Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Potato Jalapeno Soup



This is a deliciously creamy potato soup with a delightful kick. It's not as spicy as you might expect… but you'll definitely know there's some jalapeno in there!

We had a bunch of jalapenos left over from this summer's garden. What do you do with them? Here is a great idea. It's a take off on a soup we had aboard a Royal Caribbean ship.

1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup margarine or butter
3 pounds potatoes, cubed
8 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 cup jalapeno peppers, finely chopped
1 pinch baking soda
4 cups evaporated milk
black pepper to taste
salt to taste
1/2 cup cilantro

  • In a large stockpot, sauté the onion in butter or margarine until it becomes tender and translucent.
  • Add the potatoes, chicken broth, and cumin.
  • Bring to a boil, cover and cook until potatoes are tender (about 20 minutes).
  • Remove from heat and add the jalapenos, baking soda (to keep it all from curdling), and the evaporated milk.
  • Use a potato masher to coarsely mash the potatoes in the pot.
  • Season with salt and pepper.
  • Put back on the stove and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring often to keep the evaporated milk from burning or scalding.
  • Remove from heat and allow to cool a bit.
  • Ladle several cups of the soup into a blender and puree for a minute or so.
  • Continue pureeing small batches until all the soup is creamy and smooth.
  • Return three cups back to the blender, add the cilantro and re-puree.
  • Add that back to the main pot of creamy soup and stir until the cilantro flavor is mixed throughout.
  • Garnish with cilantro sprigs and/or sour cream.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

What A Great Caribbean Cruise!



Back from the Caribbean cruise! We had a great time! Horseback riding in Cozumel… exploring the Mayan ruins in Belize… visiting friends in Key West... and more incredible food than we knew what to do with! Details and photos are posted at Travel.MarshallMcPeek.com.