Potato Soup

Potato Soup

Fall is slowly turning into winter and there is a definite chill in the evening air. Potato soup is great comfort soup on such nights. I tried it out this past weekend and it turned out great. Definitely try it in the winters!

Ingredients:

• 1 full head of garlic
• 2 Tblsp Olive Oil
• 8 medium red Potatoes
• 2-3 sprigs of green onions
• 1/4 Cup diced Celery
• 1.5 Cups chopped Cauliflower florets
• 8 Cups vegetable broth
• 1/3 Cup unsalted Cashews
• 1/4 Turmeric powder
• 1 Tblsp lemon juice
• 1 Cup baby spinach cut into ribbons

Using a garlic press, crush all the cloves of a single garlic and roast the mix in a few drops of olive oil till it starts to turns brown. Keep this aside. Now peel the potatoes and dice them into medium chunks. Wash these under cold water to remove some starch.

Now, take a large pot (this is what you'll be cooking the soup in) and heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat. Olive oil has a very low smoking point so make sure your heat is not high. Add the celery and most of the spring onions - you want to keep some greens for garnishing. Saute for 5 minutes and as the vegetables begin to get translucent, add 1 Tsp salt. Now, add the potatoes, cauliflower, the garlic pulp roasted in the beginning and pour 7 cups of the broth in the pot. Mix well and increase the heat to high.

Once the mix starts to boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes. By now the potatoes and cauliflower should be tender enough to be poked by a fork.  Once you get to this point, remove the soup from heat - this helps in preventing starch build up. Stir in the cashews and turmeric powder and mix well.

Finally, you will need to blend the soup in a food processor or a blender. Use the remaining broth to assist with this. The result should be smooth and creamy and you may need to work this part in batches. Pour the soup back to the pot, add the lemon juice and warm over low heat. Stir in the spinach and heat for a minute or so for the leaves to wilt before turning the heat off.

Garnish with the green onions or chives and serve piping hot. A new favorite for the cold evenings!