Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Mashed Potato Soup

It really shouldn't come as any big surprise that I adore, adore, my friends who are just as obsessed with food as I am.  Trading ideas, listening to their thoughts, and the obscene amount of knowledge that I gain from these conversations constantly amazes me. I am inspired by their ideas, and treasure these discussions.  Last week, in passing, my friend Dan (aka Chef Daniel Silver raved about here) mentioned that he was competing in a soup contest, and he was entering with a mashed potato soup that sounded incredible.  I was in the process of designing some snacks for football viewing, and immediately thought that that sounded like a wonderful accompaniment.  Hearty and comforting, with the approach ability of the heart warming side dish we all love so well, but spun into a perfect soup, perfect for entertaining and keeping guests warm and satisfied as they cheer on their favorite team.  


I alerted Dan that I'd be pilfering his idea, though I promised to change it up.  His included that little bit of heaven ingredient- roasted garlic, a combination I knew had to be delicious.  I took a bit of a left turn though and decided to draw some inspiration from the idea of Potato Skins, a classic sports accompaniment in my mind, and topped my bowl of steaming hot soup with cheddar cheese, scallions and bacon (mmmm bacon).  I always believe it is ridiculous to talk about "lightening" something up when I've just discussed bacon, but I did want to make the note that I decided against using cream in this soup to achieve the "creamy" flavor of mashed potatoes.  Instead, I depended on my old friend the Cannelloni Bean,which, when whipped into submission, provides a wonderful cream like flavor/texture that I truly adore.


Mashed Potato/Potato Skin Soup


8-9 medium Red Bliss Potatoes, peeled and cut into bite size pieces
4 large garlic cloves, peeled, but left whole.
1 can drained cannelloni beans
3-4 cups vegetable stock
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and Pepper


Shredded Cheddar cheese,
Crisp crumbled Bacon
Scallions


Place the potatoes and the garlic cloves in a large pot, and fill with cold water until the potatoes are submerged.  Set over medium heat and boil until the potatoes easily break a part with a fork.  Drain the water from the pot, and then add the beans,butter and 2 cups of the stock.  Puree using either an immersion blender (my choice), or in a blender/vitamix or even a food processor (last choice).  Salt and pepper to taste.  Continue to add the stock until the soup reaches the consistency you desire.  The soup should be creamy and thick.  


Ladle into bowls and top with cheese, bacon and scallions ( or whatever toppings your heart desires) grab a spoon, a beer, and start cheering on your favorite team!



4 comments:

Emily @ A Cambridge Story said...

Isn't it fun to have food obsessed friends?! This soup looks perfect for a day like today. those bacon bits, especially!

Jen said...

This soup was amazing. I'm glad there's still some left in my fridge!!

Bianca @ Confessions of a Chocoholic said...

Oooh this sounds great! I wish I had a bowl right now. I love using cannelini beans in soups.

Delicious Dishings said...

I have definitely been planning to make a mashed potato soup for a long time now but just haven't done it yet. This delicious soup is definitely inspiring me!

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