Soup’s On!

March may bring some signs of spring, but it is still a great time for soup. Not only will soup warm you up, it is also a quick and easy comfort food. Ideal for meal prep, soup often tastes better the second day, after the flavors have had time to blend. Add a salad, half of a sandwich, or a piece of fruit and lunch or dinner is on the table.

This recipe for potato soup was a hit at a recent cooking class. When children in the class started asking for seconds, I knew it was a keeper. The soup is put together differently than most potato soup recipes. The recipe uses dry milk, a good pantry staple to keep on hand, rather than liquid milk. Combining flour with the dry milk before adding water makes a nice thick soup without the worry of lumps or needing to spend extra time stirring. Remember, soup recipes are only guides or suggestions of possible ingredients. If your family doesn’t care for one of the ingredients, be creative and substitute another.

Set up a variety of toppings and let your family members personalize their individual bowls of soup for a fun, delicious, low-cost meal. If you have any leftovers, store in a shallow covered container in the refrigerator. You may need to add additional milk or water when reheating if the soup is too thick.

Want some other recipe ideas to prepare on a cold night? The NC State University More In My Basket website has cold weather recipes that are both easy and SNAP-friendly. Check them out here.

Potato Soup

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup onion (chopped)
• 1/2 cup celery (chopped)
• 6 small or 3 large potatoes (diced)
• 2 tablespoons margarine
• 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup non-fat dry milk
• 3 cups water, divided
• 2 tablespoons flour
• Optional toppings: cheese, cooked bacon pieces, green onions or chives, small pieces of cooked broccoli, shredded carrots – the possibilities are endless.

Directions: 

1. Peel and chop the onion.
2. Chop the celery.
3. Peel the potatoes and cut them into small cubes.
4. Melt the margarine in a large saucepan on low heat.
5. Add the onion and celery. Cook for a few minutes.
6. Add the potatoes, salt, pepper, and 1 1/2 cups water.
7. Cook for 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender. If needed, add a little additional water to keep the vegetables from boiling dry.
8. In a small bowl, stir together the dry milk and flour.
9. Add 1 1/2 cups water slowly, stirring as you add it.
10. Add the milk mix to the potatoes.
11. Cook until the soup is heated and slightly thickened.
12. Adjust the seasonings.

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Nutritional Facts:

• Calories: 255
• Carbohydrates: 47 g
• Protein: 9 g
• Total Fat: 4 g
• Cholesterol: 2 mg
• Sodium: 312 mg
• Calcium: 176 mg
• Sugar: 8 g

Recipe and nutritional facts accessed here.