Creamy Baked Potato Soup

Here’s a very hearty soup, sure to warm you up on any cold evening. A simple and delicious soup we had last week for soup night. It is nearing the end of soup season for us. So far, I have posted about 9 (did you hear that!),9 different soups. Two more soups to go before I move into another food season- pasta making!!

Think about this soup for after Thanksgiving, when you might have some leftover smashers. Here’s the recipe which comes from my Veganomicon-The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook. I adapted it to make it not vegan.

Serves 6

6-8 baking potatoes (3 1/2 pounds), baked and cooked

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 large yellow onion, sliced into short strips

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon salt

Plenty of freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup dry white wine (or just more broth if you prefer)

4 cups vegetable or chicken broth

4 cups torn spinach leaves

1/4 cup milk

1 cup shredded cheese (your choice)

Once your potatoes are baked and cool enough to handle, preheat a soup pot and sauté the onions in the olive oil over medium-high heat until good and brown, about 12 minutes. Once browned, add the garlic, thyme, black pepper and salt. Cook for 2 minutes more, then add wine to deglaze the pan. Add the chunks of potatoes and the broth, cover, and lower the heat a bit a bring to a low boil. Mix in spinach. Cover and cook for 15 to 20 more minutes. Add cheese and stir in till melted. Serving suggestions: add cooked bacon bits. Enjoy!!