One potato, two potato. I’m being a bit silly, I know. Anyhow a heartwarming Irish potato soup recipe is what I have for you today. Actually, this Irish potato soup recipe is not my original, but one that came from a book (shaped like a potato) my Irish mother in law bought in Ireland a number of years ago. The book contains various potato based recipes, and uses charming quantities, such as “a knob of butter” which by the way is about 2 tablespoons.
OK, so I just confessed to you that this is not MY recipe. I have another confession to make: I did not cook the soup either. That’s right! Who then? My Irish mother in law of course. One Sunday afternoon, last Fall, she showed up at our door with a pot of Irish potato soup.” YUM, and thank you” I said. Every now and then it is so nice not to have to cook dinner.
Although it is simple fare, this Irish potato soup recipe is amazing. It’s comfort food, like a food hug! Potatoes as everyone knows are a staple of the Irish diet, and there are countless dishes made with this versatile tuber.
The Great Potato Famine of 1845-1849 forced so many Irish families to emigrate to the United States. This tragic event was the worst famine of the 19th century in Europe. The crop failures were caused by a blight that rotted the leaves and the tubers. It did not help that the Irish had come to rely on the potato as one of their few food sources.
Making this Irish potato soup recipe is very easy. It can be reheated the next day, so it is perfect for lunch at the office. Now, you might be wondering if you can freeze potato soup. Well, technically you can, but I prefer not to since it changes the texture.
There are a couple techniques you can use to make the soup really smooth depending on what kitchen appliances you have. I personally like to use an immersion blender when the soup is finished. If you want to take the soft cooked potatoes out of the soup pot before adding the vegetable stock you can force the potatoes through a sieve or potato ricer. Another way is, you can drop the cooked pieces of potato into a blender or food processor with some of the vegetable broth to get that silky smooth texture. All these techniques work well, but be sure to add it all back to the soup pot and let simmer and season it to your liking.
Here are some other Irish inspired recipes to checkout and bookmark for later. If you like stew you will love this hearty Guinness beef stew with tender pieces of potato and carrots. Another interesting dish that I like to make for Saint Patrick’s Day is Dublin coddle which is a very unique stew made with Irish bangers (an Irish sausage flavored with peppercorns and thyme_. After dinner I would typically have Irish butter cookies that are a melt in your mouth shortbread you will love. Sláinte!
Irish Potato Soup Recipe
A bowl of this warm, and delicious soup is just what you need on a cold day. This Irish potato soup recipe only requires a few ingredients. Creamy and comforting, this soup is non-dairy. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon and chopped parsley.
Ingredients
- 6 potatoes peeled,and diced
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 2 onions medium, chopped
- 7 1/2 cups vegetable stock
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 3 slices bacon cooked, crumbled
- 2 Tbsp parsley chopped
Instructions
Cook the potatoes and onions slowly in the melted butter for about 10 minutes. Add the stock and seasoning to taste.
- Simmer for about 30 minutes.
Using an immersion blender, break down the solids as much as possible.
Serve hot, sprinkled with bacon, and parsley.
Waiting for the next confession. LOL. I think I like it when the soup is smooth. I love any potato combination.
Potatoes are great! Yes, I always like to include a confession in my blog posts if possible. I am thinking that right about now a bowl of Irish potato soup would be lovely. It is so cold outside.