Did you know potato soup is freezer friendly? I make a double bubble recipe of homemade potato soup in a 10-quart stockpot. I allow it to cool for several hours before I put it in the fridge. You never want to put hot soup in the fridge or it will dramatically lower the temperature of your refrigerated items. This soup is delicious on a cold day with cornbread or grilled cheese sandwiches.
A huge pot of soup can be divided among a neighbor, friend or relative in need. It can also be frozen in quart size bags as pictured below. After it’s cooled overnight, the soup is ready for the freezer or it can be reheated as leftovers. This soup has a better flavor after the herbs have sat overnight.
In order to prepare it for the freezer, I use a quart bag inside a large 4 cup glass measuring cup, but a large deep bowl will work too. The bowl or glass supports the base of the bag and holds it upright for easy filling. I use a 1 cup measuring spoon to dip the soup from the pot and transfer it to the bag. Then I lay the flat bag and carefully move the soup to the seal to squeeze out excess air. Any drips or spills can be rinsed off under running water the bag once it’s sealed. The bags lay flat to freeze nicely in the freezer.
The frozen soup is heated quickest when it’s thawed for 24 hours in a plastic shoebox in the fridge. However, you can do a quick thaw in cold or warm water in the shoebox if you need it fast. This will help you get the soup on the table quicker. Reheat the soup on the stove on low temperature slowly or in the microwave. Or better yet, a double boiler keeps it from scorching.
The following recipe is a double recipe, but it can be halved. I use the insides of baked potatoes when I baked a 10 pound bag and make several meals.
Baked Potato Soup
Ingredients:
- 8 baked potatoes (flesh scooped out and the skins reserved for potato skin recipe)
- 4 baked potatoes, chopped in cubes with skin on
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup carrots shredded, optional
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 8 cups chicken stock (2 cartons or homemade)
- 4 cups water
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. pepper
- 1 tsp. basil
- 1/2 tsp. thyme
- 1 cup half and half
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Bake potatoes in microwave or oven. Scoop out interior for the recipe; save potato skins for another use. As potatoes cool prepare soup by melting butter in a large stockpot, and saute onion and carrots. Add the flour to the onions and stir to make a roux. Add stock, water, cornstarch, mashed potatoes, and spices and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Add chopped baked potatoes, cheese, half and half and milk. Bring back to a boil and reduce heat to simmer and simmer for about thirty minutes or longer. Serve with a tablespoon of shredded cheese, crumbled bacon and/or chives or green onions. Don’t forget to freeze the leftovers! If you make this recipe, you’ll finally have some.
Do you enjoy potato soup?
