MARCY'S TRAVEL BLOG- A "KITCHEN" ADVENTURE! GRANDPA BOB'S HOMEMADE POTATO SOUP!

  

This Pandemic has made my travel blog a "HOME BLOG" as well!  There are still adventures to be had! This time the adventure is in the Kitchen! With the weather getting a bit chilly- It's Soup Making Time!!

POTATO SOUP TO DIE FOR!!

   My Step-Father was a wonderful cook!  Between his recipes and my beloved Auntie Fran's I've had great success at soup making!  The "Secret" ingredient is Patience!

   My kitchen adventure on this cool Autumn day is Potato Soup!  I'll bring you through the steps, as was taught to me.

You'll need --a large soup pot

- ham shanks (I use 3 for a large amount of soup) 

Potatoes (10 pounds for a large pot),

 onions (I use about 6 yellow onions)

-celery (around 5-6 stalks)

- garlic (optional),- Minced or fresh- which ever you prefer

 1 or 2 sticks of butter (For a large amount of potatoes and veggies I use 2)

-Sour Cream (for a large pot I use a 3 pound container of Sour Cream)

- and Salt and Pepper to taste!

 

Step #1- You need a large soup pot and Pork Shanks. You can usually ask your butcher or at the grocery meat counter for the shanks.  If those are not available, ham hocks will do.  I prefer shanks because they have plenty of meat on them. Because I'm making a large amount I'm using 3 shanks

- Shanks go in the pot- then add water, enough to cover the shanks well.  Turn burner on high and bring to a boil.  No need to add salt, since pork is salty enough.

- Once the pot comes to a boil, bring down to simmer, cover - and let that pot simmer for several hours! ( I let mine simmer most of the day! Hence -Patience!)  The longer you simmer the broth, the more flavor you get from the ham ! Check from time to time and add a bit of water if need be.  What you want in the end is enough broth to just cover your potatoes and vegetables. 

Step #2- Give your soup pot a cold bath!  You want to cool the broth before straining it!  Take out the shanks once the broth has cooled.  Then strain the broth.  This is to make sure there is no little bone that has fallen away from the shanks.  Broth now goes back into the pot- and once completely cooled- into the fridge for the night!  Yep- it's a 2 day process.  Trust me, the end result is worth it!

Step #3-  Clean the meat from the shanks and put in the fridge for the night. You'll be adding this to the broth tomorrow. You'll be skimming the fat from the broth tomorrow, so don't want to add the meat yet.

Step #5-  Skim at least half of the fat that has accumulated at the top. You want the flavor, but not greasy soup.

Step #6-  You'll need potatoes, onions, garlic, celery, and your meat. Probably the task that takes you the longest is peeling the potatoes and onions! 

Step #7- Once everything is cleaned and peeled,  cut everything up into small pieces.  I like a fairly smooth potato soup, so I cut to a small size. Place everything, including the meat into the broth pot.  The broth will be "jelly" like in consistency, but not to worry, will become liquid again once heated. If you're like me, you'll want a thick soup- so make sure there's just enough broth to cover the meat and vegetables.  You can take some broth out and store in the freezer for future use.  Now cover, bring to a boil, then down to simmer, again for several hours.  You'll want the vegetables to be soft.

We are almost done!

Step #8-  Take out some- or all of the cooked vegetable/ meat mixture from the pot.  In a bowl mash up the potatoes.  The celery and onions will mash as well.

Add butter , sour cream, and some pepper and mix- add back to the broth! Stir, take off the stove, and let cool!  There you go!  Potato Soup to die for!  Some people like a bit more salt- so once cooled, add to taste.

 This soup freezes very well, so you can make a large pot to freeze- and/ or share!

Just a note:  When rewarming, either warm individual bowls in the microwave or set the stove top to LOW, and stir often! By experience I've learned that this soup scorches easily because of the sour cream. 

The Fall season is here!  Nothing soothes a chilled body like a hearty bowl of soup!

Add a few clippings of green onion for added color, if you wish.  Serve with a chunk of French bread and perhaps a glass of wine!

  So there you have it, the family "Potato Soup" recipe!  

For those of you who cook by exact measuring I apologize!  I usually go more by sight and feel than by exact measuring of the ingredients! 

For myself, I love to share my soup! Since I live alone cooking for one has always been a challenge!  So - I freeze some, eat some, and share the rest..

Potato Soup seems to be a "HUG" from the inside!  As the weather cools, give this recipe a try!  I think you'll really enjoy the results!

Until next time, Dear Readers!  Thank you for following along in my Kitchen Adventure! I'll be off to find outdoor adventures soon! 

Remember, Life is Indeed an Adventure!  And Some Adventures are as close as your Kitchen!