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.
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
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