Creamy potato soup with cheese

it snowed in georgia!

the other night i needed a hearty and warm meal to go along with the first snow of the year. i decided to do a creamy potato soup, and nick wanted it to be cheesy so he could add some bacon and make himself a baked potato soup.

i love making any type of soup, but especially potato based. they're creamy and filling, and you can add so many things to change them up.

this is a very simple recipe. so simple and versatile that i don't use a recipe. i'm going to give some approximate amounts, and they can be adjusted, depending on how much soup you'd like to make. i like to make extra and take it to work the next day or add some milk and reheat it on the stove for dinner the next night.

Creamy Potato Soup (with cheese)

-about 4 cups of your favorite potato, peeled and cubed

-one small onion, chopped

-chicken or vegetable stock, enough to cover the potatoes (you can also use chicken base and add water. if you don't like the idea of using stock or don't have it available, you can use water and just pump up your spices.)

-2 teaspoons black pepper

-1 teaspoon minced garlic

-half a stick of butter

-about 4 tablespoons all purpose flour

-milk to add to roux, and to thin out soup

-1 1/2 to 2 cups shredded chedder cheese


start by putting the cubed potatoes into a large soup pot. add enough stock or water to reach about an inch above the potatoes. add your pepper, onions, and garlic. bring to a boil.

cook your potatoes until they are easily broken with a fork. bring heat down to low. at this point, if you do not own a stick blender, use a potato masher to mash your potatoes. you can do this to suit your taste. some people like a smooth soup, others a chunky soup. if you do own a stick blender, don't mash your potatoes yet.

in a saucier, melt butter until simmering. whisk in flour a bit at a time, making sure to avoid lumps. when flour starts to smell a bit nutty, start adding milk. you will need to whisk pretty quickly to avoid lumps here. add enough milk to make a creamy roux that resembles pancake batter.

add your roux to the pot of potatoes. stir and bring back to a simmer. at this point, you will want to add some milk to your soup. add as much or as little as you want, depending on how thick you like your soup.

now, if you own a stick blender and you like your soup creamy, blend your soup to your liking. this also helps if your roux got a bit lumpy, you can smooth it out.

taste your soup. you may need to add salt or extra pepper. take the pot off the heat until it is no longer bubbling. stir in the cheese until incorporated. put back on heat on low to keep warm.

you can serve this soup with whatever toppings you like! bacon bits, green onions, sour cream, croutons, or your favorite bread. i baked up some flaky biscuits to dip in our soup!

so that's it for my first recipe post. next up: oatmeal banana bread!