Fall's in the air...time to make soup
When we got up the other morning, there was a touch of Fall in the air. Well, as much as there is Fall in Florida.There was a slight breeze, and the thermometer had not reached the 80 degree mark yet, though the sun was above the horizon. I grabbed my little cardigan before I headed out to the back porch with a cup of green tea in the morning.
Fall to me doesn't mean changing leaves...like I said, this is Florida. To me, it means my little black cardigan and soup.
I love making soups from scratch. Frankly, I won't eat any canned soup. Not, as some would suggest, because I am a snob. Soups are so easy to make and they taste much better when you know just exactly what goes into the pot.
The day turned out to be a warm one, so I sat out on the porch, turned on the fan and enjoyed the mechanical breeze and my bowl of soup.
My potato soup is simple and can be the basis for other soups as well. Add some white beans or some broccoli florettes or some extra onion and you have a completely different taste.
For a lower fat version of this soup, leave out the sour cream or use the fat free or non-dairy options.
Potato Soup
5 large potatoes
3 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1 cup sour cream
8 tablespoons butter (1 stick), or margarine
2 2/3 cups soy milk
1 teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon dill weed
3/4 cup sharp cheddar soy cheese
· Peel, rinse, and cut the potatoes into thirds. Place them in a large pot with water to cover, add 2 teaspoons salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are very soft -about 45 minutes.
· Drain the potatoes, discarding the water, and return them to the pot.
· Mash four of them with a potato masher until smooth. Cut the remaining one into chunks and set aside.
· Add the sour cream and butter and stir until melted.
· Add the milk, the black and cayenne peppers, the dill weed, the potato chunks, and remaining salt and bring the soup back to a simmer.Divide among 8 bowls and serve the soup hot, garnished with scallions, cheese. Add a dash of dill to each bowl.
