Creamy Potato Soup
As a kid, Friday nights were for sleep-overs and watching The Incredible Hulk and The Dukes of Hazzard. As a teenager, Friday nights were for pep rallies, high school sporting events, and maybe a date if I was lucky. As a college student, Friday nights were for (since my folks might be reading this) studying, spending time in the library, and maybe catching up on my community service or prayers in the chapel. As a young college graduate, Friday nights were for (since my folks might be reading this) looking for a job, scouring the want ads, typing up my resume, and preparing for job interviews.
Now, as a stay-at-home dad and soon to be famous food blogger (with your help of course), Friday nights are for unwinding after a long week. I realize in my Gnocchi with Mushroom Ragu post, I mentioned doing something special for the one you love on Friday night; however, let me be honest. By the time Friday rolls around, I often just want to put the kids to bed early, crack open a bottle or two or three of wine, put my feet up, and turn my brain off in front of the television.
Unfortunately, everyone in the house still needs to eat supper. Therefore, I give you my version of CREAMY POTATO SOUP WITH KALE. The dish is simple to make, uses a handful of ingredients, has very few steps, and still produces a thick and creamy soup able to stop the chill on any a winter evening. But best of all, this delicious low-fat soup is loaded with protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. So, get ready to get your “Friday Night Soup” on:
Ingredients
- 8 Cups Vegetable Broth
- 4 Lrg Yukon Gold Potatoes
- 2 Lrg Shallots
- 1 Head of Garlic
- ½ Cup Celery (chopped)
- ½ Cup Carrot (chopped)
- 2 Tsp Dried Thyme
- 15 oz Cans of Garbanzo Beans (rinsed & drained)
- 3-4 Cups of Fresh Kale (chopped)
- Salt & Pepper to your taste
Instructions
**These first two steps are completely optional. If you have the time and energy, the steps add depth of flavor to the soup. However, you can still get some awesome flavors without. Your choice, I don’t judge. But preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Cut your head of garlic in two and wrap tightly in foil with one tablespoon of water. Roast the garlic for 30 minutes. Since you have the foil out, pull off another sheet, and fold the sheet in two. Crimp the edges, and you have just made a disposable roasting pan for your shallots. Coat your pan with cooking spray, peel and roughly chop your shallots, place them in the pan, and roast for 20 minutes or until brown and tender.
If you skip the above steps, use only 3-4 minced cloves of garlic in this soup. Now, on to the soup. Depending on your energy level, you can peel your carrots and potatoes or just wash them well. Once cleaned, roughly chop them along with the celery (and shallots if you go the no roast route). Place the vegetables in a large stock pot along with the garbanzo beans, thyme, and vegetable broth. If you are roasting the garlic and shallots, go ahead and begin cooking the soup as you can add these items in once they have finished roasting. Otherwise, add them into the pot as well.
Bring the soup to a boil, then cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer the soup for 30 minutes or until the beans and potatoes are tender. Using an immersion blender or working in batches with a food processor, puree the soup until creamy. Place your kale into the soup after you have adjusted the flavor to your liking with salt and pepper. Recover and simmer the soup until the kale is tender (about 10 more minutes). Serve the soup with thick slices of crusty whole wheat bread or if you are too tired, just open a sleeve of crackers.
https://www.grassfedcarnivore.com/potato-soup/
Friday Night Soup
There it is… next Friday night’s dinner. That is all there is to it: one pot, one cutting board, a few simple ingredients, and a handful of steps. Now you can put the kids to bed, tune in, turn off, and unwind. And while “Friday Night Soup” might not be as much fun as the college library or preparing for a job interview, we really are too old to be staying up late studying. Longer Letter Later.
Love, Bob aka The Grassfed Carnivore
This looks so good!!! I am definitely making it this week!
Glad to hear it. I hope you enjoy it. Let me know how it turns out.
Hello! I forgot to tell you how much I loved this soup…it was quite yummy! Suppose I want to alter the taste a bit and substitute something for the thyme, what would Chef Bob suggest?