ZUPPA di PATATE ( Potato Soup Italian Style)

I first got very into making soups when my family and I were not making much money and we were trying to come up with easy meals that didn't cost a lot of money. All the ingredients in this recipe are readily available at any grocer. The beauty of soup is that you can make it in big batches, let it cool, and then freeze for a later meal, and the soup will taste just as fresh as the day that you made it.

ZUPPA di PATATE
Potato Soup
Prep time: 20 Minutes
Cook time: 1 hr.

Ingredient List

1 Medium Onion Diced Small,
or Cut larger if you like large onion bits.

1 Stalk of Celery chopped

1 Medium Size Carrot chopped

1 Cup of Bacon chopped

2 Cloves of Garlic minced or roughly chopped

1/2 Cup of Fresh Parsley chopped
(more or less to taste)

Crushed Red Pepper (to taste)

1 Large Can of Tomatoes (drain then crushed)
*you can also use fresh tomatoes, but canned are
just as fresh and are more economically friendly

1/4 Cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 Cup of Dry White Wine

Salt / Pepper/ Dried Basil

4 Lbs of Potatoes peeled and diced anyway you like
*I find that Yukon Gold works best for me, but any
potato will do as long as you do not leave the skin on

1 Cup of Italian Bread Crumbs
*you can also make your own bread crumbs by following
these simple steps. 1. 4 slices of day old bread (dry) 2. Cut
into cubes 3. Season with salt and pepper and basil to taste
4. Toss to mix 5. Give a quick whirl in the food processor

Parmesan or Asia go Cheese For Garnish

Step by Step Prep.

1. First we want to make the base for the soup. In a food processor combine the onions, celery, carrot, garlic, red pepper flakes and parsley. Puree the mixture until it has the consistence of a paste.

2. In a large stockpot add the olive oil and set to medium heat. Make sure oil is hot before proceeding to the next step!!! Add the vegetable base and saute in the oil until the mixture starts to gain color, make sure you continually stir to prevent sticking and burning of the mixture. Usually between 7-10 minutes.

3. Add the wine and reduce

4. Add tomatoes, and potatoes along with 2 1/2 quarts of water (this can be adjusted based on how you like the consistency of your soup to be). Add Basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

5. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat so that it is barely bubbling and cook for about 1 hr or until the potatoes have reached the tenderness you like.

7. Serve with croutons if preferred, top with a little olive oil, and sprinkle with the cheese.

©2010 dssb