This is the image that intrigued me.
photo courtesy of Jen over at Peas and Crayons.
I’ve mentioned prior that I have never been a fan of soup. The phobia spawns from years of being forced to eat my mother’s vegetable soup. God rest her soul, but the woman’s soup was awful. I still have nightmares.
In more recent years, I’ve warmed up to soups. When done right, they can be quite delicious and the perfect accompaniment to lots of dishes! Since I prefer the kind that is less brothy and more chili-like consistency, this Loaded Baked Potato Soup peaked my interest. Isn’t the photo above just drool-worthy? I HAD to make some, especially since potatoes (even organic varieties), go a long way in my quest to keep our budget at $50 a week!
Now, before you go blowing off this recipe because you think white potatoes are the devil, let me remind you that white potatoes are chalk FULL of nutrition!! If you don’t believe me just read my post about the Incredible, Edible Potato!
A few key highlights:
- High in fiber!
- They contain just about EVERY nutrient! They contain over 25% of your days worth of vitamin C, around 20% of vitamin B6, potassium, manganese, copper, fiber and more!
- They also contain phytonutrients like carotenoids, caffeic acid, and flavonoids, which have strong antioxidant activity; meaning they help kill bad things floating around in your body.
- Roy Navarre, a geneticist from the Agricultural Research Service plant analyzed the Red and Norkotah potatoes revealing antioxidant activity that rivals broccoli, spinach and Brussels sprouts! Navarre’s team also found the potato to have high levels of folic acid, quercetin, and kukoamines (a compound that had previously only been found in the wolfberry plant or more commonly called the gogi berry)!
Now that you know how HEALTHY potatoes are, TRY THIS SOUP!! I made it for dinner on Sunday night and it was just superb! It tastes so rich, so buttery, so so amazing, that I don’t mind eating it for leftovers several nights this week! Sunday I paired it with homemade bread, Monday I paired it with an awesome salad and added sauteed mushrooms and onions, and Tuesday I might just have to do the same! It’s THAT good!
Now for my sad pictures (sorry the lighting was HORRIBLE)!
Sunday night; topped with a little extra cheese, carrot, and celery!
Monday night; I added sauteed onions and mushrooms. What a 5-star addition!
LOADED BAKED POTATO SOUP!
Makes 6 large servings
adapted from Jen over at Peas and Crayons
5 medium russet potatoes, diced into cubes (~1/2″); I left the skins on for extra nutrients!
about 3 celery stalks, diced
1 medium-large onion, diced
3 cups of vegetable broth
3 cloves of minced garlic
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar
about 1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes or more depending on preference
Directions:
- Cut up all your veggies and add them to your crockpot.
- Then add the vegetable broth, garlic, butter, salt, and pepper.
- Allow these ingredients to cook on HIGH for about 4 hours.
- After 4 hours, mash the potatoes and mix in cheeses, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes.
- Allow to cook another hour on low, stirring frequently.
- Jen suggested dropping in a few green onions but I didn’t have any! Sounds tasty though!
- Add a little more black pepper, to taste, decide which toppings you would like to use, and VOILA!! YOU ARE READY TO EAT!!
- NOM NOM NOM!!
- I added a little extra celery and some carrot for topping.
*Next time I would add mushrooms and carrot directly into the mix.
*I suggest sauteing 1 onion with 3-4 mushrooms and adding them in to your bowl at the very end!
*You could also top with more cheese, bacon, sour cream, etc.
Nutritional Profile: 292 calories, 13 g fat (8 g sat), 35 mg cholesterol, 1073 mg sodium (okay, it’s high), 929 mg potassium (almost balanced though), 36 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 2.8 g sugars, 9 g protein, 30% Vitamin C, 20% calcium, 12% iron, 14% folate, 15% Vitamin A
QUESTION: What is your favorite kind of soup!?
[...] Loaded Baked Potato Soup, homemade bread, and [...]
I need to make this recipe ASAP. I looks so filling. This would make a great lunch soup on these cold days.
[...] more than what we budgeted for. Not in the cards. We may have even ended up eating the same Loaded Baked Potato Soup and Mexican Chili for more meals than I care to recap. These are the sacrifices of a tighter food [...]
In response to Laury about how veggie soup could be bad…I can’t speak for Cathy’s, but the problem with my mom’s is that she always used more cabbage than anything else. She used tomato juice as the broth, and didn’t salt/pepper anything. Even as an adult, I find it incredibly bland. The tomato and cabbage permeate all the other veggies, stealing all the different flavors. I actually called her after reading this entry to host an intervention of sorts, haha…urging her to change her ways if she does, in fact, still make veggie soup like this! Turns out she does, and she still loves it…
I’m not the biggest soup fan, BUT this does look pretty hearty and I love my slow cooker.
My favourite kind if soup is probably plain ol’ chicken noodle.
I love stuffed pepper soup, made with lots of veggies and a little hot sauce at the table.
Sounds and looks amazing! I am all about slow cooker recipes these days. I am glad you are getting over your phobia of soup! How can a veggie soup be bad?
ThiS looks delicious! I am going to make it soon. Scott might even be agreeable to it (if I top his bowl with bacon, of course).
Also…I laughed out loud at your comments about your mom’s soup. My mom’s veggie soup was also horrific! And I generally LOVE soup!
My favorite soup is definitely naughty…clam chowder or white chicken chili. I also love tomato basil and veggie that isn’t made by either one of our moms.