Especially on a cold day, potato soup goes a long way. Serve with my Garlic Spiral Rolls for a complete meal.

See this recipe also coming soon on my blog Michael's Test Kitchen or on my YouTube Channel

For this potato soup, I tried not to use all that much dairy, since many potato soups are thick and creamy because of a bucketful of heavy cream, which is not easily digestible to some people in my family. Instead, I used a half cup of flour in a broth base to create a savory gravy-like mixture that, when added to the vegetables and the rest of the soup, turned the whole pot into a creamy and very thick mixture, to the extent of having to simply add more liquid to reach a more moderate consistency. However, it is not strictly dairy free, as this soup recipe calls for the use of butter, but I'm sure you could find it very easy to substitute the butter with something non-dairy, like coconut oil, and not have it alter the final product noticeably.

Besides that slight change, for this recipe I went back to the basics. So there is nothing fancy about this potato soup; it just your traditional bowl of rich, creamy, thick potato soup that is packed with flavor, and tastes really good! Enjoy! Also see this recipe as a recipe video on my baking channel on YouTube!

Step 1: Ingredients

Ingredients:

½ cup butter

½ cup flour

2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon white wine

1 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoons olive oil

1 whole large minced onion

6 large cloves garlic, minced

4 stalks celery, diced (optional)

4 medium carrots, diced (optional)

6 cups chicken broth, divided

½ cup frozen kale (optional)

2 cups chopped ham

8 medium potatoes, cubed

Step 2: Melt Butter

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium low heat.

Step 3: Add Flour, Etc.

Add flour, salt, and pepper, and stir until incorporated and pasty. Gradually add two cups of chicken broth to this, while stirring, until incorporated. Set to low heat.

Step 4: The Vegetables

Pour olive oil in a large soup pan over medium heat. Once oil is hot, pour in the minced onion and garlic. If using, add celery and carrots. After 8 minutes or so, the vegetables should be cooked through.

Step 5: Potatoes

Then add the remaining 4 cups of chicken broth over the vegetables and stir. Bring to a boil. Add cubed potatoes, and boil for 15 minutes, or until soft. Stir in kale, if using.

Step 6: Thickening & Ham

Pour the flour-butter-gravy mixture into the soup pan, and stir over medium heat until incorporated and thick. Add diced ham. Serve now, If you want, or you can simmer longer to achieve more flavor. Serve hot with warm spiral garlic rolls on the side.