Hearty Potato Soup

It’s healthy.  It’s delicious.  It’s easy.  It’s probably my top comfort food.  Mmm, wait – that’s a bold statement.  I need to give that some thought.  Future post: my top 5 comfort foods.  Wait for it.

In the meantime, try this.

Source: The Toronto Star, approx. 10 years ago

Hearty Potato Soup

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 celery stalk, including leaves, chopped
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
4 cups chicken stock, homemade or from a cube
1 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (optional)
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup milk
Salt and pepper

Preparation Instructions

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion, garlic, celery, carrots and cook until slightly softened, about 5 minutes.  Add potatoes, stock, thyme and bay leaf.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer partially covered for 20-25 minutes until potatoes are very tender.  Discard bay leaf.  Puree potato mixture until smooth.  Return to saucepan and stir in milk, salt and pepper.  Top with grated cheese and fresh parsley, if desired.  Yield: 4 servings.

Note: you don’t have to use milk, you could thin the soup out with water if you choose.