Hobbit Soup

I finally found a soup that satisfies all of my deepest cravings, and it's Hobbit Soup. And no, it's not a soup made of Hobbits - because they aren't real, and we aren't cannibals. (If you are please stop reading my blog). In fact there is no meat in this soup as is, though it could be added if you would like to. This soup is full of potatoes and garlic and cream - making it the perfect soup for a cold cozy day.

Why is it called Hobbit Soup? Because the recipe comes originally from the cookbook "Recipes from the World of Tolkein" by Robert Tuesley Anderson. Which is our most recent Cookbook for the club. It seems this book was our most technically challenging so far, as everyone's recipe required some for of technique they hadn't tried before. But it was worth it - the whole meal was absolutely delicious, down to the pie!

The soup in this recipe is actually called "The Prancing Pony's Potato and Garlic Soup" and it serves four. For cookbook club I left the recipe as is and all of us (10 in total) got a small side bowl of it. The perfect amount as there was none left by the last person! (I was specifically told it was life changing soup)

The book says it will take about 50 minutes to make all together but I think it's prudent to add about 20 minutes to the time simply because the potatoes need to be tender to blend which can vary depending on the situation.

Ingredients:

Unsalted Butter

Onion

Gloves of garlic

Floury Potatoes

Vegetable stock

Smoked sea salt

Milk

Fresh herbs (of your choosing)

Black pepper

Equipment:

• Cutting board

• Knife

• Soup pot

• Stove top

• Peeler

• Food Processor or Blender or Both

• Measuring cups

• Teaspoons/Tablespoons

• Stirring stick (spatula, spoons, whisk, whatever)

So let's make it!

Start by prepping some of the ingredients, the soup will be blended so anything requiring chopping can be cut in large pieces -

• Peel and chop 3 3/4 cup floury potatoes. Floury potatoes are: russet, purple/blue, petite, King Edward, Maris Piper, Desiree, Rooster, Desiree, Cara, Shetland Black, Mayan Gold, Golden Wonder, British Queens, Kerrs Pink... and a few others. You're welcome to pick your favorite.

• Chop 1 large onion - again variety is your choice. I used a yellow and did not regret it

• Crush 2 cloves of garlic.... or more. I think I ended up doing like 6 - but I REALLY love garlic

• Prep fresh herbs - again whichever herbs your heart desires. (I used tarragon, oregano, thyme, and two bay leaves - which I removed from the soup before blending)

Now - let's put it all together!

1. In a large soup pot (or dutch oven) add 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter until melted.

2. Then add the chopped onion, and the 2 garlic cloves to begin softening and browning. This should be done over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes.

3. Stir in the 3 3/4 cup of chopped potatoes, and cook until beginning to brown (about 5 minutes) stirring occasionally to prevent anything from burning on the bottom

4. Then add 3 1/2-4 cups of vegetable stock, 1/2 teaspoon smoked sea salt (or just normal sea salt), a pinch of pepper, and the fresh herbs (try to make it about 4 tablespoons of herbs all together).

5. Allow the mixture to boil, then reduce heat almost immediately, to a simmer. Cover the pot and allow to simmer for about 30 minutes - but longer if the potatoes are soft.

6. Once the potatoes are soft, blend! I did this with a food processor and a blender. I put all the large chunks into my food processor with a little bit of liquid, then blended the smaller pieces with the bulk of the liquid in a blender.

7. Once blended (however you want to do that) return it to the soup pot and add 1/2 cup of milk (I did whole but you could do whatever you want). Then gently reheat.

8. Then serve! Garnish with green onions or cheese!

And there you have it! A delightful, delicious, comforting potato soup!

I plan next time I make it to add some green chiles to give it a bit of a kick (and because New Mexicans add green chile to everything given the opportunity).

The beauty of the soup is that it is so versatile - it's really a base soup that is delicious as is but can easily be built on to be even more delectable!

Whatever you choose to do, remember to take a big bite and enjoy it!