Is there anything more comforting than a rich, creamy soup on a cold winter day? Pot O’Gold Potato Cheese Soup is hearty, soul-satisfying and, of course, delicious.
I love that silver-plated soup tureen in the photo above. It’s engraved “Emma” and has an ornate Victorian design. I don’t use it for food – the inside is now a bit “rough” after years of neglect, so whether or not it is “food-safe” is debatable. But, it’s so pretty that I display it in a cabinet in my home all the time and take it out and use it as a vase for flowers on occasion. Or, as a prop for a photo shoot.
Emma was my maternal great-grandmother and while I never knew her, I knew of her through my mother and grandmother. Unfortunately, I don’t know much about her heritage, but her maiden name was Brown, so I could guess. My grandmother was adopted by Emma and Robert in 1904, and I don’t know my grandmother’s ancestry at all, because of her adoption. My grandmother, Dorothy, was blonde and blue-eyed, so I’m guessing that her ancestry was “European”.
Anyway, I’m explaining all this because I’m a quarter Irish and who knows what else! Many of my nieces and nephews, and even my great-nieces and great-nephew, are more Irish than me, because their parents (my siblings) married spouses of Irish descent, too! Like this little cutie pie…
My great-niece, Princess Sweet Cheeks, more Irish than me! And this one…
Her mother, Nicole, my niece…more Irish than me!
More than 10% of America’s population (33,000,000) are of Irish ancestry. My maternal grandfather was 100% Irish, so my mom is half Irish and half sumthin’ sumthin’. My grandfather’s parents immigrated to America during the late 1800’s. Between 1820 and 1860, almost 2,000,000 Irish people emigrated to the United States. And, during Ireland’s Great Potato Famine in the mid-1800’s, more than 1,000,000 people emigrated to other countries, including the United States, to escape the widespread hunger and devastation that lasted 7 years.
Today, there are less than 5,000,000 people in Ireland. So, when you wonder why St. Patrick’s Day has turned into an American tradition that most Americans enjoy, whether of Irish background or not, you’ll understand it is because so many of us are of Irish descent!
Anyway, I digress..
Pot O’Gold Potato Cheese Soup is so named because of the golden glow emanating from the depths of it’s cheesy, creamy goodness! Made with real potatoes (as opposed to boxed flakes of potatoes), I savor every bite of this delicious soup because it is so filling, it’s hard to eat more than one serving!
While it is a creamy soup, I like to leave some chunks of potato swimming in Pot O’Gold Potato Cheese Soup. And, I serve extra cheese on the side (who doesn’t like more cheese?!) as well as sour cream and chopped green onions.
Here’s the recipe:
An Irishman’s Pot O’Gold Potato Cheese Soup
This chunky, cheesy and creamy soup is hearty and delicious.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 40 mins
- Category: Soup
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1/2 yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely minced
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 6 russet potatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds), peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups medium cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 green onions, chopped (for garnish)
- 1/2 cup sour cream (for garnish)
Instructions
- In a large stockpot, heat oil over medium heat.
- Add onions, saute’ until translucent, stirring occasionally (about 5 minutes).
- Add garlic and saute’ a few minutes more.
- Add chicken broth and potatoes and bring to a boil.
- Boil about 15 minutes, until potatoes are fork-tender (check at the 10 minute marker).
- Reduce heat to low, add milk and cream and stir to combine.
- Using an immersion blender, blend potatoes mixture until creamy, but leave nice chunks of potato for texture.
- Add 1 cup of cheese and stir until cheese melts.
- Add salt and pepper, stir; taste and correct seasonings.
- Serve immediately with extra cheese, green onions and sour cream for garnish.
Notes
If you don’t have an immersion blender, put small batches of the soup in a blender and blend until smooth. Leave a portion of the soup chunky for texture. Return blended soup to pot and finish recipe per instructions.
Here are a few more soup recipes you might like, some of them even “Pots O’Gold”:
Creamy Purple Cauliflower Soup
Harvest Pumpkin and Sweet Pepper Soup
Make Pot O’Gold Potato Cheese Soup on St. Patrick’s Day, either for lunch or dinner. Your family will thank you, plus you can tell your children about the Irish Potato Famine and sneak in a little history lesson!
Tootles,
I hadn’t realized how many soup recipes you have made here. They all look yummy but this one is by far my favorite. Who in their right mind doesn’t like potato soup. 🙂
Hahaha! You are so right – what’s not to love, i.e., potatoes, cheese, cream! Comfort overload!