On-Hand Potato Soup

On hand potato soup

Some of the ingredients i had to eyeball and make up as I went along

Ingredients:

8 medium to small potatoes (i'd say roughly 4 or 5 cups) well scrubbed and rough chopped

1 whole large onion diced

2 cups diced ham (mine was leftover sliced ham from Thanksgiving)

7 cups of water (part of this can be subbed for chicken stock please see directions)

1 can cream of mushroom soup

5 TBSP butter

5 TBSP Flour

1 small can evaporated milk ( or 2 cups of milk and minus one of the cups of water above)

1/2 tsp kosher salt or to taste

1 TBsP black pepper or to taste

1 TBSP powdered Garlic or to taste

1. prep 2 Cups Hot water with 1 chicken boullion cube or sub low sodium chicken stock.

2. prep 2 Cups Hot water with 1 beef boullion cube or sub low sodium chicken stock.

3. Combine the potatoes, onion, ham, 4 cups of boullion and 2 cups more of Hot water to stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender about 15 mins. (more time if potatoes are larger cut). Stir in salt, pepper, and garlic

4. In a seperate saucepan we make the roux. Melt butter over a medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour using a whisk, fork, or smaller wooden spooon stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. On the side I added the last cup of water to the small can of evaporated milk and then slowly stirred in a little at a time to this butter/flour mixture so that i did not get lumps. Continue stirring over medium-low heat about 4 to 5 minutes. It should be a thickened white creamy base with no lumps YAY.

5. On the side I put the can of mushroom soup with some hot water and stirred vigorously to smooth the conistancy then added this into my Roux sauce and let it heat through. It looked like a soup all on it's own.

6. Stir the new creamy mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through. Serve right away.

Notes: I only had honey baked ham leftovers and ended with a slightly sweet aftertaste - I recommend a Smoked ham for this if you have a choice.

Add-in ideas: many people like to add 1/2 to 1 Cup diced celery but i didn't have any on hand. It does make a nice soup. Some people like to peel the potatoes and i don't bother because i like the rustic taste.

NEW DISH possibility : I have used this guidline and added 2 cans well washed clams swapping all the beef to chicken boullion and reduce water by 1 cup for a spinoff on Clam chowder. Add 2 cups thawed corn and swap all beef to chicken boullion and reduce water by 1 Cup for a spinoff of Corn Chowder.

Garnish Ideas: chives, crispy crubled bacon, shredded melty cheese, home-made rustic croutons, or serve in a bread bowl.