In my little corner of the world, it’s blazing hot right now. But friends, it’s fall in my mind. So despite the 90 degree temperatures that are laughing maniacally at my desire for fall fare and clothing, I’m pushing forward with my third installment of The Sunday Stew! Today, we’re serving up potato soup!
Because I love potatoes.
Just about any kind.
I love them baked in the oven until the skin is crispy. I love them mashed with cloves of roasted garlic for flavor. I love them pan friend or roasted for breakfast, seasoned with fresh herbs from the garden and served beneath an over-easy egg. And I love them in pot roasts and soups.
I especially love potato soup in the fall and winter, because it’s easy and cheap, it will feed a crowd, and it’s satisfying. But in the past, the recipes I’ve tried haven’t done much for my kids.
That is, until I came up with the one I’m sharing today!
Prior to this recipe, my kids would pick at their meal when I served them potato soup. And honestly, I don’t know why their reaction was different this time.
Maybe it was the addition of Cajun spice for extra flavor.
Maybe it’s because I cooked it stove-top, so the texture of the potatoes was different.
Or maybe it was nothing more than timing.
Because if you have kids, then you know they can like something one day and not like it the next, or it can happen the other way around. So moms and dads out there with picky littles, keep trying! My pediatrician says it sometimes takes 10 tries for children to decide they like something!
Here’s what you need (printable at bottom of post):
First, peel and dice your potatoes.
Then, slice your carrots, celery, and onions.
Then, cut your bacon into small chunks, about one inch each.
Once all the ingredients are prepared, drop the bacon into a dutch oven on medium-high heat and fry it up.
Remove the bacon from the pan and set it aside. Pour off most of the grease, but leave the remnants on the bottom of the pan for added flavor as you prepare the soup. Next, add your carrots, celery, and onions to the pot and cook a few minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.
Then, add the potatoes, Cajun spice, salt, and pepper.
Pour the broth and water into the pot and bring it to a gentle boil.
At this point, you will cook the soup until the potatoes are fork tender, about 10 minutes or so.
While the potatoes are cooking, mix together the coconut milk and arrowroot powder.
Once the potatoes are done, with an immersion blender (or blender or food processor, if you take the appropriate safety precautions including letting the soup cool down and filling the machine only halfway), blend about half the soup, leaving the other half chunky for a good texture.
Be careful with this step.
I over-blended and had to add some additional potatoes to my soup, anticipating my family’s complaints about the texture. (Yes, I know. This clan is anything but predictable. They don’t like chunks in their Tomato Basil Soup, but in potato soup, they would find the creamy texture appalling. They definitely keep me on my toes!)
Then, add the coconut milk and arrowroot powder mixture to the soup for thickening and adjust the seasoning to taste.
Garnishing options include bacon, green onions or chives, jalapenos, and cheese. Just about anything you’d put on a baked potato will do here!
This, paired with a simple tossed salad is a terrific week night dinner that also travels well the following day for left-over lunches!
Potato Soup
Ingredients
8 Slices Bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 Carrots, sliced
3 Stalks Celery, sliced
1 Medium Onion, diced
4 Large Russet Potatoes, peeled and diced into medium-large chunks
1 Teaspoon Cajun Spice, plus more if desired
Salt and Pepper, to taste
6 Cups Chicken Broth
2 Cups Water
1 Cup Coconut Milk (Canned)
3 Tablespoons Arrowroot Powder
Green onions, chives, jalapenos, cheese, or any other baked potato topping you like for garnish
Directions
Slice the carrots and celery, dice the onion, and cut the bacon into 1-inch pieces. Over medium-high heat, cook the bacon in a large dutch oven until it’s done. Once it’s done, remove the bacon to a plate and pour off most of the grease, but do not clean the pan.
Then, add the vegetables to the pot and cook until they begin to soften. Then, add the potatoes, Cajun spice, salt and pepper.
Next, pour the broth and water into the pot and cook until the potatoes are fork tender, about 10 minutes or so. While this is happening, mix together the arrowroot powder and coconut milk.
After the potatoes are done, use an immersion blender to blend about 1/2 the soup until it’s smooth, leaving the remaining 1/2 in chunks. You can also do this with a food processor or blender, but be careful! Let the soup cool for 5 minutes or so before blending and only fill the machine halfway to avoid spills and burns.
After the potatoes have been blended, add the arrowroot powder and coconut milk to the pot and stir until it thickens. Adjust seasonings to taste and serve!
Enjoy!
