Instructions: Comfort food I could make and eat daily. Easy, low-fat, versatile. A keeper. (I think you can safely leave out the red pepper flakes and the parsley - these garnishments you add at the last minute. Im not sure they are really needed...prolly just colorful. I might use cilantro next time because we are cilantro fans.) The soup is yummers. Pretty standard recipe...but still good to have on hand. [Brenda Adams]

One-Pot Quick Method, cook diced potatoes, onion, and 2 cups stock in the microwave. Add 1 tbsp. butter or 1 tbsp. olive oil and 2 cups milk to the cooked potatoes, transfer to a blender and puree. Transfer to a soup pot, and continue as directed in recipe.

Traditional Method, put the diced potatoes and 6 cups water into a 6-quart pan. Add 1/2 tsp. kosher salt and bring to a boil. Cover and cook the potatoes until they are soft. Drain and save the water. (Strain out any potato chunks.) While the potatoes are cooking, cook the onion in butter or oil in the soup pot over low heat until onion is translucent and softened, about 5 minutes. Put the potatoes, onions, stock (in batches if necessary), and milk into a blender (not a processor) and puree. If you need more liquid, add reserved potato cooking water. When the potato is pureed, return it to the soup pot. Cook over medium low heat, stirring often. Add reserved potato cooking water (or more milk) until it is the consistency you like. Add pepper flakes and 1/4 cup parsley, turn the heat to simmer, and cook about 3 - 4 minutes to blend the flavors. Add more potato water or milk if soup is too thick. Taste and add salt if necessary.

Comments: I think Pat Hanneman typed this and sent it to me awhile back, though I do own the book and enjoy reading it. (Thanks Pat..another winner.) Its a pretty standard, simple potato soup recipe, but so good and not fatty (but doesnt taste like low-fat diet food at all!) I like the way the author suggests variations and addition ideas. Next time, I will try some of those ideas, ie, include other veggies.

Anyway, I kitchen-tested it last night and liked it a bunch. I made the Potato-Leek version... I used part milk, part low-fat buttermilk. I didnt need to thin with potato water or extra milk. Frankly, I could eat this soup daily. (slurp) PS: Its a forgiving soup - I used what potatoes I had on hand: 1 russet and the rest, little red potatoes. I whizzed it up with a blender wand and left some potato chunks in tact. (Be sure not to use food processor to avoid glue.) - Brenda Adams

NOTES : Variation: Potato Peanut Soup: add 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter in step 4 and garnish with toasted, chopped, dry-roasted peanuts. Potato Leek Soup: substitute sliced leeks for onion. Vichyssoise: transfer soup to a non-reactive metal, glass, or plastic container, cover with plastic wrap laid directly on the soup, and refrigerate until well chilled. Serve in glass bowls, if possible, and garnish with a slice of lemon and chopped chives or parsley. Improvise with Potato Soup. Add grated cheddar or Parmesan cheese, or sliced carrots or celery, or a flavorful herb such as tarragon, or cooked smoked sausage or ham, or hard smoked salmon (at the very end). Its rich base flavor is just asking for leftovers. To serve, ladle into preheated bowls and garnish with remaining parsley or toasted peanuts.

Yield: 6 servings.
*Never puree potatoes in a food processor. The power of the blade can turn the potatoes into glue.

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