Golden Potato Soup for the Sensitive Soul

When I want a recipe for comfort food I reach for potatoes first. And when I need a soup recipe in a hurry, this yummy potato comfort always hits the spot.

Decades ago (yes, decades- how scary is that?) while I was still in art school, living in my boxy white washed one-bedroom off Dupont Circle, I would make potato soup in a blender (no crankin' Cuisinart or snappy immersion wands back then) and serve it chilled in Asian blue and white bowls (Pier One Imports, 99 cents apiece) with a sprinkle of bright green chives. Art student friends would scrape their bowls clean and ask for more. And I would gladly oblige. (They were easily impressed, because they were, well, not exactly starving, but used to living on instant ramen noodles, pizza and beer.)

The thing is- what's not to love about potatoes and butter and cream? How can you go wrong? In fact, when you can cook with butter and cream, you're bound to stumble upon something that tastes pretty darn good. Notice I'm not mentioning gluten. That's only because there's no gluten in this potato soup (I never thickened mine with flour). And then, Dear Reader, there's cheese. If you can cook with cheese, you can kick up any recipe's taste without breaking a sweat.

But what if you can't? Cook with butter, cream and cheese, that is.

Welcome to the world of those of us living not only gluten-free, but dairy-free. Call us GF/CF if you like (for gluten-free/casein-free). The truth is- 50% of celiacs are allergic to milk proteins. Did you know that? Half of celiacs need to be not only gluten-free, but casein-free as well. [This is not a lactose issue; this an immune response issue; if you react to dairy, don't assume it's a lactose problem, get a food allergy blood test.]

Many additional sensitive souls (celiac or not) react neurologically to the proteins in gluten and dairy- proteins that have an addictive, opioid effect on the brain chemistry of those of us who may not be neurotypical. (I, for one, have noticed a positive change in my overall sense of well being since going dairy-free last June; after living gluten-free for over five years, going GF/CF nudged me to a deeper level of healing and managing my usual ups and downs in mood, energy and focus.)

Which brings me back to soup.

How can I recreate my favorite potato soup without butter and cream? With some New Mexican inspired flavors, of course.

Golden Potato Soup for the Sensitive Soul

Those of us living well without gluten and casein can have our soup and eat it too. This vegan potato potage is smooth and creamy without the standard butter and cream, and kicked up with a touch of roasted green chiles. Maybe we can't cook with butter and cream, Babycakes. But we can still eat well.

A splash of olive oil
1 sweet onion, diced
4-5 large Yukon gold potatoes, peeled, diced
Light broth, as needed
1 cup of unflavored hemp, rice or potato-based non-dairy milk, more as needed
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Dash of nutmeg- not much
1/2 cup roasted green chiles, chopped (fun to mix with roasted red peppers)

Heat a splash of olive in a heavy bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for five minutes or so, till softened and translucent. Add the potatoes. Pour enough light broth in the pot to cover the potatoes.

Cover the pot and bring to a high simmer; cook the potatoes until fork tender. Add the rice milk. Using an immersion blender, whip the soup until smooth (or puree in batches in a tightly covered blender). Season with sea salt, pepper and nutmeg, to taste. Add in the chopped chiles. Return to heat and gently warm through.

If the soup needs thinning, add a bit more hemp or rice milk; stir; heat through gently.

Warm up some chopped roasted chile and red peppers; serve bowls of soup with a spoonful of chopped peppers in the center.

Other options::

• Top with a garnish of additional chopped chiles

• Omit chiles for a simple, kid-friendly soup
  

• Add chopped fresh parsley instead of nutmeg

• Top with snipped chives or spring onions

Serves 4.

Printer-friendly recipe

Need more potato comfort? Browse these recipes:

Potato Leek Soup
Sweet Potato Soup
Karina's Kicked Up Colcannon
Purple Potato Quiche
Horseradish Spiked Red Potato Salad
Karina's Crispy Latkes & Applesauce
Irish Potato & Cabbage Soup with Sausage
Gold Potato Frittata
Champagne Vinegar Potato Salad
Roasted Red, Blue & Gold Potatoes
Crispy Potato Sticks with Roasted Tomato Salsa
Balsamic Roasted Veggie Smothered Baked Potatoes
African Sweet Potato & Bean Soup