1 quart chicken broth
1 Tbsp. salt
1/4 cup Kümmel (caraway liqueur, found in any decent liquor store)
1 leek, diced— green tough part excluded
1 shallot clove, diced
3-4 cups potatoes, peeled and diced
1 1/2 cups milk
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. dill
2-3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. goat cheese
Chopped fresh parsley
Potato soup, as found in cafeterias and cans, is forgettable at best.
But this recipe is a revelation— it will turn your head around. It's what you need for a brand new year. It's one of my favorite potato potions of any kind.
Peel and dice up the potatoes; don't cheat. Dice the leeks and shallot.
Simmer the vegetables in your broth until tender, ~15-20 minutes. Yes, you could simply use onion, but a more exotic allium makes a flavor difference here.
When the veggies are tender, add the milk, butter, and dill, and continue at low simmer for another 15-20 minutes. The potatoes will be falling apart; yum.
Add the goat cheese and blend it in as it melts. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir in fresh chopped parsley and serve.
I first made a version of this recipe as it appears in Anna Thomas' Vegetarian Epicure, where she dedicates the soup to her "paramour," Louis. I was 17 at the time and very romantic, so her lover's note appealed to me— plus, it was an easy ticket for my novice culinary skills.
Thomas prescribes water (not broth), all leeks, sour cream (instead of goat cheese) and caraway seeds instead of kummel. I didn't have caraway seeds in my cupboard today, but I had this exotic booze. MY GOD, what a revelation.
Here's what my paramour said after his first bowl: "I have fallen love with you all over again."
Happy New Love and New Year!
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