Potato Cheddar Soup with Fresh Dill

POTATO CHEDDAR SOUP WITH FRESH DILL

 

It’s that time of year again…when the delightfully liquid edges of late summer and early fall meld and we are called back to our kitchens.  The markets are bountiful with the earth’s harvest and root vegetables long to be cooked slowly in warm, savoury flavours. 

My husband and son think I’m crazy because I associate foods with seasons.  I can’t eat Christmas food in July and who wants hot, heavy chili in the summer either?  They don’t get it.  They think we should eat everything all the time, and maybe they’re right, but I guess I always looked forward to the foods that I associated with the seasons.  And for me, fall always meant soups, braises, roasted vegetables and stews.  It was the time when Mom hauled out her crock pot, pressure cooker and cast iron “bean pot” in which she prepared her deep, rich, molasses-based baked beans.  I long to be able to recreate that recipe…perhaps that will be a fall project.

In the meantime, we’re all pretty excited about this new recipe that I’ve been developing, based on one from one of our favourite restaurants, The Globe in Rosemont, Ontario (http://www.thehillsofheadwaters.com/theglobe/) where we’ve been enjoying special occasions with family and friends for well over a decade.  Their Potato Cheddar soup is my son’s favourite; in fact, I often call ahead to ask them if it’s possible to have this soup available when we visit, just for him.  He recently asked me if I could replicate it, and, with his help and amazing palate, we think we’ve just about got it.  The secret seems to be the Dijon mustard, which somehow seals the flavours and gives a slight tang that balances the richness of the cheese.

For vegetarians, you can substitute vegetable broth.

Potato Cheddar Soup with Fresh Dill

5 cups Yukon Gold potatoes (about 5-6 potatoes), peeled and diced

1 cup leeks, cleaned well and sliced

¼ tsp celery salt

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

3 cups grated extra-old cheddar cheese

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

3 tbsp. fresh dill, chopped

kosher salt

freshly ground pepper

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, melt butter with olive oil.  Add leeks, season lightly with salt and pepper, and sauté for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly.  Add celery salt and potatoes, adding more salt and pepper.  Toss well for a minute, then add chicken stock.  Bring to a boil, partially cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Remove from heat and puree in 2-3 batches in blender (hint: so you don’t blow the lid off the blender with the heat build-up, remove the centre of the lid and cover with a tea towel, keeping your hand firmly over top as you turn the blender on - see photo below).  Potatoes don’t like to be pureed so literally only blitz them for a few seconds, or else they’ll turn into a gluey mess. 

Return to pot and add grated cheese, Dijon mustard and 2 tbsp of the dill, stirring until cheese melts.  Taste and adjust with salt and pepper as needed.  Ladle into your favourite soup mugs, adding a little pile of the leftover dill on the top of each.  Reheat any leftovers gently so the cheese doesn’t separate.

Savour and enjoy!!