Easy cheesy potato soup
- Carbohydrate 132.488025 g
- Cholesterol 73.20625 mg
- Fat 26.7012125 g
- Fiber 16.1500003576279 g
- Protein 19.7796875 g
- Saturated Fat 16.698795 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (1405g)
- Sodium 283.785 mg
- Sugar 116.338024642372 g
- Trans Fat 1.8819325 g
- Calories 831 calories
Step-by-step
- In large saucepan, combine potatoes, onions, and water over medium heat.
- Cook until vegetables are tender.
- Drain.
- Add cheese, milk, and butter.
- Heat over medium heat until hot.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- Makes 4-6 servings.
Boiling potatoes whole rather than precutting them alters starch retention and prevents waterlogging during the initial cooking phase. Chopping tubers before simmering causes cellular walls to rupture prematurely, releasing excess free starches into the cooking water and creating a gummy consistency before the dairy is even introduced. Uniform half-inch dice ensures the root vegetables reach tenderness simultaneously within the targeted twenty-minute boiling window.
Maintaining medium heat prevents scorching at the base of the saucepan while the water reaches a rolling simmer. Testing doneness requires a paring knife to slide through the center of the potato pieces with zero resistance. Draining thoroughly removes excess water that would otherwise dilute the fat and protein structure of the subsequent dairy addition. Incorporating milk and butter immediately after draining utilizes residual heat from the saucepan to jump-start emulsification.
Stirring shredded sharp American or cheddar cheese into warm milk requires gentle heat control to prevent protein separation and graininess. High temperatures cause milk solids to curdle and fats to pool on the surface rather than integrating into a smooth emulsion. Whisking continuously for three minutes dissolves the cheese completely into the liquid base. Seasoning with salt and freshly cracked black pepper should occur strictly at the final stage of assembly, as sodium draws moisture out of raw potatoes and alters their cooking rate if added prematurely.
Storing leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days requires reheating over low heat, as high microwave power breaks dairy emulsions. Swapping sharp cheddar for higher-fat double Gloucester increases richness without altering the baseline liquid-to-solid ratios required for proper consistency.
