Susans Winter Potato Soup Plus Recipes

POTATO AND WHITE BEAN PUTTANESCA SOUP

Steps:

• Place a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When hot, add 2 tablespoons olive oil and the onion, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened.
• Reduce heat to medium and add 1/4 cup black olives, 1 tablespoon capers and the garlic. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the garlic is lightly golden.
• Add the tomatoes and sugar, and cook over medium heat until mixture is bubbling and tomatoes have thickened slightly, 5 minutes.
• Add the potatoes, cannellini beans, red-pepper flakes and stock; stir and cover. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes.
• As potatoes cook, prepare the topping for your soup: Place the remaining 1/4 cup olives, 1 tablespoon capers and the parsley on a cutting board, and chop everything together.
• Once the potatoes are tender, add the balsamic vinegar. Using the back of a large wooden spoon, roughly crush or mash about a quarter of the potatoes and beans against the side of the pot. This will thicken the soup. Season with kosher salt and black pepper.
• To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and top with the caper-olive-parsley topping. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil. This soup can be made a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator. This will deepen the flavors.

WINTER LEEK AND POTATO SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in a pot over medium heat. Cook and stir leeks and onion until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
• Stir potatoes and chicken broth into onion mixture; simmer until potatoes are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Pour half-and-half into potato soup and continue to simmer until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes more.
• Stir Cheddar cheese, parsley, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper into soup until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.