In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, when it’s said that everyone is a little bit Irish, I believe it’s appropriate to have a potato dish. My maternal Great-grand parents immigrated from Ireland in the 1800’s. When I make this soup, I think of them and the sacrifices they made to come to America and start a new life. I feel grateful for their bravery, and will to persevere. I’m sure they had their own way of making potato soup, but sadly I was never given their recipe. Thus, I have had to come up with my own recipe, as a fill-in for what has been lost to the ages, as least for my family.

There’s something about potatoes that I just crave, and maybe it’s genetic, but this soup is really satisfying to me. Even though it takes some time to make, it’s worth the effort. It’s very easy to make only half the recipe, if you don’t want such a large batch. However, if you make the full recipe, there is plenty to share with family and neighbors who’ll love it. Pick your favorite dish to serve it in; the lidded dish in the picture is one of mine. My son hand made this piece of pottery for me several years ago when he was creating pottery at Lill Street in Chicago. His years of practice paid off and now I get to enjoy it!

I believe you’ll think you have found your pot of gold when you eat a bowl of this wonderful soup, after all, its made with the luck of the Irish.

Make good food with gratitude,
Becky

Irish Potato Soup

Yield:

• 6 quarts

Prep Time:

• 25 minutes

Cook Time:

• 25 minutes

Total Time:

• 50 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 cans (14oz each) chicken broth

• 5 celery stalks (chopped)

• 1 bunch green onions, white and green parts (chopped)

• 2 packets (2.75oz each) Pioneer Country Gravy (or Pepper Gravy Mix)

• 1 pint half and half

• 14 large potatoes (approx. 5lbs. peeled and cubed)

• 1 pound Velveeta cheese (cubed)

• cooked and crumbled bacon (for garnish)

Directions:

In a large Dutch oven or stock pot, combine the chicken broth, celery, green onions and potatoes.

Cook to a gentle boil, allowing the vegetable to soften. Do not over cook the potatoes.

In a separate pan, make both packets of gravy mixes, according to the directions on the package. After the gravy thickens, add it to the pot with the broth and vegetables, stirring gently to mix.

Now add the half and half and mix gently, but well. We’re trying to ensure we don’t break up the potatoes while stirring.

At this point, turn off the heat from the pot before adding the cheese.

Add the Velveeta cubes to the pot of soup and allow the cheese to melt. Stir gently to ensure the cheese doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Again, be sure not to accidentally mash the potatoes while stirring.

To serve, ladle into bowls and garnish with bacon crumbles and additional chopped green onions, if desired.

Since this makes such a large quantity of soup, the recipe maybe cut in half.

Tips and Tricks:

A tip from my friend Judy, if you want to make a speedy version of this soup, use 2-4 pounds of frozen, cubed hash brown potatoes.

Of course, if you do not have access to the gravy mix, feel free to make your own white sauce to equal 4 cups. If you do make your own white sauce, be sure to add salt and pepper to taste if the recipe doesn’t call for it. Add to the soup mixture just like the gravy mix.

An equal amount of vegetable broth may be substituted for the chicken broth.

Tools:

I’ve provided links to some tools that I think may help you with this recipe.