Harvest Potato Vegetable Soup
Linda Styger, an Organic Valley dairy farmer from Washington State, contributed this hefty, cool-weather soup. In what she calls her "typical, straightforward, farm-style way of cooking," she seasons it only with salt and pepper. But if you like, you can add dried herbs to the white sauce base, or fresh herbs to the finished soup. We also like it with bits of Organic Prairie ham or cooked pork in it.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 8
Ingredients:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) Organic Valley Salted Butter
8 tablespoons flour
7-8 cups Organic Valley Whole Milk, divided
4 cups diced potatoes (peeled or not)
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup corn kernels
1 cup peas
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Make the white sauce base: Melt butter in a heavy soup pot over medium heat. Use a wooden spoon to stir in flour a little at a time, until it is all incorporated and mixture is smooth. Cook, stirring often, 3-4 minutes. Whisk in 4 cups of the milk. Cook, whisking frequently, until mixture is thick and smooth. Reduce heat and cook, stirring often, 5-10 minutes.
Meanwhile, steam potatoes and carrots until tender over simmering water in a covered pot. Add cooked potatoes and carrots to white sauce. Stir in corn and peas. Add additional milk to create desired soup consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low and cook soup until corn and peas are tender.
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Customer Comments:
Customer rating:
Response to WW Points question from Terese Allen, Organic Valley Food Editor: I don't know enough about the Weight Watchers point system to answer this. You can submit the recipe and question to Weight Watchers, 'cause they're the ones who know their system. Beyond that, if it's fat and calories she has to cut, then using skim milk will help; the soup won't be as rich, of course. You can also cut back on the butter and flour--that is, make less roux; but of course then the soup won't be as thick.
There's another way to make a thick potato soup without making a roux-- it will not have the buttery richness, but I can attest that it is good: you cook peeled baking potatoes and some seasonings--minced onion, bay leaf, whatever--in water or stock to barely cover, then "mash" the potatoes until smooth right in the liquid (remove the bay leaf first!). Then add milk--any "weight" of milk--until you have the soup consistency you like. Season with fresh herbs, salt, pepper. My grandmother used to make it this way, and would add bits of leftover pork, ham, cooked veggies, etc., too. Note that you don't want to use salad potatoes for this--you need the types that get "fluffy" and mash well--not the ones that hold their shape when cooked.
Customer rating:
I would love to try this, however, I've lost 70n pounds on the Weight Watchers program and incorporate this into the organic life style. WOW!!! The points in this soup are out of this world. Very high. How can I cut in about 10 points for the soup instead of about 150 points.