Pioneer
Potato Soup
When the potato bin was full and the cupboard was bare
New Brunswick historical recordNew Brunswick grew (and still grows) some of the best potatoes in the world. During the Depression, a bin of potatoes in the cellar was the difference between eating and not. This soup is as simple as it gets — and quietly, deeply good.
Source: New Brunswick historical record
Ingredients
- 6 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 tbsp salt pork or lard
- 4 cups water or milk (or half and half)
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- Chopped parsley if available
Instructions
- In a heavy pot, fry salt pork over medium heat until fat renders. Remove pork scraps and set aside.
- Sauté onion in the fat until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add potatoes and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes until potatoes are very tender.
- Mash some of the potatoes roughly in the pot to thicken the soup, leaving some chunks.
- Add milk if using, and heat gently — do not boil.
- Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with reserved pork scraps and parsley.
✦ Kitchen Notes
- All water was the norm in lean times. Half milk when things were a little better.
- A handful of dried salt cod added at step 3 turns this into a simple fish chowder.