I cook a generous amount of chopped onion, celery, and carrots in chicken broth. I'll add the chopped potatoes after a few minutes. When the veggies are soft, I use a masher (rather than a stick blender) to get everything mashed up well, but we do like the flavorful lumps.

Milk or cream comes next, to the desired consistency. I use chopped fresh parsley and chives, with a dash of nutmeg. I made some a week or so ago with some chopped ham.

Rhizo, that sounds good!!!!

I just made this last weekend.

48-oz can chicken broth
approx. a cup of water
2 packets of Knorr's Leek Soup Mix
Medium onion, diced
potatoes, peeled and cubed (abt. 3 or 4 lbs?)
parsley flakes
boullion cubes (I used 2)
1 lb. hamburger, browned
half a stick of butter (Margarine)
approx. 4 - 6 oz. whipping cream
S&P to taste

Put chicken broth, water, leek soup mix and onions in a pot. Once heated very well add potatoes. Cook on a soft boil til desired tenderness. Add hamburger, parsley flakes, butter and cream. Stir well til butter is melted, the cream will help thicken it some. S&P to taste.

If you want it runnier, add more chicken broth. If you want it thicker, you can add some mashed potato flakes. Mine was pretty thick without the potato flakes. You don't have to use hamburger, I just do coz DH has to have meat in everything, lol.

These are starting point measurements. I keep tasting it til I get it where I like it.

Yum, comfort food for sure.

Cheeseburger Soup:

1/2 lb. grd beef
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup shredded carrots
3/4 cup diced celery
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. parsley flakes
4 tbl. butter, divided
3 cups chix broth
4 cups diced peeled potatoes (1 3/4lb.)
1/4 cup flour
2 cups (oz.)process cheese (Velveeta)
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup sour cream

In a 3qt. saucepan, cook beef until no longer pink; drain an set aside. In the same saucepan, saute onion,carrots,celery,basil and parsley in 1tbl. butter until veggies are tender. Add broth, potatoes and beef; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 -12 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile in a small skillet, melt remaining butter. Add flour; cook and stir for 3 - 5min. or until bubbly. Add to soup; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2min. Reduce heat to low. Add cheese, milk, salt and pepper; cook and stir until cheese melts. Remove from heat; blend in sour cream.

Yum.

I've made this one from All Recipes a couple of times. It was well received. I read through the comments section and made changes based on the comments, but I think the soup would be delicious as is. Not sure, but I may have substituted green onions for the leeks on one occasion. I think I may have bought precooked bacon bit and used that another time. No complaints from the kids. They would like me to make it more often.

Here is a link that might be useful: Potato Leek Soup

This is the best Potato soup I ever ate. You can even add some broccoli & carrots for extra flavor.

Cream Cheese Potato Soup
3 cups water, add 1 TB chicken stock in a jar
( or use 3cups of chicken broth instead )
4 1/2 cups diced potatoes
1/8 cup diced onions (more or less to taste)
1/8 cup diced celery
1 grated carrot
Natures seasoning & creole seasoning to taste
dash red pepper
8 oz cream cheese (I use just 4 oz and its fine)
1 slice of pepper jack cheese (opt)

Combine broth , potatoes, onion, celery, carrot & spices.
Boil on med. heat until potatoes are tender.
Smash a few to release starch for thickening
reduce to low heat, add cream cheese & a slice of pepper jack cheese,
cook just a few more minutes.

If you like it smooth use a hand blender or blend in blender.

enjoy......YUM

Here is a link that might be useful: Soups

I hate to admit it because I'm generally a from scratch cooker, but for potato soup I saute' some onions and celery,,,,, then I mix one package of Bear Creek potato soup according to directions and one package of Knorr's leek soup according to directions. That's my potato soup, sometimes I add a couple cans of diced clams and some butter and I have New England clam chowder and some times I add shrimp, scallops, crab and dry sherry and I have seafood chowder. It's mighty good.

This is always a hit when I serve it. Since I got this years ago, I've learned to bake the bacon in the oven which really saves time and messy splatters. This recipe makes a LOT of soup.

POTATO CHEESE CHOWDER

5 lbs. potatoes, diced
10-12 slices bacon, diced and fried
1 medium onion
1 lb. Velveeta cheese
1/2 stick butter
Dried parsley--couple of shakes (or used chopped fresh--even better)
1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk

Fry bacon, remove from pan and saute onion in drippings. Fill a 6-qt. pot 3/4 full of peeled, diced potatoes and barely cover with water. Cook until potatoes are barely tender. Add remaining ingredients (including bacon drippings) except evaporated milk.

