Savory Potato Broth
This versatile soup base is not really a broth, in the way my turkey broth is—that is, a clear liquid strained of all the ingredients that gave it flavor. In truth, the base starts cooking with several pounds of potatoes, carrots, and celery, and they stay in there. Yet, remarkably, it ends up light, clear, and clean-tasting, like a broth. To enjoy the clarity and consistency of the base, often I’ll add nothing more than rice, for texture and flavor. Onion and poached garlic make a flavorful yet light cream soup. On the other hand, I might fill the base with lots of textured ingredients, like mushrooms and barley, or lentils and ditalini pasta. And vegetables that break down during cooking and melt away, such as parsnip or winter squash and chestnut, utterly transform the texture.
Recipe information
Yield
About 4 quarts of soup base, enough for 2 batches or more of finished soups
Ingredients
Recommended Equipment
Preparation
Step 1
Pour the oil into the pot, and set over medium-high heat. Let the oil get quite hot, but not smoking.
Step 2
Dump in the potatoes, sprinkle on 1 teaspoon of the salt, and toss them in the oil until well coated. Cook them for 6 minutes or more, until lightly crusted and caramelized without taking on any color. Lower the heat to prevent burning and alternately stir the potatoes.
Step 3
When the potatoes are leaving a crust on the pan bottom (about 3 to 5 minutes), toss in the celery and carrots. Stir up everything well, scraping up any potato crust, raise the heat a bit, and cook for 2 or 3 minutes, until all the vegetables are hot and steaming. Push them aside to clear the pan bottom in the center, and drop in the tomato paste. Toast it in the hot spot for a minute or two, stirring, then work the paste into the vegetables.
Step 4
Pour the gallon of hot water into the pan, drop in the bay leaves and pieces of cheese rind, grind in 1/4 teaspoon or more of black pepper, add the remaining teaspoon of salt, and stir well. Cover the pot and bring the broth to a boil, adjusting the heat to keep a steady but not violent bubbling, and let cook for an hour, covered. Stir occasionally.
Step 5
Uncover the pot and cook the broth for another hour or so, still at a low bubbling boil, until it has reduced to 4 quarts. (If you’re in a hurry, raise the heat and concentrate the broth quickly; stir now and then to prevent burning.)
Step 6
Remove the bay leaves but leave the cheese rind, whole or chopped up, for those who like it.
Step 7
You can use the broth right away, or any part of it, for the finished soups that follow. Or let it cool and pack it in measured containers. Keep it refrigerated for 3 or 4 days, or frozen, in filled and tightly sealed containers, for 4 to 6 months.
