All content copyright Katrina Hall 2008 through 2025

Friday, February 26, 2016

potato-cheddar soup with fresh dill

February.  By now, everyone has the "Februaries" when you're tired of cold, ice, and snow.  Last year in New Hampshire, it was 20 below and 6 feet of snow outside.  Here in Minneapolis, there is only an icy trace of snow, lots of cold, cold, wind, and temperatures ranging from -7F to 35F lately.  This is when you start thumbing through gardening catalogues, dreaming of daffodils, sketching out a new herb garden, which will most definitely have a few feathery clumps of dill.






Which brings me to the sweet smelling bundle of dill I got at the market:  what to make?  Thumbing through The Silver Palate cookbook (an oldie but still a goodie), I landed on a creamy but hearty potato soup that called for a cup of chopped fresh dill.  How could I resist that, especially when it also listed two cups of grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese?  

While I followed the original recipe, I did halve it, and adjusted a few ingredients - a few more potatoes because I was using small red potatoes, a little more stock, omitted the carrots because I didn't have any, and added a little more cheese, because, well, you know how much I love sharp cheddar.  Delicious, creamy soup for the Februaries.



potato-cheddar soup with fresh dill


3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup chopped white onions
6 sprigs fresh Italian parsley
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
3 cups small halved baby red potatoes, or diced red potatoes
1 cup chopped fresh dill (you can use a few inches of stems as well)
2 cups grated/shredded extra sharp cheddar- I used Cabot's Seriously Sharp
salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a large pot, then add the onions and cook over low heat, covered, until the onions are golden.
Add the parsley, stock, and potatoes to the onions and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the potatoes are very soft, then add the dill.   Let the soup sit, covered, for 5 minutes.
Pour the soup through a strainer and transfer the solids to a food processor, add a cup of the cooking liquid, then process into a smooth paste.
Return the puree to the pot and add the rest of the liquid and stir on low heat, slowly adding the cheese.  If you need more liquid, add a little at a time - it should be thick and creamy.  Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.  Delicious!




And speaking of delicious, look what my daughter got me for my birthday breakfast!










7 comments:

La Table De Nana said...

I love pinkies..with greens..I looked for watermelon radishes today..What are those I was asked at 2 stores..LOL.
So the soup looks good the gifts so pretty and sweet..when was yours?
Happy BIRTHDAY..the year lasts all yr:)
Still miss winter? No power..from Wednesday night 9 ish till today 4 AM..now the computers need a technician..Vive l'hiver!

katrina said...

Hi Nana - it was Wednesday, the 24th. I'm so sorry about the blackout ! No fun to have to get the computers fixed - I can't remember if that every happened to me. I don't think so, but it's a bummer. I love all potatoes (except the dark purple ones) , but love baby red and yellow ones especially. Time to start thinking about St. Patrick's Day and smashed potatoes!

La Table De Nana said...

We're one week apart!:)

katrina said...

February Birthday twins, Nana! How wonderful is that?

katrina said...

Apparently the Potato-Cheese soup is not in the new printing of The Silver Palate cookbook, but I found the original recipe here: http://www.recipelink.com/msgbrd/board_0/2005/MAR/72229.html

Megan Parker said...

Good recipe dear! Loved everything about soup.

www.hogmu.com

katrina said...

Thanks, Megan!