Another Creamy Potato Soup

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Rich Potato Soup


Let me preface this by saying that Annie's soup looks wonderful, and that this recipe in no way competes with hers. It is simply another version to add to your recipe collection. It differs in that a roux is used to thicken the soup into a creamy and wonderful texture. Enjoy. I know that we did, as well as the others who shared this with me.


This thick, rich soup combines the smoky flavor of bacon, ham, and veggies in a luxuriously creamy base that is sure to warm you to your toes in these cold winter nights. Serve with buttered bread or your favorite crackers, and a good herbal tea.

Before we start, I’m going to say this one time. We use bacon grease in this recipe. It is lower in cholesterol than is butter, and adds an unbeatable flavor to the soup.

Ingredients:
2 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 medium sized yellow onion, peeled and diced
1 stalk celery, washed and sliced
5 tbs. bacon greese
1 cup cubed ham
3 tbs. flour
12 oz. condensed (canned) milk
1 cup fresh milk (2%)
¼ tsp. liquid smoke

Add 1 tbs. bacon grease to a large sauce pan and melt over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and stir for 1 minute. Add the potatoes and stir. Cook over medium heat, stirring every two to three minutes until the potatoes just start to brown. Add ½ cup of water and cover. Cook for 15 minutes.

While the potatoes are cooking, place the remaining grease into a small frying pan and melt over medium heat. Add the flour and stir until combined. Cook for two to three minutes, stirring every half minute or so, until the flour just starts to brown. You have just made what is called, a roux. Remove from the heat. Remove the pot lid and pour the roux into the potato, onion, celery mixture and stir. Add the canned milk while stirring and let come to a slow boil over medium heat. When the soup has thickened, add the fresh milk, and liquid smoke, and stir until it is incorporated into the soup. Add the ham and stir in. Serve piping hot.


Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

[AnnieDrews]

GW-That looks really good! I bet that Liquid Smoke really adds a boost of flavor. My son asked for potato soup over the weekend....I may have to make a pot before it gets too warm outside.

[Zhizara]

Sounds wonderful, GW. Printed out to try. Thanks.

[pacanis]

I did print this out and try it last night, with the exception of a couple minor changes, like using redskins instead of yukon and my condensed milk being 14oz. I have a couple of questions.
Is this soup supposed to be "stand your spoon up in it" thick? I ended up adding twice as much milk just to get it somewhat soup-like. It did not need thickened at all after adding the condensed milk to it, as it was already pretty thick from the roux. And the condensed milk did nothing to thin it out.
And that leads me to my other question... by condensed milk did you mean evaporated milk? That's my big question.
By all accounts, when referring to condensed milk in the United States you are talking about the sweetened variety. I Googled it just to make sure I was on the same page. Europe's condensed milk is unsweetened and ours is sweetened. I had thought the sweetness would have been tamed by the bacon flavor and liquid smoke, but I ended up adding 3x the LS, smoked paprika and red pepper flakes and it was still like eating dessert, lol.

Talk to me GW. Something went wrong somewhere with the consistency and taste.

[Snip 13]

Looks good Chief :)
We don't get Yukon Gold here, what else can I use?

[purple.alien.giraffe]

Originally Posted by pacanis

I did print this out and try it last night, with the exception of a couple minor changes, like using redskins instead of yukon and my condensed milk being 14oz. I have a couple of questions.
Is this soup supposed to be "stand your spoon up in it" thick? I ended up adding twice as much milk just to get it somewhat soup-like. It did not need thickened at all after adding the condensed milk to it, as it was already pretty thick from the roux. And the condensed milk did nothing to thin it out.
And that leads me to my other question... by condensed milk did you mean evaporated milk? That's my big question.
By all accounts, when referring to condensed milk in the United States you are talking about the sweetened variety. I Googled it just to make sure I was on the same page. Europe's condensed milk is unsweetened and ours is sweetened. I had thought the sweetness would have been tamed by the bacon flavor and liquid smoke, but I ended up adding 3x the LS, smoked paprika and red pepper flakes and it was still like eating dessert, lol.

Talk to me GW. Something went wrong somewhere with the consistency and taste.

It probably is evaporated. He posted another recipe not long ago that was supposed to use evaporated but he put condensed milk as the ingredient and had to post a correction. He's also mixed the two up while making scalloped potatoes. For the record, they weren't terrible, but scalloped potatoes are much better with evaporated milk than condensed. I've got to call him this morning anyway so I'll tell him to log in and clarify.

[pacanis]

Originally Posted by purple.alien.giraffe

It probably is evaporated. He posted another recipe not long ago that was supposed to use evaporated but he put condensed milk as the ingredient and had to post a correction. He's also mixed the two up while making scalloped potatoes. For the record, they weren't terrible, but scalloped potatoes are much better with evaporated milk than condensed. I've got to call him this morning anyway so I'll tell him to log in and clarify.

