Mashed Potato Soup

December in southern California. What can I say? Pull out your long-sleeved t-shirts and warm sweaters, but leave room for tank tops and warm weather wear. We go from 80 degrees and sunny one day, to freezing winds, grey skies, and threats of rain the next.
As the weather began to turn colder and rainy this week, I found myself craving potato soup. I wanted something thick, creamy, and satifyingly warm on a winter night. This recipe does just that.
One word of caution though; I mashed the potatos with a fork before adding them to the soup, which caused it to *really* thicken up. Either, just cut up into small chunks, or if you mash them like I did, add more milk to the soup. I didn't add any additional milk to account for the extra starch and we wound up with a huge bowl of soup that was almost the consistency of mashed potatos. I loved it, but the husband was hoping for a more liquid-y texture. The original recipe, from Annie's Eats, calls for the potatos to briefly run through the food processor before being added to the soup.
This dish is incredibly filling, so don't worry about planning any side dishes....you won't need them!

Mashed Potato Soup
Source: Adapted from Annie's Eats
Printable Recipe

Ingredients
5 baking potatos, scrubbed clean
4 tbsp. unsalted butter (I used salted as that's all I had on hand)
½ cup all-purpose flour, divided
6 cups 2% milk
2 tsp. salt (I started with 1 tsp. to account for the salted butter, and added more to taste)
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 1/4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
½ cup green onions, chopped
½ cup light sour cream

Toppings
Additional cheese
Additional green onions
bacon bits

Directions

Poke several holes in each potato to allow steam to escape. Microwave the potatos for about 20-30 minutes, or until cooked through. Once microwaved, chop into small chunks or mash with a fork. I kept the skins on most of the potatos, but you can discard them if you like.

Melt the butter in a large pot. Add ¼ cup of flour to the pot and whisk into the butter. Cook, whisking constantly, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the 6 cups milk and the remaining flour. Cook until thick and bubbling, about 6-8 minutes. Be sure to whisk thoroughly to ensure the soup does not burn on the bottom.

Mix in the potato, stirring to fully incorporate them into the soup. Whisk in the salt, pepper, and cheddar cheese and stir until the cheese is melted. Remove from the heat, stir in the green onions and sour cream.

Ladle into bowls and serve with your favorite toppings and a hunk of crusty bread.

Turkey Stock

Even though Thanksgiving was over a week and a half ago, up until yesterday, I still had the leftover turkey sitting in my fridge, waiting to either be eaten or thrown away. I finally pulled that sucker out, cut off any remaining meat, and then broke up the bones to make stock.

I love soup, but I have noticed that the canned stuff never tastes good enough. The carrots are mushy, the broth is missing flavor, there's not enough meat. I could go on. So after a quick Google search I found several recipes for homemade turkey broth.

Pull out your largest stock pot, break up those bones, and plan to spend a chilly afternoon at home. Next time you want soup, or need to use some broth, you'll be glad you did.

Turkey Stock
Source: various internet recipes

Ingredients
Turkey bones
2-3 carrots, roughly chopped
2 ribs celery, roughly chopped
1 large onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon dried sage
several springs of whatever fresh herbs you have (I think I used tyme)
2 tablespoons pepper
1-2 teaspoons salt

Directions
Place all ingredients in a large pot (at least 8 quarts, but the bigger the better). Fill the pot with water, covering the solids as much as possible.
Simmer for 4 hours, replacing any water as needed. (I simmered mine with the lid off to keep if from reaching a boil.)
Strain out the solids and chill the remaining broth. Freeze any broth you are not going to use immediately.

Now you have the base for homemade soup. Super easy!

Chicken Noodle Soup

It seems like summer ended and the cold weather came in over night! What happened to Indian Summer this year? I am missing the warm, but not hot, southern California fall days we usually have in October? It is even going to rain this week! Ugh.
But the good part about this cold weather is that we can enjoy a big bowl of hearty soup. And that is exactly what this chicken noodle soup is: hearty, filling and delicious.

Chicken Noodle Soup Source: Adapted from How to Boil Water Printable Recipe

Note: this makes a huge pot, serving 10-12 people

Ingredients
3 carrots
3 ribs celery
1/2 an onion
3 cloves garlic
4 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 handful fresh sage (about 6 large leaves), chopped
1 tablespoon fresh oregano
3-4 springs fresh thyme
12 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 package egg noodles
1 rotisserie chicken, skin removed
3/4 lemon, juiced
zest of 1 lemon
lots and lots of pepper

Directions

Peel the carrot. Slice the carrot, celery, and onion. Smash and peel the garlic. Chop into large chunks.

Heat the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the vegetables and cook until softened, about 8-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the sage, oregano, and thyme (discard stems).

Add the broth and lemon juice and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and lemon zest and cook uncovered, just until the pasta is tender, about 7 minutes. Season with pepper. Meanwhile, shred the chicken into large chunks.

Add the shredded chicken and cook until the chicken is heated through. Season with pepper.

Serve with a hunk of French bread to soak up the broth.