Potato Soup My Way

Okay, so this blog started out as an adoption blog, has morphed into a family blog and now what?  A foodie blog?  Well, maybe.  HA! Or not. 

I doubt anything I have to say about food will be all that enthralling.  I'm not exactly The Pioneer Woman,  and I've got nothing on Bakerella.  But, according to my friends and family....I have some, well.....fascinating aggravating ideas about food.  So, I thought I'd share a little.  Or a lot.  Because why not share the torment, right?  Besides, these aren't even my ideas, I just adopted them.  Ooh, that means it's still an adoption blog!  Get it?  Get it?  Okay then......ahem. 

A few years ago, Paul and I read a book, The Seven Pillars of Heath by Dr. Don Colbert, that started us thinking about the food we were eating and the results we were getting from eating said foods.  Long story short, we eventually purged our pantry and have since Tried, with a capital T, to stay away from processed foods, chemically treated produce, empty carbs and refined sugars.

We also eat fewer animal products, but that's a topic for another day. 

Where was I....yes, we strive to eat "clean foods", foods eaten closer to the source....or at least that have ingredient lists that I can actually read!  Because the bottom line is that the more the food is processed, the less it's nutritional value.  Period.  I don't care how fortified it is. 

If we are Facebook friends, there is a good chance that you've seen some of my closer friends ribbing me about what I feed....or don't feed, my kids.  Whatever.  That so does not bother me.  At all.  Really.  Eh...So, feel free to get a good laugh when you find out that my kid made her own Oreos out of hummus and crackers!  I know. 

But, this is not the day that I bestow all my nutritional wisdom on you.  Nope.  Begging won't do you any good.  You'll just have to come back another day.  I'll share more recipes and my favorite cook books.  Eventually. 

But, today I just want to share something I came up with over the weekend.  We....and by we I mean I, was craving some Potato soup.  It was cold and dreary and definitely the best day for hot soup!  Potato soup is not extremely nutritional and it contains milk or cream.  I usually make a big pot of vegetable soup or rice soup.  But, I wannnnnted potato soup!

Then I remembered....hey, I've been cooking "my way" for years, surely I can come up with a recipe for potato soup that is a little bit healthier.  Right?  I did.  And, it was a huge hit, got gobbled up!  The whole pot!  So I am patting myself on the back right now. 

Enough?  Alright.

Since, this recipe is not radical or anything, I thought it would be a good introduction to eating "my way".  Plus, who doesn't like potato soup?  And, if you can eat it in a healthier version, all the better, right?  Your welcome!

Potato Soup My Way
serves 8

1/2 stick of butter (not margarine)
1/4 -1/2 cup chopped onion
2-4 cloves garlic pressed (good for you!)
1/4 cup ground flax seed (whole wheat flour will work)
14 oz vegetable broth (better for you than chicken broth)
12 oz rice milk  (better for you than milk or cream)
6-8 large russet potatoes
1 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. Bragg Liquid Aminos (better for you than soy sauce or more salt)
ground pepper to taste
curry (optional)

Toppings

Shredded Cheddar Cheese (go easy on the cheese, folks)
Chopped green onion or chives
Four slices turkey bacon

Assemble your ingredients.  Don't they look nice? 

Do not salivate on the computer.  That is not good form!

Chop your onion, press your garlic and cut your potatoes.  Peeling them is optional. 

Then put the potatoes on to boil.  You can bake them if you prefer, but please don't microwave them.  You do realize that you reduce the nutrition of food by about 70% when you microwave it, right?

Make sure you have a good helper!  That is essential you know!

Then drain and leave in the strainer for now.

Now, melt the butter and sauté onion and garlic in a pan.

When the onions are tender, add your ground flax seed (or flour) and stir.

Put this mixture along with a spoonful....or two of the cooked potatoes in the blender and pulse.  I do this because we, and by we I mean my kids, prefer it creamy-ish and do not like pieces of onion.  Whatever!  It is actually good this way. 

Put this pulp into the stock pot you used to boil the potatoes and set it on medium heat. Stir in the vegetable broth and the rice milk.  Well, you can stir..... I whisk.  Mostly because I love that word, whisk.....

Now is the time to stir in your Bragg Liquid Aminos.  I add about 2 Tablespoons.  What is Braggs you ask?   Well, it's like soy sauce on steroids with actual nutritional value! Tastes like soy sauce, smells a little funny, but packs a nutritional punch with 16 essential amino acids.  I add it to soups and beans and salad dressings and such.  It will make black-eyed peas taste like they were cooked with ham all day!  And, in this case, keep the soup from being too bland.  Most people would just add more salt.  You may regret that one day.  I taste it at this point to see if even needs the salt.  If it does, I add it and stir in black pepper.  I also add curry powder because....well, we like it. 

Dump the rest of the potatoes in, stir and let simmer on low while you get the toppings ready. 

Turkey bacon won't crumble like pork bacon, but it will tear up into pieces and then it's the same....only better! 

Serve!

Doesn't that look scrumptious?!?! 

No silly!  The soup, not Claire!

I served with prairie bread, but the additon of a salad would be ideal!

Now, aren't you glad I shared?  Your welcome!