After cheese melts, remove from heat. When cool, add milk. Reheat when ready to serve.

NOTES: This makes a lot! You don't have to use all the bacon drippings if your bacon has a lot of fat in it. Start with a little and add to taste. The reason you cool before adding the milk is that the milk will curdle. The cheese is salty enough without adding extra.

I don't make potato soup anymore (allergic), but I can share that my dad put watercress in his. It was delicious.

I admit I haven't made this, but got a ham for Christmas and put it in the freezer. As soon as I thaw it out, I will be making it. It got rave reviews.

Here is a link that might be useful: Best Ham and Potato Soup Ever

Well I feel silly. How did I overlook this wonderful post when I asked, hours later, what to do with potatoes, cheese, ham...etc.

These are some great recipes...and I have a version of pototo/ham/cheese soup simmering on the stove right now!

I made potato soup at work today. I start with water with chicken base added to it or chicken broth. Then I add cut up celery and carrots and onions. I used to peel the potatoes and dice them, but we started using diced frozen potatoes now. I just simmer it until all the vegetables are done. Then I add dry creamer and a little butter. In the beginning I also add about a 1/2 cup of instant potatoes because I don't like thin soup I want it a little thicker. You have to estimate how much of it to add though according to how big of batch you are making, and you have to add it at the start because the soup will have a gritty taste from the instant potatoes if they are not cooked long enough. If it ends up to thick I just add more water or milk and a little more chicken base to your own personal taste.
I also make a cheseburger chowder. The recipe is the same mine calls for 1/4 cup sour cream and I use instant potatoes instead of flour. I also use slice american cheese instead of Velveeta
I make soup almost everyday at work and I put celery carrots and onions in all of them except for the homemade tomato soup I make. It just makes it look nicer and gives it a little more tast I think.
You can also add ham or bacon to my potato soup but it isn't necessary. For corn chowder just add canned or frozen corn.

Oh my, all recipes sound good. I do have some of these ingredients. I'll use with what I have and make some tomorrow. Hopefully, I have the time to cook.

Due to dairy allergies,its a bit difficult for me to make it he way I'd like-so now,I do it with soy milk-pretty good and basically the same as most of the above recipes

This is one I have been making for many years (as you can see by the date of the article). It is so simple and sooooo goooood.

Cheese-Potato Soup
The Mother Earth News editors
November/December 1975

Working outside all day in windy, near-zero weather can leave a person chilled through and through. A deep bath, hot enough to relax cold-clenched muscles, will help cure an individual of this condition - but only a properly heroic prescription will fill that big, icy, gap where his or her stomach should be. The following midwestern farm recipe for Cheese-Potato Soup is one such formulation that does the latter job admirably.

For two moderately congealed people (or one suffering from an absolutely frightening case of the Cold Robies), peel and boil two slightly-larger-than-medium potatoes. Drain the tubers when they're done and save the liquid in which they were cooked. Then mash the potatoes well, add the water they were boiled in (and more liquid if necessary), and salt and pepper to taste.

Next, brown 2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons of flour in 2 1/2 tablespoons of butter (by stirring the flour and butter constantly, you can turn them a rich, golden color without burning them at all). Add the browned mixture to the potatoes and water and stir the whole savory solution as you boil it together for two or three minutes.

Finally, cut a good-sized chunk of longhorn or mild cheddar cheese into enough small pieces to fill a big soup bowl one-third full. Cover the cheese with the thick, bubbling potato-butter-flour ambrosia, dice a quarter slice of onion on top of each serving and sprinkle a few drops of vinegar over all. Break out the spoons and crackers and eat it hot! This simple but robust one-dish meal is guaranteed to warm you from the inside out.

This post was edited by walnutcreek on Wed, Jan 23, 13 at 12:38

Boil about 4-5 potates cut up in a boiler.Add 1 onion cut up. drain potates, Add a can of cream of mushroom soup.When potates gets tender remove onion and shredded cheese I use mild cheese"1-cup>,Salt and pepper to taste.We love corn bread with this.I hope you can understand I can not see what I am typing since my eyes have got so bad,.I hope you enough...Hugs Judy"from alabama>

I made potato soup last nite for dinner using Rhizo's recipe.
I added a bit of curry for some depth. It was delicious!
I mashed it with the masher, but then wanted some of it whizzed as well.