Mama’s Potato Soup.

Every time the weather turns even the slightest bit cooler, I know potato soup is on the horizon! And with autumn coming in a little less than two days, I knew it was past time to bring out one of my very favorite fall and winter recipes.  When it comes to comfort, nutrition, tastiness, and ease, Mama’s potato soup fits the bill every time.

I’ve written about this soup recipe before – it’s a perennial favorite.  Over the years, it has been used to entertain guests, warm the family’s bellies after a hike or a sports event, soothe a broken heart after a breakup, or nourish those who are ailing (I will never forget the day Mama brought an entire pot of potato soup over to my house at the university when she heard I was sick and exam week loomed large).

And it couldn’t be simpler to make.  Peel a bunch of potatoes (depending on how many people you’re feeding, judge accordingly; personally, I like leftovers, so I always use at least a dozen or so -- I think I may have mentioned that I've got plenty of potatoes these days), dice them up into chunks, and place in a soup pot, covering just barely with as little water was you can get away with.  Season to taste with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder – Mama prefers Mrs. Dash.  Boil until tender – the same way you would for mashed potatoes – and when they’re done, drain most of the water.  Replace with milk (we use soymilk), and mash the potatoes until they’re at the consistency you like.  Personally, I don’t like mine completely smooth, so with a potato masher I just spread them out a bit so that the consistency is soupy, but still teeming with bits of potato.

Ladle your soup into a nice big bowl and top with your favorite fixins!  I like to use what I always did growing up – Goldfish crackers. :)  But LeeLee likes fake bacon bits in his.  And both of us would happily accept some scallions if any are on hand!

Welcome, autumn!

:)