Potato Cheese Soup

I am going to get a bit nostalgic with you again today.  I have a post coming up next Monday for Marie Callender’s Pot Pies, and it got me thinking about the good ‘ol days again.  It is still a bit mind boggling how many pot pies, slices of cornbread, and bowls of Potato Cheese Soup that I served in those 7 1/2 years!

For those of you that have never been to a Marie Callender’s Restaurant, Hearty Vegetable and Potato Cheese Soup are served daily.  You also have your choice of garlic bread, croissant, or cornbread {recipe coming soon}.

Potato Cheese was always my favorite, before they changed owners and stopped making all of the food from scratch.  I have been quite vocal in the past about my disgust with restaurants that feel the need to load their food up with MSG and other chemicals, so I avoid eating there at all costs!!  I have been working to recreate all of my old favorites from scratch…including this delicious, creamy soup…..

and yes, it is also lactose-free!!

Start by heating the butter or oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the celery and onions and saute until tender, about 5 minutes…..

Add the stock and potatoes.  Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender…..

about 15 to 20 minutes {depending on how big your potatoes are cut}…..

Puree soup in a blender or food processor until smooth…..

Puree in batches if you have a small food processor.  Return soup back to the pot.  Stir in the milk, salt, pepper, and paprika…..

Add the cheese and heat until melted.  Serve garnished with croutons, chopped parsley, and additional shredded cheese…..

For those of you who might be scratching your head right now wondering how on earth I can refer to this soup as lactose-free, let me explain.  Sharp cheddar cheese, or any cheese aged over 90 days is lactose-free.  Pure, natural butter is also lactose-free, I have no idea how, but it is. 😉  If you are allergic to dairy, do not eat this soup! LOL  If you are not lactose intolerant, feel free to use whole milk.

This is not an exact copycat of the original soup.  I am pretty sure that the original has sliced potatoes, but the flavor is dead on!  I also remember the original being really thick…I don’t even want to think about the thickeners they use to get it that thick!  This soup is just perfect the way it is. 🙂

Enjoy!!

Potato Cheese Soup

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Serves	8
Prep time	10 minutes
Cook time	20 minutes
Total time	30 minutes
Meal type	Main Course, Soup

Rich and creamy Potato Cheese Soup is the perfect way to warm up on a cold winter night.

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 4 Cups peeled, diced russet potatoes
• 3 Cups chicken stock
• 1 1/2 Cups milk (I used coconut milk (box))
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon paprika
• 2 Cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• fresh minced parsley (to garnish)
• croutons (to garnish)

Directions

Heat butter or oil in a large pot / Dutch oven over medium heat.

Add onions and celery and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.

Add potatoes and broth. Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Puree soup in a food processor or blender until smooth.

Return to pot and stir in milk, salt, pepper, and paprika.

Add the cheese and heat until melted.

Serve soup with chopped parsley, croutons and additional shredded cheese.

Note

The length of time needed to cook the potatoes will be affected by how large they diced.  Mine were rather large, so it took 20 minutes.

This recipe will be partying at these link parties!