A few months ago while having dinner with my sister and her husband, she served us a mashed potato soup. It was very tasty and we commented how good it was to her. My sister and her husband exchanged glances and laughed a bit. After a few questions we found out the story behind the tasty soup. The soup, apparently, was originally supposed to be mashed potatoes! But one thing led to another and the result was a soup. My sister wasn’t sure it was going to be tasty or not – but it was.
Fast forward a few months to the day after Thanksgiving – and I’m looking at a half full bowl of mashed potatoes. What to do? Of course, the answer was make mashed potato soup. After a little research I added cheese to the mix, a bit of half-and-half, some crispy onions and toasted garlic, then topped it off with bacon! The result was a very tasty take on my sister’s mashed potato soup.
This will indeed be something I make on a regular basis now – not just when there’s leftover mashed potatoes in the fridge.
Leftover Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 4 Tablespoons diced onion (or one large shallot) finely chopped
- 2 Tablespoons diced garlic
- 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
- 6 cups leftover mashed potatoes
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 3/4 cup half and half
- 8 oz shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste*
- Cooked Bacon and green onion for garnish optional
Instructions
- In a large, heavy pot, melt butter over low heat. Add onions (or shallots) and saute until soft, about 4-5 minutes. Press garlic into mixture and saute for another 30 seconds. Add flour and stir until fully combined.
- Add potatoes and stir onion mixture until fully combined. Add chicken stock and cream and stir well. Heat soup through over med-low heat, about 10 minutes. Stir frequently. Add cheese and combine until melted. Season with salt and pepper.
- Garnish each bowl with cooked bacon and fried crispy onions