Easy Creamy Potato and Pea Soup

When the cold weather finally hits, and going to get your mail chills you to the bone, guess what’s for dinner? Soup. You can make this one with such little prep and thinking ahead, it’s pretty much brainless. Additionally, it accomplishes a rich and creamy taste and texture without the addition of any heavy cream or cheese—evaporated milk and roux to the rescue! OK…I did put in a whole stick of butter…but scale it back if you want to. I didn't label it "healthy," for pete's sake... This recipe was my test-drive for canned potatoes—never had ‘em growing up, but since I’ve been into stocking up the pantry lately, thought I’d give them a try. They are already cooked, so all they need is to be warmed through—yeah, there’s a bit of an off-flavor, but that’s what spices are for. The speed is worth it when you want to whip up a quick soup! The texture is a bit thicker than water, but if you want to make it thicker, double the flour to 4 tablespoons.
 

Yields about 1 gallon

1 stick butter

2 large onions, diced

3 large cloves of garlic, minced

½ c sake

32oz container chicken broth

2 14.5oz cans potatoes

1 15oz can peas

2T flour

1 12oz can evaporated milk

Salt and red pepper flakes to taste

1. Melt ½ stick of butter in a decent-size saucepan (mine was 4.5 quarts). Sauté diced onions and minced garlic until at least soft and translucent, about 8–10 minutes. You could go longer and get a darker color to them—this would bring more of a caramelized flavor to the soup. I like them light, because they become a great sweet background that way with just a little bit of soft toothiness. However, if you want these guys to be more prominent, cook ‘em longer.

2. Add the sake and the chicken broth to the pot.

3. Chop up the potatoes (I sliced them into bite-size chunks) and add to the soup. Add the peas. 

4. Simmer until warmed through. 

5. While the soup is simmering, prepare the roux. In a small pot, melt the other ½ stick of butter over low heat. Stir in the flour. Add the evaporated milk slowly, stirring to incorporate. Continue stirring over low heat until the mixture is steaming and has thickened to a velvety texture.

6. Add the milk mixture to the soup; stir to combine. Serve with salt and red pepper flakes to taste. Enjoy!