Jen's Super Easy Postcrossing Potato Soup

I am a member of Postcrossing. The idea behind it, is to allow people the opportunity to receive postcards from around the world. It is tons of fun and a great way to meet people from all over the world. In fact, Postcrossing is the impetus of posting this recipe. I get requests (in the form of postcards) for recipes from fellow postcross-ers all the time. Usually they want a cookie or cake recipe, some have even suggested I bake and send them a cake! So in honor of all my future penpals, be you a one time or repeat offender, this is for you!

Potato soup is super easy to make and delicious to eat. And it can easily go vegan, if that's your preference. Best thing about this recipe? It only costs pennies to make. We like to have it on cold nights with some crusty bread and a salad to accompany it.

Jen's Super Easy Postcrossing Potato Soup

Serves 6

4 tablespoons butter (or vegan margarine)

1 ¼ pound potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cube

¾ cup diced onions, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes

Salt and Pepper

5 cups Chicken or Vegetable Stock

½ cup whole milk (optional)

Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan. (This is the pan you will actually be cooking the soup in, so make sure it is big enough to hold the stock and the potatoes.)

When the butter foams, add the potatoes and onions and toss them in the butter until they are well coated. Season with salt and pepper.

Cover the potato/onion mixture with parchment paper, tucking it in around the edges. Add the lid and let them sweat for about 10 minutes. Turn the heat down to low or a “gentle heat”.

Time to check the potato/onion mixture. Be careful when you remove the paper as there is a whole bunch of trapped steam under the paper. Check the potatoes with a knife or fork to see if they are tender. They should be soft but not colored. If they are hard, put the paper back on and cook until tender.

Remove the paper completely and add the stock to the potato/onion mixture. Continue to cook until the mixture is soft.

Put the potato/onion mixture into a blender, food processor or ricer (if you have an immersion blender you may do this in the saucepan) and puree until smooth.

[I like to keep half of the potatoes and onions back because I like a little “chunk” in the soup. But you are, of course, free to do what you like. The original recipe is completely smooth.]

Check the soup for seasoning and add more salt and pepper as needed. The soup will thicken as it cools, so you will need to add something to thin it either now, or later when you reheat it. Add the milk until you reach the desired consistency. If you wish to keep this vegan, use vegetable stock or water in place of milk.Soup should be thick but not paste-like. If you kept back half of the potato/onion mixture this is the time to add it back.

Enjoy!