Ok, I haven’t posted a new recipe in a while, and I recently tweaked and tried a new recipe. With this comes a brief preamble: One major project for my internship is a Theme Meal, and mine is St. Patty’s Day themed. So I immediately thought of a chunky, savory potato soup with leeks and onions as my “starch” option. I found multiple recipes, tried one, and tweaked it just a tad.

It was delicious! If you make this, you can certainly purée the potatoes for a creamy texture, but I prefer wholesome chunks of taters and the crunch of green onions on top. Plus, I like to wash the potatoes and keep the skins for the extra fiber and earthy goodness. Enjoy!

Chunky Irish Potato Soup
Yield: 5-6 servings
Prep Time: 15 Min | Cook Time: 40 Min | Ready In: 55 Min

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 leeks, sliced (using the tender white and pale green portion of three bulbs)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 ¾ cups chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 medium potatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick (cubes) OR 1 lb red skinned potatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick (cubes)
• 1 ½ cups half n’ half
• 3 green onions, diced
• Optional Toppings: shredded cheddar cheese, crumbled cooked bacon

Directions:

1. Heat butter in large saucepan. Add onions and leeks, and cook until tender.
2. Add broth, black pepper, and potatoes. Heat to a boil. Then cover and cook over low heat for 20 minutes, stirring every so often. It may not look like enough liquid, but do not fret! As my dear friend April reminded me, the onions, leeks, and potatoes break down to contribute some liquid.
3. Pour in half n’ half and salt, and cook on a low simmer for 15 – 20 more minutes, taking care not to let it stick near the end as it thickens. Use a potato masher to break up the potatoes a little, and leave some potato chunks intact. Pull from heat.
4. Serve in mugs, ramekins, or bowls. Sprinkle top with green onions and dig in!
5. Serve with optional toppings if desired.

Oh, it’s that lovely time of year! Thanksgiving is nearing, and that means I’m thinking of a new recipe to try. Last year, I made Pioneer Woman’s cranberry sauce, and it was allllll gone by the end of the day! It was delicious, so I’ll be doing that again.
I always think I’ll make a mincemeat pie, because I’ve never tried it and….well, I’ve never tried it. It seems so traditional that I ought to give a go at least once. I also want to make a savory herb bread this year like rosemary rolls, or thyme cheesey biscuits, or similiar; so I’m on the lookout for a good recipe to try on my unsuspecting family!

The following items will be on my Thanksgiving agenda:

• Cranberry sauce, homemade
• Broccoli cornbread, oh my! It’s tasty and has some cruciferous vegetables in it!
• Mincemeat pie, with a homemade pie crust, of course
• Savory bread/roll of some kind