Koppenhoefer Family Recipe for German Potato Soup

Koppenhoefer Family Recipe for German Potato Soup

Grandma Koppenhoefer brought this recipe with her when she immigrated from Germany as a teenager. It's incredibly easy, economical, and delicious, and it can be tweaked in many ways to suit individual tastes.

The nutrition facts for this outstanding soup were calculated at the best Free website in the interwebz to count your calories - Calorie Count!

Ingredients:

8 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

4 strips bacon, chopped

1 medium to large onion, chopped coarsely 

2 cloves garlic, minced

leaves of 2 celery stalks

salt and pepper to taste

flour (approximately 2 T)

Directions:

In one pot, cover cubed potatoes with salted water to a level that covers the potatoes by one-half inch. Add celery leaves. Boil until potatoes are soft. Remove celery and discard.

Help Grandma make soup!

While potatoes are boiling, sauté bacon in a soup pot, or equivalent. When bacon is almost crisp, add onion and garlic. When onion becomes clear, add enough flour, a little at a time and stirring, to absorb the bacon drippings.

Pour one-third of potato water into the soup pot and form a roux.

While roux is browning, mash potatoes in remaining water. Pour into roux. In Germany, a roux is called a Mehlschwitze. You can learn all sorts of things at CC Palate!

Stir, adding salt and pepper to taste, and simmer until ready to serve.

If you prefer a thinner soup, you may add water as desired.

Serving suggestions:

Sprinkle chopped chives or parsley on top of each serving. Serves four as a main course or eight as an appetizer. Matches well with toasted cheese sandwiches.