Thanks for saying something.
It didn't sound far off the mark. I thought maybe a little sweetness was what he was calling richness, or would develop into a richness, but it didn't add a little sweetness, it added an overwhelming sweetness
I've never used evaporated milk in anything, so I'll just assume it isn't as thick as condensed either.

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Originally Posted by pacanis

Thanks for saying something.
It didn't sound far off the mark. I thought maybe a little sweetness was what he was calling richness, or would develop into a richness, but it didn't add a little sweetness, it added an overwhelming sweetness
I've never used evaporated milk in anything, so I'll just assume it isn't as thick as condensed either.

My bad. You are absolutely correct. Use evaporated milk. I don't know why I get those two product names mixed up. Condensed milk is evaporated milk with a whole bunch of sugar. It is very sweet and thick. In fact, if you place a can of it into boiling water for a half hour or so, it turns into a caramelized desert that I can't remember the name of right now.

Evaporated mil, on the other hand, is a milk product from which a large amount of water has been evaporated out of. It has a very rich milk flavor, and isn't nearly so thick and syrupy as is condensed milk. Sorry about that everyone.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

[pacanis]

Originally Posted by Goodweed of the North

My bad. You are absolutely correct. Use evaporated milk. I don't know why I get those two product names mixed up...

Well dear sir, my advice to you is to make this recipe using condensed milk.
Guaranteed you will not mix the two up again.



You can't say I don't follow a recipe

[Snip 13]

If you boil condensed milk it turns into this Caramel Treat

[Dawgluver]

Originally Posted by pacanis

Well dear sir, my advice to you is to make this recipe using condensed milk.
Guaranteed you will not mix the two up again.



You can't say I don't follow a recipe

Leftovers as a topping for ice cream, perhaps?

SCM in soup? Blech!

[pacanis]

Yeah, blech. There was no saving it. Not without turning it into 2 gallons of soup.
I fed it to Mr Insinkerator

[Dawgluver]

Originally Posted by pacanis

Yeah, blech. There was no saving it. Not without turning it into 2 gallons of soup.
I fed it to Mr Insinkerator

Evap milk has consistency kinda like cream, but you can get fat-free. It is really good in soups and sauces, coffee too. SCM is wonderful straight from the can, like semi-liquid fudge, but definitely a dessert ingredient.

[pacanis]

Originally Posted by Dawgluver

Evap milk has consistency kinda like cream, but you can get fat-free. It is really good in soups and sauces, coffee too. SCM is wonderful straight from the can, like semi-liquid fudge, but definitely a dessert ingredient.

433 views before I stumbled onto this recipe and nobody questioned using condensed milk?
You can bet I know the difference now though Chalk it up to experience.
Sounds like evaporated milk is a good item to have on hand for an emergency. Like those folks that have well stocked bunkers

[Dawgluver]

Originally Posted by pacanis

433 views before I stumbled onto this recipe and nobody questioned using condensed milk?
You can bet I know the difference now though Chalk it up to experience.
Sounds like evaporated milk is a good item to have on hand for an emergency. Like those folks that have well stocked bunkers

Live and learn, Pac. Shame about the soup.

I find powdered milk and powdered buttermilk to be great staples too, as they're good add-ins for soups and dressings, etc. Have 'em in the bunker, along with the evap. Along with a canopener.

[pacanis]

Originally Posted by Dawgluver

Live and learn, Pac. Shame about the soup.

I find powdered milk and powdered buttermilk to be great staples too, as they're good add-ins for soups and dressings, etc. Have 'em in the bunker, along with the evap. Along with a canopener.

That reminds me, I need a new can opener.

[PrincessFiona60]

Sorry, Pacanis...I love potato soup.

[pacanis]

Originally Posted by PrincessFiona60

Sorry, Pacanis...I love potato soup.

It was the first time I ever tried making potato soup, too.
I may never look at potato soup the same way again.

[Dawgluver]

Originally Posted by pacanis

It was the first time I ever tried making potato soup, too.
I may never look at potato soup the same way again.

Potato soup is so good.

I keep rereading your posts, and am still cracking up. Thanks for a great afternoon of entertainment, Pacanis!

Your redskins will work fine with any " non-dessert " potato soup. Hope you try again!

[PrincessFiona60]

Originally Posted by pacanis

It was the first time I ever tried making potato soup, too.
I may never look at potato soup the same way again.

Too bad, because with a good potato soup base you have a wonderful world of other soups to make. Potato and Ham, Clam Chowder, Seafood Chowder... I like adding other veggies for a Vegetable Soup Chowder. BACON and Potato Soup!!