Winter Recipes: Smooth and Chunky Potato Cheese Soup Recipes

by Jamie Moesser on December 6th, 2018 | 1 Comment »

In case you haven't heard, pumpkin pie IS good for you, as was mentioned here and here, because it's high in carbohydrates. So, in the interest of helping you be a happier, healthier you during the winter months, we have provided recipes that contain carbohydrate-rich ingredients, like pumpkin, and any kind of potato, white or orange, and lots of protein. Check out these comfort food recipes, for instance, and these bacon dishes.

But to those illustrious lists, let me add a couple more, this time for potato cheese soups. The following recipes come from my mother and mother-in-law and are both good in different ways. The first soup is slightly sharper, heavier on the onions, and is not pureed; it's a recipe my mom made for years at our annual extended family Christmas party.

Chunky Potato Cheese Soup Recipe

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, finely diced
1½ cups chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half
1½ cups shredded sharp cheddar, emmenthal, or fontina cheese
3 tsp. cornstarch mixed with 3 tsp. cold water
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 boiled potatoes diced into 1/2" cubes
2 T. butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Sauté onions in butter in a soup pan over low heat until onions are transparent but not brown. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer 15 - 20 minutes. Add half-and-half and return to a boil. Add cornstarch, adjusting the amount as needed until you reach soup consistency. Lower heat to simmer and whip in the cheese a third at a time until all is incorporated. Stir in potatoes and seasonings. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Smooth Potato Cheese Soup Recipe

The second recipe is from my mother-in-law, whose creamy soup is very cheesy, but made with healthier ingredients.

Directions:

Cook four or five small potatoes, 1 cup sliced celery, and 2 cups sliced carrots in 2 1/2 cups water until tender. Remove from heat; don't drain. Sauté about 1/4 cup diced onion in butter. Add onions to vegetable mix, along with 1 tsp. chicken base or bouillon. Puree the whole mixture, adding milk to thin the consistency, if needed. Heat blended mixture back up, if necessary, adding about a cup of crumbled sharp cheddar cheese or a couple cups of medium or mild cheddar cheese. Stir 'til incorporated, then serve.

Happy cooking!