Mashed Potato Soup

Begin by cleaning and peeling the potatoes. Dice them into 1-inch cubes, as this will cause them to cook faster. Boil them in a pot of salted water with the minced garlic, minced shallots, parsley and thyme until you can cut them with the edge of a fork. I like to boil my potatoes with the garlic, onions and other seasonings because I feel it allows the flavor to seep into the potatoes better. Who knows if it’s really true.

Drain the water and mash the potatoes with the tines of a fork until only a few lumps remain. You should mash this less than you would for mashed potatoes—lumps are your friend here. Set aside.

In the same pot that you boiled the potatoes in, melt the butter or margarine and add the milk. As the milk begins to boil, add the Laughing Cow Cheese (cut into small pieces) or the cheese of your choice (if you’re lucky enough to have a grocery store that stocks cheese, not “cheese product”). Stir constantly until the cheese melts. This will take longer for the Laughing Cow cheese triangles as they don’t like to melt. Be careful not to burn the milk and watch it to make sure it doesn’t boil over (as milk likes to do).

When the cheese has melted, add the mashed potato mixture and stir to combine. The soup will be very “soupy” right now. Don’t be concerned. Bring the milk back to a low boil and stir. The soup will thicken as it cooks. Add the nutmeg, black pepper, mustard powder, salt and chili pepper, stirring to combine.

Enjoy the soup when it has reached your desired thickness. I like my soup thick enough to hold a spoon on the surface.