The Perfect Soup for Mashed Potato Lovers

Rule #1 in the soup world: You always trust your mother when she forwards a recipe. So when this fell out of a letter she sent me, I immediately stuck it to the fridge.

The title of this one says it all. It's perfect for tax day recovery or just hanging out on the weekend during an April shower. It's basically mashed potatoes with all the fixings. Only it's soup. Really! Typically, I only have "mashers" as a side with steak and veggies. I was pleased to find a good excuse to partake of everyone's favorite carb... without the added heaviness of a filet or New York strip.

Naturally, cheese is a key component in terms of salting this soup. This time I used a really sharp Irish cheddar, but it's up to you. When serving this, I like to cover the bottom of the soup bowls with shredded cheese and then pour the soup in over it.

As Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa) would say: "How bad can that be!" (Of course, she's usually mixing a drink involving vodka at the time). ;> Trust me, it's gooood.

Mashed Potato Soup
6-8 servings

6 slices of bacon (optional)
About 5 large russet potatoes
(or the equivalent in red-skinned, but leave them unpeeled in Step 1)
4 tsp salt
1 cup sour cream
1 stick butter
2 2/3 whole milk (give or take depending on how thick you want it)
1 tsp black pepper
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1 cup shredded cheese (sharp cheddar or whatever you like!)

1. Peel, rinse, and cut the potatoes into thirds. Place them in a large pot with water to cover, add 2 tsp salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer and cook until the potatoes are soft about 30-45 minutes.

2. In the meantime, take a medium skillet and cook the bacon until crisp (or skip this if you don't eat meat). Transfer the bacon to a few paper towels to drain and set aside.

3. When the potatoes are soft, drain the water from the pot into the sink and mash them until smooth. Add the sour cream and butter and stir until melted. Add the milk, pepper and remaining salt and bring the soup back to a simmer.

4. Garnish the bottom of your soup bowls with shredded cheese. Serve hot, pouring the soup over the cheese. Then garnish with scallions, broken up bacon (if you like), and more cheese on top! Enjoy!

Modified from Country Living