I mostly see these at the little Wednesday market at the bottom of the hill from us in Les Cabannes. And when I see them, I buy them. The variety is identified as Bintje, and they are actually from Eastern Europe I think. But they are the most perfect soup potatoes, alone or with other vegetables or some flaked white fish for the pescatarians. They start appearing in September, just as the evenings start to chill. The marketeers know what they are selling, and know why people are buying, so they know a soup is in the offing when someone buys these potatoes and automatically add a handful of parsley and some sticks of celery, the way the fish man throws in a lemon. There’s always a connection between the raw materials and the meal here, with advice always ready to be offered and received. An added bonus of these potatoes is that they also make an amazing cold soup, so if the weather suddenly picks up you can just add swirl of créme fresh or yogurt, a sprinkle of chopped parsley, basil, or chives and you are good to go.
What makes them so perfect? They are quite starchy but astonishingly creamy, and they hold up to over-handling without developing the gluey texture of other potatoes. I swear you can’t go wrong with these.
I store soup in the largest mason jars I can find and line them up in the bottom of the fridge. With a swirl of different herbs and spices it feels like a new soup for a few meals, and then if there’s any left I freeze portion-sized amounts in ziplock bags for future use. I generally make enough to freeze a dozen servings in case there are no left-overs, and this one thaws like a dream and stands up to being served for cold lunch on the terrace or hot as we settle in front of the wood stove. I should add that this is mother-in-law approved, although she prefers it with equal part leek and potato.
The recipe starts the same for each.
- Potatoes (peeled if you feel fancy) and cut into even chunks, leeks (just the whites — the greens can be curled to garnish) or a small yellow onion if you prefer, also a handful of parsley and one or two celery sticks, garlic, salt, pepper, maybe a little turmeric if you don’t want it white. Dried sage is a good addition, too;
- You can use this base but increase the leeks (I use whites and greens) to make a great potato leek soup;
- You can also replace the leeks with a head of garlic (peeled and crushed) to make a garlic soup (add a bit of stale bread if you overdo the garlic — if that is possible).
- Bring to a boil for 15 minutes.
- Once done, bring out the emersion blender. I do have a lovely Moulinex hand-crank mill with different sized disk blades, but on this one I am firmly behind modern technology. Blend until smooth (while these potatoes are very forgiving, you could probably over-blend if you weren’t paying attention, so be gentle).
- Adjust seasoning and serve.
Serving options:
- I often add a jar of (rinsed) white beans to increase the protein (especially when cooking for my MIL who eats like a bird). I throw them in just before I start blending so they heat through with the hot potatoes. You won’t taste them, but for vegetarians, the extra protein is good.
- A few slugs of oat milk thins it down a bit and adds a creamier texture than water. If you’re cutting carbs, water works too, (honestly, this is so good you do not need fancy chicken or vegetable stock). Some like it thicker than others—there is no one way to make soup!
- Coconut cream (available in small boxes in Europe) is a very good substitute for dairy cream, but by all means use that if you and lactose are on good terms. You can add butter too of course.
- To serve, I prefer a drizzle of olive oil, some freshly cracked black pepper and a sprinkle of paprika. Others prefer more butter, or créme fresh, sour cream, or even plain yogurt. Chopped parsley goes well on top.
- Needless to say, this soup is a good vehicle for some shaved black truffles should you come across any.
- Of course there will be bread, crusty and fresh. I like it with a smear of roquefort — but then I like roquefort on everything.
Enjoy!
