Most hospital food lives up to the stereotype of looking awful, tasting bland, and smelling horrid. So when my husband had open heart surgery, he had a hard time stomaching the food, and sent 90 percent of it back untouched. One morning before leaving to visit him, he called and asked me to bring him potato soup. Since I wasn’t aware of any restaurants in my area that offered potato soup, I made a quick pot with ingredients I had on hand. I happened to have a bag of those tiny potatoes that are popular now, and knew they would cook in about 15 minutes, so I covered them with water, threw in some dried onion, parsley, and chicken bouillon, and let them cook until they were tender. I always have Basic Cream Soup on my pantry shelf, since it is a huge timesaver, so I mixed it with cold water and thickened the soup. Believe it or not, the soup was wonderful, and my husband was extremely happy. Another example of where simplicity is the key.

Tiny potatoes don’t need to be peeled, so the soup has a few potato skins along with the chunks of potato. Another difference from using cut up big potatoes is that these tiny potatoes have a different texture, and seem almost buttery. This soup isn’t fancy; it’s simply basic comfort food that can be made quickly. It goes well with a grilled cheese or tuna sandwich for a quick lunch, but it’s also a warm filling lunch on its own.

8 Servings

1 pound tiny potatoes, red or white, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter
4 cups water
1/4 cup dehydrated onion flakes
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 tablespoon granular chicken bouillon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 cups cold water
2 cups Basic Cream Soup Mix

1. Place the potatoes and water in a large saucepan.
2. Add the onion flakes, dried parsley, bouillon, and pepper.
3. Cover, bring to a boil, and turn down to a simmer; let simmer 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
4. With a potato masher or large fork, smash the potatoes so they break up in small chunks.
5. Whisk together the cold water and cream soup mix; add to the potato mixture and bring to a boil.
6. Stir until the soup has thickened.
7. Taste for seasoning, adding additional salt and pepper if necessary. Serve warm.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 232 Calories from Fat 76
Percent Total Calories From Fat 33% Protein 16% Carb. 52%

Nutrient Amount per Serving
Total Fat 8 g
Saturated Fat 5 g
Cholesterol 25 mg
Sodium 411 mg
Total Carbohydrate 30 g
Dietary Fiber 1 g
Sugars 0 g
Protein 9 g

Vitamin A 2% Vitamin C 17% Calcium 0% Iron 6%