Thick and rich Chunky Potato Soup

A chunky potato soup with flavor galore

We’re big fans of soup. But we’re even bigger fans of rich and thick soups that aren’t loaded with tons of fat. Hmmm…sounds like a real conundrum, doesn’t it? Well, the problem is solved with this hearty Chunky Potato soup. It comes out thick and rich and the taste is divine (assuming, of course, that you like potato soups!). 

The original recipe called for boiling the potatoes in broth, then throwing out about half the broth. That’s one way to do it, but it seems like a waste of perfectly good broth. Instead, we cooked the potatoes in water, then reserved a cup of potato water just in case the soup got too thick (it did!). 

Serve this with cornbread and you’ve got yourself a winning combo that’s sure to be a hit at dinner. And the beauty is, it doesn’t take all day to pull this meal together. 

It’s not choreography, it’s geography

For those of us who live in an area where the gloomy days of April and May can extend into June and July, this soup is perfect. Everyone else will just have to wait for winter—when you might be tempted to watch White Christmas and marvel at the dancing in the song, Choreography. (I know, it was a very obscure reference!) And, I confess, I couldn’t stop myself from watching that scene on YouTube.

We’ll have the chance to make this soup once or twice more before our real summer gets here, but come fall, we’ll be adding this to our soup rotation. 

Chunky Potato Soup

from Grandma’s KITCHEN Recipe Card

• 3-4 medium red potatoes
• 1 small onion, diced
• 3 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp gluten-free flour (We use Bob's 1-1, but any GF flour will work)
• 1/4 tsp Crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp Ground black pepper
• 1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
• 3 cups milk (We use 2%, but you could even sub prepared nonfat dry milk)
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 cup GF fully-cooked Apple Sausage (cut in chunks)

1. Peel potatoes and cut into 1-inch cubes. Dice the onion.

2. Place potatoes in a large stockpot and cover with water . Bring to a boil, then lower heat and maintain a low boil for 15 minutes When potatoes are tender, reserve 1 cup potato water and drain the stockpot. Set potatoes aside.

3. Melt butter in the stockpot over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent and tender, but not brown.

4. Make a roux by adding flour seasoned with pepper flakes and black pepper to the stockpot with the butter and onions. Cook and mix until your roux has no flour lumps. If needed, add a small amount of broth to loosen it up.

5. Slowly add broth to the roux. Heat for a minute or two, then add potatoes, milk and sugar and stir well. Add cheese and sausage.

6. Simmer over low heat 30 minutes, stirring frequently. If the soup gets too thick, add small amounts of potato water until it reaches your desired consistency.

This recipe is great because it’s easy and everyone can put their own spin on it. Don’t have red potatoes, but do have russets? Make the switch. Do you prefer whole mile instead of 2%? Go for it. 

Serve with your favorite garnishes—chives, more cheddar cheese—the sky’s the limit.