Jeannie Ritter makes this comforting potato soup all winter. Serves 6-8.
Ingredients
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, diced
2 carrots, sliced into thin rounds
2 stalks celery, diced
3 tablespoons olive oil
Bay leaf
2 teaspoons thyme
1 can (49 ounces) chicken broth
5 large baked potatoes, scooped out and smashed (you could sprinkle the skins with cheese and run them under the broiler for a quick side dish)
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste
TOPPINGS
Sour cream, grated cheese, chopped scallions, bacon bits and/or shoestring potatoes
Directions
In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, saute garlic, onion, carrots and celery in olive oil until onions become translucent, 7-10 minutes. Add bay leaf, thyme, broth, baked potato, cream, salt and pepper. Simmer very low about 20 minutes.
Serve and top with all or a mixture of: sour cream, grated cheese, chopped scallions, bacon bits or shoestring potatoes.
Wine ideas:
A winter-weight white, served not too chilled, will match the cashmere warmth of this soup. Try a chardonnay from a warmer corner of California, like Tobin James from Paso Robles or Handley from Dry Creek Valley ($20-$25).
Tara Q. Thomas
