Deceptively Delicious Potato Soup Recipe

I made Potato Soup this week. While making it, I decided to get creative. I wondered to myself as I chopped the obligatory ingredients whether I could pack more of a nutritional punch into this amazing comfort food.

Here is what I came up with based on what I had on hand.

Deceptively Delicious Potato Soup Recipe

What You Need

• 3 Tablespoons of real butter Update: If you’re dairy free, coconut oil works great too!
• Small onion, chopped fine
• 1 quart homemade chicken broth
• 1 1/4 cup whole, (raw preferably) milk – Update: If you’re dairy free, almond milk works great too!
• 4 russet potatoes (or equivalent to based on what you have), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• Salt & Pepper, to taste
• 8 slices of bacon, crumbled
• 1 bunch of green onions, chopped
• Raw, whole milk yogurt, kefir or sour cream, for topping (optional)
• Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

And the deception

• 3 carrots, chopped fine
• 3 heads of broccoli, chopped fine
• 1 cup of pureed pumpkin (I used fresh)

To Make

1. Melt butter in a heavy saucepan. Add onions & carrots; cook until the onions are translucent & carrots softened.
2. Add broth, milk, potatoes, salt, pepper, broccoli, and pumpkin. Bring to a boil. Be sure to stir frequently so the milk doesn’t scorch.
3. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low. Let the soup simmer rapidly until the potatoes soften. Stir occasionally.
4. Once potatoes soften, gently crush with back of spoon. Add half your cheese, bacon, and green onions. Check to see if you need to add more salt and pepper.
5. Simmer until cheese is melted. Stirring occasionally.

To Serve

Spoon soup as is into a warm soup bowl, or blend first to smooth, then serve. Top with green onions, bacon, a little extra cheese, and a dollop of yogurt.

Note: Plain yogurt is our topping of choice. Instead of having sour cream and yogurt and kefir on hand, I have simplified and just keep yogurt and kefir.

This soup goes great with hot homemade cornbread (or this crusty bread) and a fresh salad.

As you can see, there is no picture of our soup. I had every intention of photographing the moment, but we ate it too fast. I’ll do better next time.

I didn’t tell Mark what was in the soup, which is his favorite soup, because I wanted to see how deceptive I really was. 😉 He had no idea there was anything in the soup that didn’t belong.

In all honesty, I don’t have to hide food for us to eat it. However, I do like to look for ways to pack more of a nutritional punch into our diets. So, I’ve been experimenting. I have some other ideas up my sleeve, but need to try them out first. I’ll let you know what I come up with next.

This post is linked to Five Flu Fighting Foods.

What about you? How do you add more nutrition to an ordinary meal? Do you have to disguise foods for your family to eat what they need? Leave a comment with your suggestions!

Looking for more comfort food recipes? Here is a collection of my favorite comfort foods that you and your kids will love!