Feeds 10-12 (tastes better with thyme)
This recipe is something my kids ask me to make a few times a year. My friend from India and her kids love it and go crazy about the soup bowls. She makes a version without the rue and it's delicious. This recipe is versatile with whatever you have in your pantry and refrigerator. I've used broth or water to cook my potatoes in. I made it without the dried mustard, sage or rosemary and just with Thyme or just with sage. I've use fresh sage or dried - it's up to you and what you have on hand. I've added corn - I've not added corn and same with the broccoli. Play with it, I think it will become one of your families favorites too!
1/2 cube of butter
1/2 cup of olive oil (1/4 cup for your rue and 1/4 cup to saute veggies in)
2 teaspoons dried mustard
1/2 cup of flour
6-8 medium any type of potatoes,organic is best
Water or Vegetable Broth to cook the potatoes in (only fill up to the top of the potatoes)
2 teaspoons of salt for cooking the potatoes
1 teaspoon of thyme
1 teaspoon of sage
1 teaspoon of rosemary
1 large onion
1/2 head of celery
2 large carrots sliced
1/2 teaspoon of white ground pepper (black pepper is okay too)
1 head of broccoli, cut in small bit size pieces (optional and takes an extra step, but is worth it)
2 cups of corn, frozen petite white (or whatever you have)
4 cups of milk
Salt to taste (very important you have enough, potatoes absorb alot of salt, but remember you can always add, but not take away)
Toppings for the bread bowls:
Extra sharp cheddar cheese
Chives
Un)Bacon bits
First peel your potatoes (if you wish), then diced potatoes in 1/2" squares. Put the potatoes in a 4 qt. pot and fill just up to the top of the potatoes (no more), add the thyme,sage & rosemary and the 2 teaspoons of salt. Bring to a boil, cover for 20 min.
Time to make the rue. Stir your dried mustard and flour into your butter and 1/4 cup olive oil to make a gravy. Brown your flour & dried mustard for about 10 minutes while stirring the whole time. Then add your 4 cups of milk and whisk until smooth. Turn the heat up to medium while stirring so the mixture thickens. After it thickens so it sticks to the back of your wooden spoon, turn mixture off and set on the back of the stove.
Now, saute your onion, celery, carrots with 1/2 teaspoon of white pepper. Saute for 10 minutes until veggies are tender.
For the broccoli, I like to cut it up into small pieces and steam for 10 minutes in a steamer separately.
Now to add everything together. Put your onion, celery, carrot mixture into the potatoes, your white gravy mixture into the potatoes, your broccoli into the potatoes and your corn and most importantly salt to taste!
Stir and cook for 10 more minutes until all looks creamy and well mixed. This soup gets thicker as it sits.
Bread Bowls are optional - soup bowls work just fine, but breads are the best:
For the bread bowls, I'll find crusty rolls at Trader Joes or Costco. I'll cut each roll close down along the inside edges of the roll all the way around. Then I use either my fingers or a spoon to scoop the square or circle out of the bread roll so I have a hole to put the soup in. Have your soup hot when your fill your holes. Before filling I might turn my rolls over on a cookie sheet and broil on low for 2-3 minutes to get the bottoms crispy and warm. Yes you need a cookie sheet or two depending on how many people you are serving. Then I turn the rolls back over so the hole is up and pour the soup into each hole. Then I take some extra sharp cheddar cheese and sprinkle on top of the soup bowls and sometimes sprinkle with chives or (un)bacon bits (whatever I have on hand). Then I put them back under the broiler for 2-3 more minutes until the cheese is bubbling and slightly golden.
You can do the same with your soup in a soup bowl as you can in a bread bowl.
I serve the soup holes with the soup.
Recipe by Atma Kaur Khalsa 12/15/10