Kay's Potato Soup
This is a really nice flavorful potato soup. It's probably my favorite comfort food soup. Make up a batch and prepare to share the recipe.
This is a really nice flavorful potato soup. It's probably my favorite comfort food soup. Make up a batch and prepare to share the recipe.
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 tsp salt
- 8 cups milk
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup green onions thinly sliced
- 2/3 cup butter
- 6 large idaho potatoes
- 1/2 pound bacon cooked & crumbled
- 1 cup shredded cheese i like velveeta or american or both
- 1 cup shredded cheese cheddar
- 1/2 cup celery thinly sliced
- 2 boxes chicken stock
- 1 large yellow onion finely chopped
- 1 pkg swanson flavor boost chicken
- Carbohydrate 42.7653618555953 g
- Cholesterol 68.5420563017959 mg
- Fat 28.8635190096925 g
- Fiber 4.68859926698743 g
- Protein 12.699797081734 g
- Saturated Fat 14.9434296975871 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (373g)
- Sodium 695.3037332415 mg
- Sugar 38.0767625886079 g
- Trans Fat 2.57550439036151 g
- Calories 477 calories
Step-by-step
- You can bake or boil the potatoes.
- (Bake) Potatoes at 350 degrees for 65-75 minutes or until tender; cool completely. Peel and cube into 1" pieces.
- (Boil) Peel and cube the potatoes. Boil them, the yellow onions and celery in a large stockpot with the chicken stock until tender. If you don't have enough stock to cover the potatoes, add more stock. I use a 12 qt Non-Stick stockpot.
- In a large skillet, melt butter; stir in flour, salt and pepper (if desired) until smooth. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes until thickened. Pour into potatoes.
- If you want thicker soup, mash a few potatoes against the side of the pot and stir. Remove from heat; whisk in sour cream.
- Place back on stove, add Velveeta or American Cheese and Flavor Boost.
- Heat to serving temperature over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
- Ladle into bowl and garnish with bacon, cheese and green onions. Delish!!
The Starch Foundation
Idaho russet potatoes drive this recipe forward through their exceptionally high starch content, which disintegrates partially during boiling or baking to naturally thicken the surrounding liquid without requiring pureeing appliances. Baking them whole at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 65 to 75 minutes concentrates their earthy flavor by driving off excess moisture before they ever meet the stockpot, whereas boiling them directly in chicken broth infuses every cell with savory depth right from the start. Whisking all-purpose flour into melted butter creates a traditional roux that, when combined with eight cups of milk and boiled for exactly two minutes, yields a stable bechamel base preventing the dairy from curdling when exposed to the acidic elements of sour cream and sharp cheeses. Mashing a portion of the softened cubes directly against the wall of a 12-quart stockpot releases free starches into the dairy broth, creating a velvety body that clings to the back of a spoon.Accompanying Textures
Pairing a heavy, fat-rich soup featuring Velveeta, cheddar, and bacon requires acidic or bitter accompaniments that cut through the coating richness on the palate. A crisp green salad dressed simply with red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil provides the necessary contrast to balance the dairy weight. Alternatively, serving thick slices of crusty sourdough bread toasted with garlic offers a structural vehicle for dipping that absorbs the creamy velouté. Fermented elements like dill pickles or pickled red onions placed on the table offer sharp punctuation between spoonfuls, resetting the taste buds against the heavy saturation of butter and sour cream.Storage and Reheating Physics
Dairy-heavy emulsions demand careful temperature control during storage and subsequent reheating phases to prevent the milk solids from separating into an oily film. Cool the finished pot rapidly in an ice-water bath before transferring it to airtight containers, where it will keep safely in the refrigerator for up to four days. Reheat individual portions gently over medium-low heat while stirring constantly, avoiding high burner settings that cause the cheese proteins to tighten and grain out. Freezing this specific preparation is generally discouraged because the high proportion of whole milk and sour cream undergoes irreversible syneresis upon thawing, resulting in a grainy, watery separation that mechanical whisking cannot fully reverse.
