My latest Melissa’s Produce Challenge Box arrived the other day and I was so excited. (Yay.)
Let me invite you into my decision-making process when I open that box.
Besides the oooh-ing and aaah-ing, I also have a moment where I assess everything that’s in it and I make some notes about what food I could make in my attempt to use ALL the ingredients in the challenge.
Okay. I know. There’s no possible way I can take everything in the box and turn it all into one delicious dish, but I feel like it’s my responsibility to try. (I know. It’s a Cuban thing.)
I have recently been experimenting with a cross between a caramelized onion soup and a potato soup. Because who doesn’t love onion soup and potato soup? Am I right?
And apparently January is National Soup Month. (Who decideds this stuff?) I know we’re already a few weeks into the new year, so I’m not going to repeat the traditional Cuban Lentil Soup, although I could. But I really need a ham hock to start that off right, so it’s not happening today.
Just look at all the onions and potatoes screaming: “Make something with onions and potatoes!” (Because my vegetables are noisy like that. But that’s not important right now.)
I have recently been wondering how to make a creamy soup without adding the dairy because I have a couple of people in our home who don’t tolerate that very well.
So, how about a potato soup? I could make it creamy by adding lots of butter and broth and blending it, then adding flavor with the onions.
*she stops and thinks this over intently*
The outcome was a deliciously creamy potato soup, which began with a caramelized onion base (!) that takes the taste level up to 11. Believe it.
Creamy Caramelized Onion Potato Soup
INGREDIENTS
- 24 oz Baby Dutch Yellow Potatoes
- 3 Tbsp. Butter
- 8 oz. gold boiler onions
- 4 cups beef broth
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
- 1 bay leaf
- fresh lemon juice (from 1/2 a lemon)
- 4 Tbsp. chopped green onion
- 4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
DIRECTIONS
- Peel & quarter the boiler onions.
2. Heat a dutch oven over medium heat, add the butter and let it melt. Then add the onions, plus a little bit of salt.
3. Stir the onions and butter together until the onions are coated.
4. Sauté the onions over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften. Keep sautéing, stirring, and watching until the onions brown, then eventually caramelize.
5. If the onions start to dry out or stick, add a bit of broth to deglaze the pan and keep the onions moist.
6. Take your time with the caramelization. It can take anywhere from 30 to 40 minutes. The onions are done when they are a deep, golden brown.
7. While the onions are caramelizing, dice the potatoes and set aside. Because I’m using the Baby Dutch Yellow Potatoes, I just quarter them. Also, I prefer leaving the skins on for flavor, but you can peel if desired.
8. Chop the garlic and rosemary and set aside separately.
9. Add the chopped garlic to the onions (after they’re caramelized) and sautém stirring continuously, until the garlic is fragrant. About a minute.
10. Add the potatoes, broth, salt, and pepper and give everything a stir to combine well.
11. Top with the fresh rosemary and the bay leaf.
12. Increase the heat to high and bring the liquid to a boil. Once you bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer until the potatoes are cooked through. About 20 minutes.
13. When the potatoes are cooked, take out the rosemary and the bay leaf. Then add the lemon juice.
14. Use an immersion blender or a food processor, blend the soup until it’s completely smooth and creamy.
15. Taste for seasoning, adding additional salt & pepper as needed.
16. Ladle the soup into bowls and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil and top with a few green onions, and serve immediately.
Creamy Caramelized Onion Potato Soup for the win!
Serves four.
Buen Provecho.
Thanks again to Melissa’s Produce for the beautiful winter produce box. I have a few more recipes to share in the next few weeks. Stay tuned.
Here are some more wonderful soup recipes from my Melissa’s Produce Challenge Buddies…
Cauliflower and Potato Soup Recipe
Easy Potato Turmeric Soup with Crispy Brussels Sprouts
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