Snowy Day Potato-Vegetable Soup 2 Ways
Author: Nancy Baggett
For a tempting vegetarian version of this soup, use vegetable broth and omit the kielbasa from the recipe. Or cater to meat-eaters by choosing chicken broth and adding in the sausage at the end of cooking. The soup is full-bodied and satisfying either way. Tip: If you have fresh dill weed on hand, it will definitely add a savory dimension, but the soup will still be good without this fragrant, aromatic herb. You can also substitute 2 tablespoons of dried dill weed, but its flavor and fragrance are very muted. Another better option is to substitute ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves for the fresh dill.
Ingredients
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 1 medium stalk celery, diced
  • 1 large carrot, diced
  • 1 cup diced cauliflower florets, optional
  • ½ cup chopped fresh dillweed (no coarse stems), plus more for garnish, optional
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh chives or green onions, plus more for garnish
  • 1½ pounds Yukon Gold or other yellow boiling potatoes, peeled and diced (1/3-inch pieces)
  • 6 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth or chicken broth
  • ¼ teaspoon each sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste
  • 1 to 1½ cups coarsely diced kielbasa or similar cooked smoked sausage, optional
Instructions
  1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat until bubbly and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in the onion celery, carrot, cauliflower (if using) dill (if using) and chives; cook, stirring about 4 or 5 minutes, until the vegetables soften. Stir in the potatoes and broth.
  2. Bring the soup to a full boil, then lower the heat and gently simmer, uncovered, for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potato pieces are just tender when pierced with a fork. Scoop up 2½ cups vegetables and potatoes, draining most of the liquid back into the pot and then putting the vegetable mixture in a food processor. Process the mixture until very smooth. Stir the pureed mixture back into the pot. Reheat the soup to piping hot.
  3. Taste the soup and stir in salt and pepper, as needed. If the soup seems too thick, thin it with a little water. If desired, stir in the kielbasa and cook 5 minutes longer so flavors can blend. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to several days. Reheat over low heat, stirring frequently.
  4. At serving time garnish the soup with fresh chopped chives or green onions and fresh chopped dill weed (if using). Makes 6 generous servings, or about 2 quarts of soup.
Recipe by KitchenLane at https://kitchenlane.com/2016/01/snowy-day-potato-vegetable-soup-2-ways.html