Winter arrived earlier – and has been more brutal – than usual this year. A good part of Canada and the northern US is in a deep freeze right now, so what better time for a big pot of soup. But I’m all for simple and quick. This is one of the easiest soups ever to make. Because it’s just a basic recipe, you can add other ingredients/spices to customize it. I’ve made it adding cooked chicken, mushrooms, carrots, etc.

EASY-PEASY POTATO SOUP (serves 4)

4 medium potatoes
1 large onion, diced
1 celery stalk (including leaves), diced
1-1/2 – 2 cups milk, half-and-half or cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Peel and dice the potatoes. Put them along with the onion and the celery into a saucepan. Add just enough water to cook the vegetables, but don’t cover them.

Bring the saucepan to a boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or so, until the vegetables are tender. Here’s where you have to make a decision. You can mash the potatoes, but leave some chunks, or you can use a hand blender (or put the veggies in a blender) and completely blend everything. I’ve done it both ways, but since I couldn’t find my hand blender, I went with chunky this time.

Add enough milk or cream to thin the mixture to the consistency you like. I usually use a mixture of milk and cream only because I’m trying to cut down a little on the fat. No cream in the house? No problem. Just add about 1 tbsp. of melted butter to a cup of milk (whole milk works best but I’ve done it with 2% and even 1%).

Add salt and pepper to taste. It does take a fair bit of salt and pepper, so be sure to taste test.

And there it is! The easiest potato soup you’ll ever make. With some crusty bread and a green salad, it makes a nice lunch or a light supper that’ll warm your insides.

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