Potato Soup

Potato Soup is wonderful during cold weather, served hot, or during hot weather, served chilled. A bit of San Francisco sourdough bread is a perfect accompaniment. It's a simple variation on Potato Leek Soup, with way less time taken.

• 4 cloves garlic, diced
  
• 1/2 t basil
  
• 1/4 t cilantro
  
• 1/2 t dillweed
  
• 1/2 t marjoram
  
• 1/4 t mustard seed
  
• 1/4 t parsley
  
• 1/2 t rosemary
  
• 2 med yellow onions, diced
  
• 3 lb potatoes (9 - 12 medium potatoes), well washed, scrubbed, and diced 1/2" cubes
  
• 4 C chicken or vegetable broth (2 boullion cubes + 4 C boiling water)
  
• 3/4 C oatmeal
  
• ground pepper, nutmeg, diced green onions for garnish
  

1. Put 4 C water in a stew pot, bring to boil, add bouillon cubes.
   
2. Add garlic and onions, bring to boil again.
   
3. Add potatoes, bring to boil again.
   
4. Add spices, and mix well, bring up heat to simmer, turn down to slow simmer.
   
5. Cook 30 - 45 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Make sure potatoes are very soft. Longer is better. Add oatmeal, mix well, and let it sit until soup thickens, turn heat off.
   
6. Garnish with ground pepper, nutmeg, and reserved chopped green onions.
   
7. Serve immediately, if you're hungry. Best flavour may be obtained from refrigerating overnight, but take precautions, if you do this.
   

If Prepared The Previous Night With most soups and stews, and this recipe is no exception, the flavour is intensified from sitting overnight, in a well sealed refrigerator container, after cooking. But be prepared. The oatmeal in this recipe will continue to soak up fluids, even when refrigerated. So if you prepare potato soup, and plan to serve it the next day, have a couple extra bouillon cubes ready. Make a couple cups extra broth, before warming the soup for serving. If the soup has turned into stew, or aspic even, warm it slowly and add 1/2 cup of broth, or even more, until it becomes a soup again. The flavour will be perfect, and the consistency will make the extra effort worthwhile.