THE ORIGINAL ‘RECEIPT’

POTATO SOUP.

1 carrot, 1 onion, 2 large potatoes chopped fine.  Boil, and put through a colander, then add pepper and salt to taste, add a good sized piece of butter, and 1 quart of milk; let come to a boil and serve.

~Magic Cook Book and Housekeepers Guide. Toronto, Winnipeg, Montreal: E. W. Gillett Co. Ltd., 1915.

THE UPDATED RECIPE

• 2 large potatoes
• 1 carrot
• 1 small onion
• 2 Tb. butter
• ¼ tsp. salt 
• generous dash of pepper
• 4 c. milk
• optional toppings: cheese, fried bread, chives, fresh parsley, sour cream, bits of bacon or pancetta.

Peel and dice the vegetables, and boil them gently in a saucepan, with a small amount of water, for about twenty minutes, until tender.

Drain the vegetables, and then return them to the pot.

Add the butter, salt, pepper, and milk, and then using an immersion blender, puree the soup. (Alternatively, use a blender or food processor, and then return the blended soup to the pot.)

Heat the soup in a saucepan, over medium-low heat, until piping hot, and then serve immediately. Top with fried bread, bacon or pancetta, green onions, chives, parsley, or cheese, or any combination you like!

Yield:  4 to 6 servings.

This nourishing soup has a delicate flavour, and is ideal as an appetizer, or for a light luncheon.

A note from Patricia: I had some spuds that looked like they needed cooking, so this soup seemed like a nice and easy one to try on a chilly fall day, and a good way to make use of some vegetables that had been kicking around. This soup couldn’t have been simpler, and was definitely comforting, cozy and flavourful. I used plain oat milk (because that’s all I had on hand), made some fried bread, cooked up and chopped some turkey bacon, cut up some chives from my garden, and grated up some cheddar cheese, and voila! It was a beautiful, delicious and filling soup that hit the spot. While the soup is tasty on it’s own, it definitely took it up a few notches by adding all sorts of toppings, and I’m looking forward to the leftovers.

Many people make a disgusting noise with their lips, by inhaling their breath stongly whilst taking soup – a habit which should be carefully avoided.

~Day, Charles William. The American Ladies and Gentleman’s Manual of Elegance, Fashion, and True Politeness. Auburn: Alden, Beardsley & Co., 1854.

To take soup pushing the spoon from rather than toward yourself; to touch the napkin as little as possible; to accept or decline what is offered instantly and quietly; these and other trifles characterize the well-bred diner-out.

~Neil, Miss E. The Every-Day Cook-Book and Encyclopedia of Practical Recipes for Family Use. Chicago & New York: M.A. Donohue & Company, 1892