Potato Soup

This is my favorite potato soup recipe. Most potato soups, in my opinion, are too heavy and gloppy (is that a word?). They are modeled on the stuffed baked potato or use too much dill and cheddar. Bleh. I much prefer this soup, which I adapted from Vegetarian Soups for All Seasons by Nava Atlas.  I make this soup a few times during Lent and I think it is a perfect lenten meal with a green salad.

1 chopped onion
2 minced cloves of garlic
6 medium potatoes (peeled and diced)
2 bay leaves
veggie stock (I used a little less than one box, or about 2 cans worth)
1 teaspoon Italian herb mix
4 oz cream cheese (you can use tofutti cream cheese if you are dairy-free)
1/2 cup firmly packed chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup quick-cooking oatmeal

Saute the onion and garlic in canola oil (or your choice) until golden. Add potatoes and bay leaves. Add enough veggie stock to cover, then stir in herb mix. Bring to a simmer, then simmer gently, covered, until the potatoes are just tender (about 20-25 minutes).

Remove about 1/2 cup of the hot liquid with a ladle and transfer to small mixing bowl. Combine with cream cheese and whisk together until smooth. Stir into the soup, along with the parsley. While stirring, slowly sprinkle in the oats. Simmer for another 20-25 minutes over very low heat until potatoes are completely tender. You can add some more veggie stock to thin if you think it is too thick (or some milk or soy milk). I find that the soup only needs a little fresh ground pepper but then I'm not really into salting my food.

This soup is really delicious. Its light tasting but substantial. It tastes so fresh. It is very healthy. I think it is an excellent soup for Lent because it is meat-free, simple, non-decadent, but still satisfying and yummy. In fact, I heartily recommend the entire cookbook it came from. I think we only had one soup that was just okay (we ended up adding sausage to it and then it was delish). Everything is simple, easy and healthy. Not to mention, CHEAP. :)