Potato Soup (Satterly)

Sometimes the simplest version is the best one. Three large potatoes, an onion, three stalks of celery, stock, and a bay leaf. That’s the whole soup. No cream, no cheese, no butter in the finished bowl. The potatoes themselves create all the body and creaminess when pureed.

Sauteing the vegetables in stages builds layered flavor from the bottom up. Onion goes first until translucent, then celery for a couple more minutes, then the diced potatoes get a covered sauté for 5 minutes before any liquid touches them. That dry cooking concentrates the potato starch and gives the pureed soup a thicker, silkier texture than boiling from the start.

Four cups of stock and a bay leaf go in last, and everything simmers until the potatoes are completely tender. Remove the bay leaf, cool briefly, then blend smooth.

Reheat gently after pureeing. Pureed potato soup scorches easily and boiling it changes the starch structure, making it gluey instead of velvety.

Kitchen Tips

• Use starchy potatoes like Russets for the creamiest puree. Waxy potatoes blend gummy.
• Don’t skip the covered sauté on the potatoes. Those 5 minutes of dry heat make a noticeable difference in the final texture.
• Blend in batches and vent the blender lid slightly. Hot soup expands and can blow the lid off.
• This soup thickens considerably as it cools. Thin with additional stock when reheating.

Variations

• Loaded potato soup: Stir in sour cream after pureeing and top each bowl with shredded cheddar, crumbled bacon, and chives.
• Leek and potato: Replace the onion and celery with 2 sliced leeks for a classic vichyssoise-style soup.
• Roasted garlic: Add a head of roasted garlic to the pot before pureeing for a mellow, sweet garlic flavor throughout.