbsp. snipped chives (I used cooked crumbled bacon)

DIRECTIONS: Trim the green portions of the leek and, using 2 of the largest and longest leaves, make a bouquet garni by folding the 2 leaves around the bay leaves, peppercorns and thyme. Tie into a package-shaped bundle with kitchen twine and set aside. (Alternately, tie 2 leek leaves, bay leaves, peppercorns and thyme together in a piece of cheesecloth.)

My Note: This is easier to do than it sounds. I just laid the bay leaves, peppercorns and thyme on top of the green leek leaves and folded the leaves over them and around, making a cylindracal package tied with kitchen twine. It amazingly all stayed together; there were no peppercorns in the soup, and none of the thyme leaves fell out either. Photo below shows the package at the end of the cooking time, all neat and together.

Using a sharp knife, halve the white part of the leek lengthwise and rinse well under cold running water to rid the leek of any sand. Slice thinly crosswise and set aside.

In a large soup pot (I used a 5-quart stockpot) over medium heat, melt the butter and add the bacon. Cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is very soft and has rendered most of its fat. Add the chopped leeks and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes more. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Add the reserved bouquet garni, chicken stock, potatoes, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are falling apart and the soup is very flavorful. (My note: Cook the soup uncovered, and it took longer than 30 minutes; probably more like an hour.

Remove the bouquet garni and, working in batches, puree the soup in a food processor or blender; or pureee the soup directly in the pot using an immersion blender. (My note: I left some potatoes in the pot to mash coarsely and put the rest of the soup into my blender in one batch.) Stir in the creme fraiche or cream and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Serve immediately with some snipped chives sprinkled over the top of each bowl of soup. (or some cooked crumbled bacon, as I did.) Yield: about 1-1/2 quarts without the cream

EASY POTATO SOUP

Ahhhh, Fall. It has finally arrived in East Carolina. Today was beautiful -- a "normal" fall October day in New Bern -- dry and about 80 degrees. Tonight it's supposed to be in the high 40's, so tomorrow morning will be nice and crisp. I just had to make potato soup tonight to go with my salmon and broccolli. I wanted to celebrate fall, and I wanted some fall/winter comfort food. To Guy and me, soup is the ultimate comfort food. I make lots of different soups all fall and winter, because we love soup. I don't need a recipe to make potato soup, because I've made it so many times. And there is no rigid recipe for it, because there's room to change things. But I will give you the recipe I made tonight for you to try. I hope you like it as much as we do.

Easy Potato Soup

INGREDIENTS: 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil or Smart Balance buttery spread

1 cup chopped onion

1/3 cup chopped celery

1/3 cup chopped carrot

3 large Russet or Idaho baking potatoes, peeled and chopped

2-1/2 to 3 cups chicken broth

1 bay leaf

1/2 - 1 tsp. sea salt, according to your preference

1/4 tsp. pepper (white is preferred but black is ok)

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 cup fat-free half and half or milk (Land-of-Lakes FF H&H is recommended)

Optional: 1/2 cup grated cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS: In 2-quart saucepan, over low-medium heat, saute' onion in oil or SB till transparent. Add celery, carrot and potatoes. Give it a few stirs, then add the chicken broth, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Raise the heat, bring to a boil and cover. Lower heat, and cook for about 25-30 minutes on low, till all vegetables are tender and cooked through.

At this point, there are two ways to finish the soup:

1. Remove the cover and mash with a potato masher.
2. Put contents of pan into blender or food processor and blend smooth.

I prefer method #1 because I like little pieces of vegetable in my soup, and because I don't care to fuss enough to make a smooth soup.

After you do either #1 or #2 above, add the parsley, milk and cheese (if you are using cheese) to the soup and heat till hot, but not boiling. Yield: 4 servings.

You will note in the photo above that the milk is not added to the soup in the jar. Neither is the cheese. We will have the remainder of the soup tomorrow night and I will reheat the soup, and add parsley, cheese and milk at that time. This soup also freezes well if you can keep it around that long. The colder it is outside, the better this tastes.

Also note: Land-of-Lakes FF H&H is the only fat-free half and half that I know of that won't curdle when you heat it, and that is why I recommend it.