Sunday, April 26, 2009

Home made potato soup...get your bibs ready..

< OOOOOOHHHHHHHHH MY!!! This is one of my favorite things to make - I heart soup. This is a soup that will stick with you, but is not heavy. Its a soup that is filling but not to the point of nausea AND its got flavor like no other. Well, that's what the Milk Man says but I sleep with him so he's kind of biased, but make and figure it out for yourself.

Heidi's Potato Soup... yes I am taking all the credit for this, cuz I thunked it up meself. Take a pot like this one... its older than I am but it works perfect.

Then I take ham... I usually use ham left over from a meal, but I didn't have any so I used this instead... I don't like anything that is 'lean', but this worked ok..


Most times I use the left overs from a meal that we have ham for, this is if I don't make pea soup with the left overs. When I do that I take the bone and whatever ham is left over, put enough water on it just so its covered and boil it until the meat is off of the bone. Then I take the bone out and add potatoes to that water. I think a bone in meat makes more flavor, but that's just the cough syrup talking-don't listen to me... anyway...
Cut up your meat into little pieces, just as much or as little as you want. You will find out the I measure very little, if anything when I make it - sorry if that throws you into convulsions but I am allergic to measuring cups.. its a well known fact, me being allergic an all...

Also cut up as much onion as you want/like and throw that in there as well - I use a whole nice sized onion....


Then I start with the potatoes... I peel them, cut them up and put them in until I have as many as I want... again no measuring but I have a picture that shows how much I put into the pot if that helps... I hope it helps...








When this is done, I cover them with water - but only enough to cover them. DO NOT FILL THE POT UP WITH WATER!!! Your eyes will swell shut if you do - I promise... not really.


While this is cooking I fry a pound of bacon till its crispy and save the fat.



Then take your mushrooms, wash them, dice them and get ready to fry them in your bacon fat..











Before you fry them, take some minced garlic - fresh or jarred - and throw that in the bacon grease and warm it up, then add your chopped mushrooms.













Now, when your potatoes are done - when I say done I mean DONE. Not just forkable - then I add some of this liquid gold...





After I add the cream, about 1pt I let this simmer for a while - then I add the bacon or not - Sometimes I don't add the bacon till the very last 1/2 hour because is gets mushy - but sometimes I do.. just depends on my time frame and my mood... BUT the secret ingredient to this is this little herb that I have never been able to find in a store. I grow this myself so that's why I have it. Its called Lovage - I am providing a link because I think its VERY important to read about what you eat before you eat it. Especially herbs and various 'natural' things. When you first go to this link, it looks like an ad and it is, but scroll down and READ IT ALL! Then decide if its something that you want to try to use. Its delicious that I promise - its a little bit like celery, but not as 'woody' as celery.. You don't need a lot of it for the flavor to take over, just a couple of little leaves and it enhances the soup without over powering it. The stalk is usable also, but like I said I only used a tiny bit, less than 2 tsp chopped and i dried the rest of what I harvested.

http://www.herbs2000.com/herbs/herbs_lovage.htm








After you add this let it simmer for about another 1/2 hr or more. It will get thicker the longer you let it simmer - Its truly a delicious thing - one of my favorites for a rainy day. I make onion cheese biscuits with it most times and they are GOOOOOD too. I have also added roasted red bell peppers and its to die for... yum...almost as good as a Sunday afternoon nap.
Here is the end result...
These pictures are in the wrong order sorry...adding bacon
adding lovage..
Its nice an creamy and thick.... but not over cooked.. I used to use 'thickening' but found doing this much more tasty and satisfying..and pretty, its very pretty in real life...

16 comments:

Schnitzel and the Trout said...

Looks delicious Heidi! Yes, just talked to the kids and heard it has been raining in your area ALL day! Soup is perfect on such a day. Must read up on the lovage. It is new to me. Love learning something new.

MamaHen said...

Oh, I love potato soup too. I could eat it for every meal. I add lots of cheese to mine...

Hope you got a great nap. I love me some Sunday afternoon naps.

Miss Annie Sew and Sew said...

Now, dearest niece, we were there today and I didn't see no potato soup...just a little Milk Dud eatin' cheese curls.

Peggy said...

I want a nap and then some of your soup!!!!

Heidi said...

WELL Dear Auntie, I made it for supper yesterday! It was GOOOOOOD!
I made shrimp boil for supper and Milk Dud was still eatin cheese curls.. LOL Did you get home without to much rain on the seed oats?? Milk Man said you didnt take a tarp! LOL

Miss Annie Sew and Sew said...

Always a day late and a dollar short! It only rained as we left, no more. That seed oats won't sprout til we plant it in the ground. Got home safely, but the dang cows cleaned the barn while we were gone. Chain and all went out the back door...it's gonna be a long, long, long week.

goatgirl said...

Hi Heidi, No need to miss me. I've been right here. Just thought you might get tired of me asking you to smell Milk Dud's head. So since I'm here...could you please go smell his head for me??
Now I'm goin' to make me some Heidi's Potato Soup.

Karen Deborah said...

Umm girl a heart attack meal fit for a king. you cook like I do, no measuring cups no problem. I can tell it's awesome.
It's hot here. We had taco salad and ice tea.

Anonymous said...

Hi hun,

Thanks for popping by..MMM I could do with a bowl of your lovely soup..Its just what I need.. :)

Love, Light & Blessings,

Sue :)

Tina Marie the Willow Witch said...

Yum....Any left? Ok, fine Ill make my own...

WudWerkr said...

I Love a good potato soup , however i will never understand why anyone wood want to have mushrooms and fritz nuts in a potato soup * can ya tell i dont care for either* leave those out and im all yours lol, ohh and btw , whil you are preparing the other stuff i would be sneeking all the fried bacon and eating it behind your back LOL

Jinglebob said...

Won;'t be long and I will be able3 to just go out in the pasture and pick "shrooms"!

Steak and fresh mushrooms! It do't get much better than that.

Love the looks of that soup!

Joanna@BooneDocksWilcox said...

looks delicious, but you buy half and half? You don't just use your milk from the cows?

Heidi said...

Joanne - I buy half and half because I dont always get to the bulk tank before the agitator turns on. This makes for the cream to be blened into the milk and not sitting on the top! I LOVE FRESH CREAM - but just in case, I keep this on hand. Its MUCH better with fresh cream, I promise!

LDF said...

Okay, I just ate a piece of chocolate bar and a slice of stale cheese for my lunch ... I WANT HEIDI'S TATER SOUP!!! It looks yummy! My oldest boy was in hospital for a long spell when he was a wee lad and that's what he craved most. They served instant mashed taters in that hospital, and he HATED that! He was barely in the car to go home when he started bouncing up and down about eating tater soup made from REAL taters! I still remember that every time I make tater soup.

Unknown said...

That looks so good......