What is it about cold weather and soup that everyone loves? And why is it that it comforts the soul? We each may have our own answers to those questions, but to me, soup weather means logs in the fireplace, spice~scented candles, turtlenecks, scarves, and lots of coziness. And us folks way up here in the mitten state get PLENTY of cold weather that tends to drag on endlessly. It seems, in our house anyways, that we are so excited for summer to come and all of the loveliness that goes along with it, that before we know it, it disappears in the blink of an eye. Maybe because we KNOW what winter brings with it…as pretty as the snow is, I would be completely fine having it only on Christmas Eve/Day. Then, bye~bye, all done with you Father Winter. By then, we have had just about enough of the cold, miserable months that seemed to sneak upon us so quickly. In our house, we are soup lovers. It’s one of our favorite meals to make. You can get so creative and the possibilities are endless. I have made this soup recipe for a couple of years now. It’s our future daughter~in~laws’ favorite. I have found that each time I make it, I switch it up a bit, depending on what I have on hand and it ALWAYS gets rave reviews. In fact, the kids say they like it better that way…I aim to please my family~it’s my purpose for “being”. And that’s one of the great things about this recipe…most of the ingredients are what you may already have on hand. It’s creamy and warm and the variety of cheese just makes your heart sing praises of joy. I prefer to mash some of the potatoes up a bit when it’s all said and done (it makes it thicker, not that it needs to be any more than it already is). You can leave them alone or mash them to your liking. I like to say this is a lighter version than most, and truth be told, it really is…until you add the mounds of cheese that it MUST have. But even then, it still is not as calorie/fat laden as some are. So yes, this is a “lighter” version and we will go with that. Period. One note regarding the roux that goes into this creation~please please please do NOT be afraid of roux! It may sound intimidating and hard…trust me, it is beyond easy! So, go grab yourself a pan and get cooking…and try your hand at making a fabulous roux.
Sláinte!
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup diced onion
- 5 lbs russet potatoes (cubed, peeled)
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 4 cups Water
- 11 Tablespoons butter
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 3 cups fat~free half and half
- 8 ounces light cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup plain fat~free greek yogurt
- 8 ounces cheddar or co~jack cheese (grated)
- 8 ounces pepper jack cheese (grated)
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- bacon/bacon bits
- In large stock pot, sauté onions in olive oil until translucent, about five minutes.
- Add potatoes, chicken stock and water. Bring to a boil, then simmer until fork~tender, approximately 8-10 minutes (depending on size of cubes).
- While potatoes are cooking, in large sauté pan on medium heat, melt butter. Add flour and whisk until a thick paste (roux) forms, let cook for 1 minute, while constantly whisking. Add nutmeg.
- Slowly add fat~free half and half and whisk until no lumps are present. Add cream cheese and greek yogurt and whisk until fully incorporated.
- Remove stock pot from heat. Add sauce to soup and whisk well until completely incorporated.
- Add cheddar/co~jack and pepper jack cheeses and mix well. Mash some or all potatoes if desired. Top with grated cheese.
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