Potato Cheddar Soup {Meatless Monday Recipe

From time to time I like to revisit old blog posts to see if there are ways that I might improve them. I was going through some of the oldest posts the other day when I ran across one for Potato Cheddar soup, from October 2013. The blog post caught my eye because at the end of the post was a sweet picture of His Royal Highness licking out the bowl. Atchee had given this soup his Meatless Monday approval.

Seeing that picture of my sweet boy licking the bowl really pulled at my heartstrings. Our home is just not the same since his passing in March, nor will it be ever again. There’s not a day that goes by that we don’t think about him. We miss him so much!

I’m not sure why, but I haven’t made this soup since I took the picture of Atchee cleaning the bowl out on the October evening. So I decided to make the potato cheddar soup again.

Mercy me! Why did I wait so long? I had forgotten just how good this soup is. No wonder Atchee was cleaning out the bowl!

I published the post about 6 months after I started this blog. Needless to say, the photography was not great and I really didn’t say enough about the soup. In fact, the only thing good about the old blog post was the picture of Atchee and the recipe. So, I decided to repost this potato cheddar soup in honor of Atchee’s favorite Meatless Monday.

Here’s how I made the soup:

First, heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, over medium-high heat. Add in the onions, carrots, and celery (mirepoix) until softened, then stirred in the potatoes. Continue to cook over medium-low heat, until the potatoes are softened; about 5 to 10 minutes.

Mirepoix is derived from French cuisine and dates from the 18th century. This mirepoix is the flavor base of the soup. You want to cook the vegetables over low heat to make them tender without browning them, so it’s important to give the vegetables a good stir every now and then to prevent the potatoes from sticking to the bottom of the pan. 

When the potatoes are tender, stir in the vegetable stock. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat. Cover with a lid, (venting slightly). Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, then turn off the heat and stir in the milk.

Carefully ladle the soup into a blender or a food processor in batches, or use an immersion blender to puree the soup. Puree until creamy and smooth. Return the soup to the pot if needed, but do not turn the heat back on. Stir in the cheese in batches until the soup is well combined. Add cayenne pepper and season with salt and pepper to taste

This homemade Potato Cheddar Soup is gluten-free, hearty soup with richly seasoned flavors that will keep you coming back for more. The soup is perfect for any weeknight when you just need to relax and recharge, because not only is it comforting, it is so easy to make!

This time I garnished the soup with some pickled jalapenos to give it a spicy kick!

This is a soup for the soul. In a way, I guess Atchee found a way to comfort us from missing him so much. Thanks, Atchee Boy!

We hope this soup will comfort your soul this winter too!