Not paleo, but I thought I’d log it anyway.
I was asked today if I had a recipe for potato soup. I have to admit that I don’t, but I’m pretty sure I can come up with one.
This is in fact based on my clam chowder recipe, making changes as needed… and I think it’ll work.
Potato Soup
In a largish pot (I use a 4-quart pot for the large surface area):
- half a pound of bacon, cut to 1/2″ pieces, more or less. Fry gently to render the fat, remove bacon from pan and set aside. Do not eat bacon.
- half an onion, finely diced. Turn down heat, add onion to bacon fat and caramelize. I usually don’t let it actually get brown, but the onion is softened. Still do not eat bacon.
- flour to thicken and make roux. Do so. Bacon is to remain uneaten.
In another pot
- boil some smallish-diced (1/2″ or so cubes) potatoes. Use enough, don’t overdo the water. Bacon? Still uneaten.
Back to larger pot:
- take potato water, add to roux until desired consistency. Leave the bacon alone, dammit!
- move potatoes from boiling pot to souping pot. Almost bacon time, remain strong!
- stir to incorporate. But not the bacon, still leave that alone.
Ladle into bowls, garnish with bacon (this is why you kept it) and green onion.
Variations
As the first part is how I create a base for clam chowder, if you wanted to make this a ‘cream of potato’ soup instead, you could add cream in addition to or in place of some of the potato water.
I’ve heard of people pureeing the soup, I don’t think I could bring myself to do that.
I could, however, be pretty easily persuaded to add other ingredients. A bit of garlic, some vegetables, and so on… but then we’re back to chowder.
And if you’re interested in my chowder recipe, use clam nectar instead of the potato water, add carrots and celery to the pot when you cook the potatoes, and incorporate. Clams go in at the same time as the cream, just long enough to bring to temperature without cooking further. Still garnish with bacon, green onion is optional.