Crazy Delicious Potato, Pickle and Parsley Soup

This lactose free and vegan creamy soup is crazy delicious with tons of flavour. Don’t let the excessive amount of parsley scare you. It’s totally necessary. This soup was a childhood fav of mine. It’s cheap to make and very satisfying. The odds are you’ll have all the ingredients in your fridge and pantry so it's an easy go to. When I was a kid, my Omi made it for me even in the heat of the summer as she knew how much I liked it. Now it’s a regular fall and winter soup for us.

One of the things I love about food is the nostalgia and memories they hold. Everytime I make or eat this soup I think of my Omi. Her galley sized kitchen, the grey arborite table with chrome legs and matching vinyl chairs and the stool I would stand on to be next to her at the counter while she cooked and told me stories. It was magic.

From start to serving this will take you about an hour.

Once you’ve made this soup feel free to make it your own the next time. Add more pickles, parsley or make it thinner. If lactose is not an issue feel free to add 35% cream or even buttermilk as another option.

Tools

• Chef knife

• Whisk

• Med to large stock pot

• Wooden spoon

• Cutting board

• Medium mixing bowl

Shopping list

• 4 medium sized yellow flesh potatoes skin on

• 1 bunch curly parsley

• 2 large dill pickles

• 10 or so green beans

• 1 large cooking onion

• 2 celery stalks

• 1 garlic clove

• 900ml vegetable stock

• 3tbs all purpose flour

• 2 tsp coarse kosher salt (may need more depending on the saltiness of the stock)

• Approx 2 + tsp of ground black pepper

• 2tbs veg, canola, sunflower or olive oil (your choice)

• 500ml water (if needed)

Prep

• Wash potatoes then cut into approx ¼” cubes (does not need to be exact or perfect)

• Rough chop all the parsley leaves and smaller softer stems.

• Rough chop dill pickles

• Remove stem ends of beans then cut beans into ½” pieces

• Finely dice onion

• Finely dice celery

• Fine chop garlic

• In the mixing bowl, mix flour with approx 250ml of stock. Whisk until smooth. If it is still too thick add more stock. Avoid any lumps as they will become dumplings in the soup….

Here we go

• Heat oil in stock pot on med/high

• Add onions and celery. Stirring with the wooden spoon until translucent. 2 minutes max

• Add potatoes and stir. Cook for another minute. keep moving potatoes as they stick to the pot

• Add garlic, salt and pepper and continue to mix ingredients for another 30 seconds.

• Pour in stock and use the wooden spoon scrape bottom of the pot to free any potato bits.

• Stirring occasionally, allow the soup to come to a boil.

• Once soup has come to a boil and while constantly whisking pour in the flour mixture. Keep whisking until fully incorporated and no lumps are visible.

• Reduce heat to medium

• Add the dill pickles and beans

** you will need to be regularly stirring the soup with the wooden spoon to avoid any sticking and or burning on the bottom of the pot.

• If the soup is too thick for your liking then either add and stir in some water or additional stock to thin it. Be careful not to add too much too quickly.

• It will take about another 5 more minutes for the potatoes to be fully cooked. We want them to be firm and to hold their shape.

• Once the potatoes are done add and stir in all the parsley.

• Cook for another 2 or so minutes.

• Taste soup for seasoning and adjust to your liking.

Serve and enjoy