Creamy Potato Soup

Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14

I found this recipe one day this fall when it was cold and I was craving the comfort of some warm soup. It is by a guy named Jason Hill who posts video instructions on the web. This is quite possibly the best soup I have ever made or had in my life!! Seriously so amazingly delicious. It is loaded with fat but so worth it!

1 T. dried basil

4 T. butter

2 C. shredded smoked Gouda

6 red potatoes, diced

2 carrots, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 C. heavy cream

6 C. chicken broth

Roux: 4 T. butter, softened & 4 T. flour-- mixed

Melt butter in a large pot. Add celery, onion and carrot. Cook until tender. Add basil, garlic, and potatoes. Stir about 3 minutes. Pour in broth. Boil about 20 minutes.

Stir in the roux, 1 Tablespoon at a time. Whisk as soon as you drop it in to avoid clumps. Stir until soup is slightly thickened. Add cream. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add the cheese, stirring until melted. Serve now or allow to simmer as long as you need to.

Tips:

Several things here. I chop the veggies (celery, onion, carrots) the day before to cut down on kitchen time the day of, since soup can kind of take a while. Rather than dicing, I cut the veggies into bigger chunks, cook them in the butter for a few minutes (till warm) and then puree it all. Then dump the pureed mixture back into the pot and pick up where you add the basil, garlic, cloves. I like it better when it is creamy and then you don't have to tediously chop all that. If you chop the potatoes earlier in the day, keep them in the fridge in a bowl of cold water so they don't turn brown. I peel mine but you can leave the skin on if you like. To make the roux, i simply softened the butter in the microwave slightly and mixed in the flour. As for the cheese, the smoked gouda that you buy in a wheel tastes WAY better (to me) than buying a package in the deli where it is pre-sliced. I have not seen the wheels of smoked gouda at Publix but have at western & piggly wiggly. The chef on the video says you can use Velveeta if you cannot find gouda but I really cannot imagine that would taste as yummy and smokey. I have left mine simmering for 2 hours before people started eating.

Serves 6-8