Potato Cheese Soup with Homemade Croutons

Finally fall is upon us!! Fall just so happens to be my favorite season of the year, so I have been one happy camper the past few weeks! Fall brings with it so many dishes that we put off making all year because it just doesn't taste right unless the leaves are changing colors and the air is cool and crisp. My mom, in my opinion, is the master of fall/winter dishes. One of my all time favorites of hers is potato cheese soup. I've never tasted another that I like better then hers. So, of course now, I make it for our family, but a little differently. This recipe takes about an hour from start to finish, but like most soups and stews can really simmer for hours. In fact, the longer the better.

What you'll need: (for soup)

-6 medium sized potatoes, peeled and chopped (the smaller the size, the faster they'll cook)
-1/2 (or 1 small onion) large yellow onion, chopped
-3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
-2 whole carrots, chopped (or two handfuls of baby carrots, chopped)
-2 cloves of garlic, chopped
-1 box low sodium chicken stock (Low sodium lets you control the amount of salt that goes into it)
-1/4 cup heavy cream (or more if you'd like)
-Parmesan cheese rind (the hard darker piece at the end of a block of parmesan cheese, leave in one piece)
-1/4-1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
-One 16oz block of medium cheddar or colby jack cheese, grated
-1/4 cup sour cream
-Salt and pepper to your taste
-1tbsp of olive oil
-1tbsp butter
-1/4 tsp (tsp NOT tbsp) cayenne pepper (optional)



In a heavy bottom, deep pot pour olive oil THEN butter in over medium heat (olive oil goes first because it will prevent the butter from burning). Once the butter is melted and the pot has warmed up a bit, dump the onion, celery, garlic and carrots in. Suatee the veggies for a few minutes until translucent, to soften them up. Add a pinch or two of salt and pepper. Once the veggies have softened a little bit add the potatoes and chicken stock so the liquid just covers the top of the potatoes. If you need more liquid just add some water until they're just covered. Cover the pot and let simmer/boil for about 30 minutes. (Now is a good time to get the croutons going...directions below). After 30 minutes spoon out some potatoes and check to see if they're fork tender. Using a potato masher, lightly smash the potatoes, to thicken the soup a little. This way you won't need to add flour or corn starch to it. Add your heavy cream and mix well. Using a wisk, gradually add the cheeses and wisk in a figure eight motion until it's combined well. Add the sour cream, and taste it to see if you need any more salt and pepper.

What you'll need (croutons):

-1/4-1/2 loaf sourdough baguette, cut into cubes
-olive oil (I use extra virgin)
-salt and pepper (I ran out of pepper, so I used grill seasoning) to your taste
-1 or 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the cubed bread onto the baking sheet in a single layer. Drizzle the bread with the olive oil so it's lightly coated, toss with your fingers to make sure most of the bread is covered. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and parmesan cheese. Bake until golden and toasty, about 10 minutes, depending on your oven. Check them after five minutes.

Voila. You're done. Easy right?